Newton Food Pantry

What Newton Food Pantry does

Newton Food Pantry is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1983 by Jackie Colby that provides choice-based supplemental groceries and personal care items to residents of Newton, Massachusetts experiencing food insecurity. The organization is the oldest and largest food pantry in Newton, serving over 2,500 residents in FY2026 through 14,000+ visits and distributing 800,000+ pounds of food and 85,500 bags. It operates with a small staff of five supported by 130 dedicated volunteers contributing 180+ hours per week, and is governed by a Board of Directors led by President Regina Wu (11+ years) and Executive Director Jeff Lemberg (first in the role, effective January 2024).

Core offerings include a choice-based shopping pantry at 131 Rumford Avenue (Wednesday and Thursday hours with appointment and walk-in options), the 24/7 Newton Community Freedge at 420 Watertown Street, home delivery for homebound clients and seven Newton Housing Authority facilities, satellite dry pantries at Lasell University and William James College, a Kids' Bags program, and weekly prepared meals for clients age 65+. Underlying technology is minimal: client registration runs through Google Forms, online appointment scheduling handles booking, and standard operational systems manage food distribution and inventory. There is no proprietary technology platform, mobile application, API, or AI/ML component.

The organization is 100% donation-based with no fees charged to clients. Revenue streams comprise individual donations, corporate and business sponsorships (Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Shaw's, Wegmans, BJ's, and others), foundation grants (including the Massachusetts DOER Low-Income Services Solar Program), and fundraising events such as Ride for Food (Three Squares New England), Newton Turkey Trot, and Boston Marathon runners. The annual operating budget exceeds $760,000 with over 69% spent on food purchases. Service is geographically restricted to Newton residents and students at Newton-based colleges, with go-to-market driven by community partnerships, social worker referrals, word-of-mouth, and a multilingual volunteer corps serving a client base where over 50% identify as non-white and 60%+ speak a language other than English at home.

Name

Newton Food Pantry

Legal name

Newton Food Pantry

Website

https://newtonfoodpantry.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Newton Food Pantry is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1983 that provides choice-based supplemental groceries and personal care items to Newton, Massachusetts residents experiencing food insecurity, serving 2,500+ clients annually through its main pantry, 24/7 freedge, home delivery, and college satellite locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Food Assistance Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421)

akta.pro primary industry

Food & Nutrition Assistance Programs (BPAIAKAF)

Keywords

• Food assistance services
• Community food pantry
• Supplemental groceries
• Nonprofit food relief
• Personal care items

Headquarters

HQ city

Newton Center

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual community members, families, and local residents make financial contributions to support food purchases and operations
2. Corporate & Business Donations: Local businesses provide both financial contributions and in-kind food donations
3. Grants: State grants including Massachusetts DOER Low-Income Services Solar Program (LISSP) and foundation support
4. Fundraising Events: Revenue from events including Ride for Food, Turkey Trot, and Boston Marathon runners

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Newton Food Pantry provides choice-based supplemental groceries and personal care items to Newton residents experiencing food insecurity. Clients shop a pantry twice monthly for a 5-day supply of fresh produce, proteins, dairy, bread, culturally relevant foods, and personal care products. Additional channels include a 24/7 freedge, home delivery, satellite campus pantries, and child and senior programs.

Product overview

Newton Food Pantry is a nonprofit food assistance organization operating as a single-service charity rather than a technology company. Its core offerings include a choice-based shopping pantry at 131 Rumford Avenue where clients select their own food twice monthly, the 24/7 Newton Community Freedge for anonymous access, home delivery for homebound individuals, Kids' Bags for children, prepared meals for seniors 65+, and holiday meal programs. The organization also operates satellite dry pantries at Lasell University and William James College. Services are free to Newton residents and Newton-based college students who register. All offerings are supported by volunteers and donations, not by a technology product platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Choice Pantry (Newton Food Pantry Main Location) A choice-based shopping pantry at 131 Rumford Avenue where clients select their own food items, including shelf-stable items, fresh produce, eggs, dairy, meat proteins/fish/tofu, breads, culturally relevant foods, and personal care products. Clients can shop twice per month. Open Wednesdays by appointment (12pm-3pm) and walk-in (3pm-7pm) and Thursdays by appointment (10am-1pm) and walk-in (1pm-3pm).
• Newton Community Freedge A 24/7 publicly accessible outdoor refrigerator and pantry offering free food and personal care items to anyone in need. Located at 420 Watertown Street, Newton, MA. No sign-up required, no questions asked.
• Home Delivery Service Food delivery service for individuals with physical or mental health conditions that prohibit them from leaving their homes. Qualified clients receive food delivered directly to their residences, with deliveries also served to 7 Newton Housing Authority facilities serving 123 clients.
• Kids' Bags Program Program offering child-friendly snack foods and drinks for children of client families, including milk and juice boxes, breakfast biscuits, macaroni and cheese, and other snacks. Bags are prepared by volunteers on Saturday mornings.
• Prepared Meals (65+ Program) Prepared meals distributed to all clients age 65 and older. The Newton Food Pantry purchases 150 meals each week from Rox Diner in Newton Highlands, which sells them at cost.
• Holiday Meal Boxes and Gift Cards Special holiday distributions including grocery gift cards allowing families to purchase culturally significant food, and holiday meal boxes loaded with hearty and nutritious foods. Includes a holiday gift table with various items.
• College Campus Pantry (Lasell University) Self-serve dry food pantry on Lasell University campus for students and staff. Operates as a satellite location of the main Newton Food Pantry.
• College Campus Pantry (William James College) Dry pantry partnership at William James College's Newton campus. Offers shelf-stable foods and personal care products free of charge to William James students, faculty, and staff.

