Jennifer Sammons

Interfaith Social Services distributed 950 backpacks during the month of August to help ease the burden of back-to-school expenses for South Shore families in need.

THANK YOU to the many generous individuals, businesses and organizations who provided backpacks, school supplies and monetary contributions to make sure that all the children whose families utilize Interfaith’s programs were able to start off the school year on the right foot.

“We are so thankful to our generous donors! Our community made this possible,” said Roberta Ferguson-Gregg, Assistant Food Pantry Manager. “It is our hope that because these children will have their own school supplies and brand-new backpacks on their first day of school, their academic performance and self-confidence will be boosted. Education is a powerful tool in overcoming poverty, which is why our Backpack program plays a vital role in supporting their success now and in the future.”

Several local businesses and organizations supported the Backpack Drive this year with donations of backpacks, supplies and funds, including: Ahold, Arbella Insurance, Bank of Canton, Bay State Milling, Boston Metal, Congregation Beth Shalom of the Blue Hills, FoxRock Properties, Have a Sammi Kinda Day, Hingham Congregational Church, LaMacchia Realty – Nicole Vermillion, Merchants Capital, Second Congregational Church – Cohasset and XS Brokers.

Corporate volunteer groups from Blue Cross Blue Shield Massachusetts and South Shore Bank helped to assemble hundreds of bags, filling them with school supplies.

Xaverian Brothers student Michael McGrath also participated in the Drive for the fourth year in a row, raising funds to fill 75 backpacks with supplies. Over the summer, McGrath asked friends and family for financial support, and the teen purchased supplies and assembled all 75 bags before delivering them to Interfaith. Thank you so much for your continued support, Michael!

To learn more about Interfaith’s seasonal programs, please contact Assistant Food Pantry Manager Leslie Wittmann at leslie@interfaithsocialservices.org or 617-773-6203 ext.26.

Our 2025 Annual Report is out!

From our Executive Director, Rick Doane:

Fifty years ago, Interfaith’s staff members saw a need in our community and responded with a simple act of compassion. In a small closet, filled with a handful of donated canned goods, our food pantry began. It was a pioneering effort – our emergency food program here in Quincy was one of the first food pantries in the country. The mission in 1974 was clear and it remains a bedrock principle of all that we do: provide a welcoming place where our neighbors can find nourishment and hope.

Looking back, it’s incredible to see how far we’ve come. That small closet has blossomed into a bustling, comprehensive resource—one of the largest food pantries in Greater Boston. The transformation reflects not only the growing needs of our community but also the incredible generosity of partners like you.

Read more…

In this year’s report you’ll learn all about the impact donations from our community had on our organization.

89% of every dollar donated directly supports our programs

Just 11% goes toward administrative and fundraising costs – well below the industry standard of 20-35%.

And we take the time to thank our donors

THANK YOU! Businesses, organizations, houses of worship and individuals who gave $100 or more in monetary donations for our 2025 fiscal year (July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025) are listed in this year’s report.

The Bureau Drawer Thrift Shop is kicking off summer with a huge Tent Sale on Saturday, July 12! Join us under the tents between 10a-3pm for huge discounts on tons of merchandise.

All items will be priced at $2 or less!

Stop by and see us on your way to the FREE Dropkick Murphys concert in Quincy Center (concert runs 4-6:30pm).

Featuring:

• Clothing, especially women’s clothes
• Shoes
• Accessories – hats, summer scarves & more
• Books
• Media – DVDs, CDs, video games and audio books
• Vintage vinyl records
• Puzzles and Games
• Crafting Supplies
• Housewares
• …and so much more!

The Tent Sale will be held rain or shine. Tents will be set out front of our building at 101 Adams St., Quincy, MA. In case of heavy rain, we’ll move inside the building.

The Thrift Shop will also be open for browsing when you’ve finished shopping under the tents!

Focus on Fresh

On-Site Gardens

Where to Donate

Hundreds of runners and walkers defied the rain and took to the streets of Quincy’s Squantum neighborhood for Interfaith Social Services’ 51st annual Stop the Stigma 5K. The event, which raises funds and awareness for mental health and addiction care, brought in more than $150,000 to fund counseling sessions for those in need at our New Directions Counseling Center. Nearly 900 supporters signed up to take part in the April 26 event and over 600 runners and volunteers came out to the Kennedy Center in North Quincy despite the rainy weather.

New Directions serves anyone seeking counseling but we pride ourselves on being a safety net for the uninsured and underinsured members of the community by offering services on a sliding scale fee system. To further break down barriers to receiving treatment, new clients receive their first four sessions free of charge.

Why We Run

We host the Stop the Stigma 5K each year to challenge stereotypes, encourage acceptance and eliminate stigmas associated with mental health and addiction. Many participants feel a strong connection to the mission and run or walk to support family and friends, or to highlight their own battles with mental illness or addiction recovery. Here are a few statements our participants shared when asked, “What is your connection to the mission of Stop the Stigma 5K?:”

• I’ve worked in the mental health field in the past and in social services currently. I see the impact that struggles with mental health can have on children and families and the importance of seeking help. I’m happy to support this mission to reduce the stigma around mental illness and increase accessibility of appropriate treatment and supports.
• My brother was diagnosed with mental illness in his twenties. It was a struggle for him with the meds, side effects, and having limited support. He took his life not long after. I believe this cause is meaningful in creating awareness and building better support.

