Food Bank Details Efforts to Nourish Community During Lowell City Council Meeting
To say that Debbie Callery is busy would be an understatement. During a Lowell City Council Nonprofit Subcommittee meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 7, the Merrimack Valley Food Bank (MVFB) executive director detailed the many services and programs the organization oversees.
Since 1981, the food bank has provided bulk food received from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the state to area families. It serves over 30 cities and towns and distributes nearly 4 million pounds of food products yearly. That’s about 70,000 people every month through partnerships with more than 100 food pantries, meal programs, shelters, and more.
“Our mobile pantry serves 300 seniors in the Greater Lowell area, providing a monthly delivery of groceries containing enough food to prepare somewhere between 26 to 30 meals,” Callery said in a meeting report detailed by The (Lowell) Sun.
The Lowell Transitional Living Center is one of several beneficiaries of MVFB’s direct-service hunger relief program. For over 38 years, Middlesex Street’s emergency shelter has been the primary home for any unhoused adult needing shelter in Lowell.
MVFB also partners with the Lowell Public Schools, providing students with most of their meals and snacks.
According to Callery, in 2024, MVFB served 27 schools in Lowell, including its Operation Nourish program and in-school pantries in the middle and high schools. During the summer months, MVFB organizes a summer meals program at Lowell parks and pools, serving approximately 16,000 meals to kids in a six-week period during the break.
In 2023, MVFB received nearly $225,000 over three years from the Cummings Foundation’s $30 Million Grant Program. “These unrestricted grant funds allow us to grow and adapt quickly to meet needs or respond to emergencies as they arise in our community,” Callery said.
In early 2024, MVFB relocated its headquarters and warehouse to a new facility on Middlesex Street in the city’s Highlands neighborhood. To arrange a tour, call 978-454-7272.