Quantifiable outcome

• 800,000+ pounds of groceries and personal care items distributed in FY2026
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Newton Community FarmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFor two decades, Newton Community Farm has donated approximately 10% of its 50,000+ lbs annual produce to the NFP. Farm prioritizes fast-growing crops and culturally relevant vegetables to serve diverse community needs.
• Greater Boston Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary food supplier providing fresh, healthy, culturally relevant food at lowest possible cost. NFP orders approximately 6,500 lbs of food weekly.
• Newton NeighborscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMutual aid network launched during COVID-19 to deliver food to local households including 40+ NFP clients. Executed 'Drive for Five' campaign for freedge donations.
• Hope & ComfortcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNeedham-based nonprofit providing over 2 million hygiene products annually to 350+ organizations. Addresses hygiene insecurity as a 'hidden crisis' affecting physical and mental health.
• Three Squares New England (Ride for Food)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual Ride for Food event raising funds for food insecurity organizations. Partnership since 2015 has raised over $76,000 for NFP over five years.
• Newton Turkey TrotcoreGTM or Marketing Partner11th annual USATF-certified 5K race and 1-mile fun run. Has raised and donated over $200,000 to local organizations over 11 years. NFP volunteers help organize and operate the event.
• Whole FoodsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrocery retailer providing food donations to support NFP operations
• Trader Joe'sminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrocery retailer providing food donations to NFP
• Shaw'sminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrocery retailer providing food donations to NFP
• Great Harvest BreadminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDonating 40-60 loaves of bread per week since March 2020; also donates day-old breads to freedge
• Land's Sake FarmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeston farm providing produce donations to help NFP expand healthy food offerings
• Welcome HomeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit providing household items (pillows, blenders, towels, blankets) to NFP clients; table at pantry for client access
• J.W. Lopes / New England Country MartminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSourcing products for holiday meal boxes; 'Groceries that Give' campaign donating percentage of proceeds
• Lasell UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelf-serve dry pantry on campus for students and staff since March 2021
• William James CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDry pantry opened January 2024 for students, faculty, and staff; staffed by work-study students
• Project BreadminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide anti-hunger organization; NFP is referenced as partner resource

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Food for Free: Cambridge, MA-based food rescue and distribution nonprofit serving Greater Boston — comparable as a community-focused food assistance organization using volunteer-supported models to distribute groceries to food-insecure residents.
• Project Bread: Massachusetts statewide anti-hunger organization referenced as a partner resource on NFP's website — comparable as a hunger-relief nonprofit operating in the same geography with overlapping donor and stakeholder networks.
• Greater Boston Food Bank: Newton Food Pantry's primary food supplier and the largest hunger-relief organization in New England, operating food distribution at scale across Eastern Massachusetts — directly comparable as a food assistance organization serving overlapping geographic populations.

Peers

• Community Servings:

Regional players

• Worcester County Food Bank: Regional food bank serving Worcester County, MA with comparable food distribution and member pantry support model — analogous to NFP's supply relationship with GBFB but in Central Massachusetts.
• Food Bank of Western Massachusetts: Regional food bank serving Western Massachusetts with comparable food distribution, pantry support, and hunger-relief mission — directly analogous business model to GBFB but operating in a different geography.

Emerging players

• Boston Area Gleaners: Regional food rescue organization that gleans surplus produce from Massachusetts farms and distributes to hunger-relief partners — comparable as a farm-procurement channel serving food pantries like NFP.
• Lovin' Spoonfuls: Greater Boston food rescue nonprofit that facilitates food delivery from restaurants and grocers to pantries — comparable mission to NFP in the food assistance space with a distinct food-rescue sourcing model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/newtonfoodpantry
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/newton-food-pantry
• Instagraminstagram.com/newtonfoodpantry

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Newton Food Pantry