• My boyfriend has been sober for more than 2 years after struggling with alcohol addiction. We ran together in honor of all the people he’s met working on their recovery.

Thank You Vendors

Our runners were energized by the great tunes pumping out of our speakers courtesy of DJ Jeff Fowler Productions. A huge shout out to Katie Asack, a group fitness instructor who led us in a fun pre-race warmup.

Everyone stayed fueled and hydrated with bagels donated by Gold Medal Bakery and water donated by Polar Beverages and Trader Joe’s.

The Cravery Food Truck was a fun addition this year offering delicious ice cream and acai bowls for our participants to purchase!

And finally, we would like to give a special thank you to the Quincy Police Department for providing officers to make sure that everyone stayed safe.

Case Brabham of Cambridge was the fastest male, with a finish time of 17:51. Maureen Collins of Braintree earned the fasted female title, with a finish time of 21:38. Jacob Lai of Quincy earned the fastest youth title in the under-16 category, with a finish time of 20:29.

Thank You Sponsors

The 2025 Stop the Stigma 5K is sponsored by many generous local businesses, including Presenting Sponsors Arbella Insurance Foundation and Wulfpac Charitable Funding; 5K Level Sponsors The City of Quincy – Mayor Koch’s Office, The Heritage Companies, and New England Medical Group; Gold Level Sponsors Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital – Milton, J. Calnan & Associates, Keohane Funeral Home, and South Shore Bank; and Silver Level Sponsors Abington Bank, Bank of Canton, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Crocker Electrical Co., Inc., Dedham Savings, First Congregational Church of Randolph, FoxRock Properties, Law Offices of William T. Kennedy, P.C., Lawson & Weitzen, LLP, Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, MountainOne Bank, Point32Health, Puzzle Pieces, South Shore Health, Stop & Shop, United Healthcare and Wellsense Health Plan.

More Photos

Our fantastic photographers, Gary Higgins Photography and Rocky Taverna, captured so many incredible images from the day. Check out our photo gallery of some of our favorites on our Facebook page. Thank you Gary and Rocky!

Save the Date

Save the date for the 2026 Stop the Stigma 5K: Saturday, April 25, 2026.

Interfaith’s food rescue program diverts more than 200 tons of food to those in need

As many as 1 in 3 adults in Massachusetts are facing food insecurity, and at the same time, more than one-third of all available food in the United States is going to waste. How can that uneaten food (nearly 92 billion pounds per year) get into the hands of those who need it most? One solution is food rescue programs.

Interfaith Social Services in Quincy operates one such program, diverting more than 434,700 pounds of food last year from the waste stream to the households of Massachusetts residents in need. Since 2009, the organization has rescued more than 5 million pounds of food from local restaurants, retailers and grocery stores.

“This is more than just an initiative to feed the clients served by Interfaith Social Services’ food pantry,” said Interfaith’s Executive Director Rick Doane. “Preventing food waste is part of our collective responsibility to protect our planet and be conscientious stewards of our natural resources.”

Commercial Food Material Disposal Ban

In 2014, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection banned the disposal of commercial organic waste. That meant that no one in the state could dispose of one ton or more of organic material per week. In 2022, they tightened the rule to half a ton per week. So, what happens to that food if it can’t be thrown away? It has to be composted or donated. Interfaith Social Services is part of this solution.

Interfaith’s food rescue coordinators drive a refrigerated box truck around the region five days a week, stopping at grocery stores like Stop & Shop and Trader Joe’s and retail establishments such as Target. At each stop they load up the truck with food that the stores can no longer sell. Interfaith also partners with local food rescue organization Spoonfuls for weekly deliveries of perishable foods they recover.

“For the most part, this is perfectly good food that would otherwise be heading to a landfill,” Doane said. “In some cases, the store may have over-ordered a product or the best buy dates are quickly approaching. As stores restock with new items, the old ones are pushed out and that’s what we’re rescuing.”

Doane credits local store managers who are committed to this initiative with the success of the program. “Many companies have corporate policies that mandate food must be donated, but it takes the dedication of the store’s employees and management to turn those policies into a reality,” said Doane.

Volunteer Efforts

When the boxes of food rescued from supermarkets return to Interfaith’s food pantry in Quincy, a team of volunteers sort and shelve it, making sure that the food is fresh and within food safety guidelines.

“We make it a point to only distribute food that we would feed our own families,” Doane said. “If it’s not in good enough condition to feed our own kids, we wouldn’t want to give that our client families. Interfaith’s volunteers are amazing. They tackle the herculean task of sorting thousands of pounds of food each day. We also work with a local company to compost food that is unfit for human consumption.”

How You Can Help Make a Difference

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the average family spends $1,500 a year on food that doesn’t get eaten.

Here are some tips on how you can prevent food waste at home:

• Meal Plan – Plan your meals for the week and purchase only what is needed to make them.
• Beware BOGO Sales – Buying in large quantities, or falling for buy one get one deals, only saves money if all the food can be used before it spoils.
• Store it Right – Properly store fruits and vegetables to make them last longer and preserve freshness.
• Compost – Utilize at-home or city composting services to convert food scraps into soil or energy.
• Donate – Nutritious, untouched food can be donated to food pantries.

Learn more about Interfaith’s food rescue program at https://interfaithsocialservices.org/food-rescue

DONATE NOW to sustain our programs.