In 2024, the Greater Boston Food Bank found that, across Massachusetts, 1 in 3 individuals do not have enough food or the means to buy food. Newton, a city known for its wealth, is no exception to the impact of food insecurity.
Rose Saia, executive director of the Centre Street Food Pantry, said Newton’s food insecurity rate is between 5% and 7%, based on federal documentation of individuals living on fixed incomes, meeting federal poverty guidelines, or receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. That means at least 1 in 20 Newton residents is food-insecure. Newton Food Pantry, Centre Street Food Pantry, and the Arabic Baptist Church Food & Clothing Pantry aim to address their needs.
While this rate of food insecurity does not seem high, Saia said it reflects the data-driven methodology rather than reality: Some residents are not included in the data because they do not meet federal poverty guidelines or qualify for SNAP. These are typically families with children, working adults struggling to pay for healthcare, and senior citizens.
Executive director of Newton Food Pantry Jeff Lemberg said that other inflation-affected costs besides food – like gas, healthcare, and even housing – threaten food security, as well.
Still, food insecurity is not only about finances or hunger, said Saia, because it is also about constantly worrying about not being able to afford healthy food.
“There’s a real mental health aspect to food insecurity, because those who are food insecure, who are providing, are trying to always juggle [costs],” she said.
In a statement to Fig City News, Newton’s Commissioner of Health and Human Services Department Shin-Yi Lao said the City works with food-insecure residents by assisting with government program applications and connecting them with resources.
Emily Kuhl, manager of Newton’s Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), said that state government support, through the Greater Boston Food Bank, is considerably effective because neither the City nor CSFP has to pay for food.
Yet City-provided assistance may be insufficient.
“Newton is a really remarkable community and has done a lot to try to make it more affordable,” said Saia. “But it’s not enough. We regularly see probably 50 to 60 families who are new [to the Centre Street Food Pantry].”
She said there are disconnects among the City government’s sectors. Officials are often focused on providing residents with only one particular resource – such as housing, clothing, or food – so individuals need to make multiple calls to different departments.
Newton’s 13 villages further exacerbate the potential to overlook food insecurity. Residents, said Lemberg, often live within the bubble of their village.
Newton’s affluence overshadows food insecurity, too, augmenting a stigma Saia said is deeply embedded in the culture of the United States. This stigma originates from a common belief that anyone who works hard enough will succeed. Internalizing this outlook causes feelings of inadequacy when needing help.
Strategies for successful service
To combat stigmatization, Newton Food Pantry and Centre Street Food Pantry prioritize convenience, accessibility, and respect.
“We’re constantly refining our processes to help people get in and do what they need to, in terms of getting their groceries,” said Lemberg.
Registration process: Registrants need to provide Newton Food Pantry with only their proof of Newton residency. Centre Street Food Pantry uses the same registration criteria, but registration is currently closed for new households while existing clients can register for by-appointment visits.
Appointments: Newton Food Pantry and Centre Street Food Pantry have added by-appointment hours to prevent lengthy wait times during walk-in hours. Through these appointments, Centre Street Food Pantry aims to make going to the food pantry more convenient, while removing the stigma of taking leftover food if one cannot get there early.
“We’re trying to make it a better experience so that people know, ‘I’m going to come at 5:15; I’m gonna get everything,’” Saia said. “It’s tied to trying to make life better for the clients.”
Delivery and pickup: Newton Food Pantry delivers groceries to residents in several situations – those living under the Newton Housing Authority, medically homebound individuals, and referrals from the City’s social workers. Centre Street Food Pantry offers pickup.
Choice: Newton Food Pantry is a choice pantry. Clients can take what they need and want – including culturally relevant produce – instead of being handed a grocery bag.
“There’s dignity in choice. And so that’s our priority,” Lemberg said.
Freedge: The “freedge” is a 24/7 outdoor refrigerator and food pantry at 420 Watertown Street, created during the pandemic when Massachusetts’s food insecurity rate jumped from 8% to 16%.
Newton Food Pantry stocks the freedge multiple times a day, seven days a week. Lemberg said frequenters of the freedge utilize all the available food, and no amount would exceed individuals’ needs.
“There are some people who aren’t comfortable coming to a food pantry for whatever the reasons are, especially one that’s based in the basement of Newton City Hall,” said Lemberg.
He said there is also anonymity when using the freedge over food pantries because there is no required registration.
Fresh food: After the pandemic, Saia said Centre Street Food Pantry developed a program to ensure convenient food access. The program focuses on shelf-stable groceries, such as dairy or eggs, alongside frozen proteins and fresh produce. The quantity of food depends on family size, although Saia said it always equals or exceeds the USDA’s minimum requirements.
“It’s a programmatic approach to give families everything they need to make meals, with a real emphasis on the fresh food,” said Saia. “People have said to us, ‘This is just so helpful.’ So that’s what we continue to do.”
Shelf-stable food: Addressing food insecurity is especially important for low-income seniors, said Kuhl, as it affects their health and ability to meet basic needs. To aid residents, Newton’s CSFP gives them shelf-stable food, supplementing the fresh food they may get elsewhere.
The community’s role
Newton residents have a deep interest in helping their community, said Saia. Centre Street Food Pantry has 300 volunteers year-round; Newton Food Pantry has over 100 volunteers weekly.
“Always having enough volunteers and having volunteers who can do this work — because it’s not easy work — and want to do this work is a challenge,” she said. “That’s one where I am awed at the way the community has stepped up.”
As non-profit organizations, both food pantries rely on philanthropy, too. However, support does not have to be financial. Saia said even just awareness helps Centre Street Food Pantry aid food-insecure families.
“Folks are surprised to hear about how many people are in need of help. And when they hear it — and this is the beauty of Newton — they raise their hands to help,” he said.
Grace Yang ,a Fig City News intern, will be a sophomore at Newton South High School this fall.
