On Friday December 6, a tractor trailer full of nonperishable food left Salt Lake City Utah enroute to Massachusetts. Early in the morning on Monday December 9, the truck arrived in Rockland, MA and unloaded 40,000 pounds of food donated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to feed thousands of South Shore families in need.
The 28 pallets of food contained essentials like: rice, macaroni, green beans, dishwashing liquid, flour, beans, carrots, carrots, diced tomatoes, peanut butter, oats, as well as some fun items like pancake mix, cake mix and hot cocoa. All of the donated items were grown, processed and packaged by Church-owned farms, ranches, and production facilities like canneries, dairies, and mills. They process the goods using volunteer labor, plus donations from Church members. These resources provide basic foods and household items to people in need, regardless of their faith.
This 40,000 pound food donation will be split between two local food pantries: Interfaith Social Services and The South Shore Food Bank.
Since 1947 Interfaith Social Services has been a safety net for thousands of children and families who are struggling to make ends meet. Located in Quincy, MA; Interfaith operates one of the largest emergency food pantries in Greater Boston – distributing food and essential hygiene products to local residents in need. Interfaith also operates a mental health counseling center, homelessness prevention program as well as coordinating several large-scale seasonal initiatives that bring joy to local children living in poverty.
The South Shore Food Bank is a regional food access hub for food-assistance organizations across 28 South Shore communities in Massachusetts. In 2024, more than half of food distributed by food pantries on the South Shore moved through their warehouse, benefitting almost 30,000 residents across the region. They also operate two large scale food pantries in Weymouth and Randolph. Their mission is to improve food access, food equity, and promote health.
Both food pantries report record setting levels of need amongst local families in Southeastern Massachusetts. Each food pantry provides groceries to 2,000+ households each month.
This is the second time The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has made a donation of this size to the two organizations. The last time was in 2020 at the height of the pandemic.