“We are here to help one another.” 

That could be the theme of the West End House Family Food Program. This summer, staff members and devoted volunteers came together to prepare, pack and deliver groceries and meals to club members and their families. Over eight weeks, they delivered over 9,000 pounds of meat and 56,000 pounds of produce to families across the city.

This feat would not have been possible without our amazing volunteers, who performed the “heavy lifting” that made this all possible.  Board members, parents and caregivers, Allston-Brighton neighbors, and associates from our corporate partners showed up once or twice per week, some bringing room-mates, partners, or children to make the load a little lighter. 

On Saturdays, volunteers unloaded our weekly delivery from Greater Boston Food Bank; and then took care of a number of important tasks for the coming week’s programs.  This included putting boxes together, assembling snack packs for our youth, organizing supply kits for youth in our summer programming, and counting out 7 masks per person in each household to include with each delivery.

On Wednesdays and Thursdays, volunteers received a list of addresses and a trunk full of grocery boxes, which they delivered on routes that spanned the entire city. A total of 28 drivers helped out, and we’d estimate their labor totaled at least 450 hours of people-power over the course of the summer. Each grocery box has been packed with love, offering a nutritionally-balanced mix of fresh produce, proteins, whole grains, dairy, and dry goods — as well as prepared frozen meals, donated by partner organizations.

Every volunteer showed the highest level of commitment and concern for their West End House community, and we are deeply grateful for their hard work and generosity. As our food program comes to an end for the season, we want to express our deep appreciation for all of our volunteers. We couldn’t have done it without you!