Burlington Food Pantry

What Burlington Food Pantry does

People Helping People, Inc., commonly referenced as the Burlington Food Pantry, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in Massachusetts in 1988 and headquartered at 21-23 Murray Avenue in Burlington, MA. The organization operates as an umbrella entity for several community assistance programs serving at-risk Burlington residents, including the Burlington Community Food Pantry (weekly distribution of non-perishable foods, fresh produce, dairy, meat, prepared foods, and bread to approximately 175 households or ~500 individuals per month), the Holiday Program (Thanksgiving In-Gathering serving 127 families in 2025 and the Wish Tree gift program that distributed over 4,000 gifts to 233 children in 2024 at Burlington Mall), the Covenant for Basic Needs (emergency financial assistance for residents facing utility shut-offs or eviction, administered with Burlington Youth & Family Services at 33 Center Street), the Victory Garden (an 8,300 square foot community garden behind Francis Wyman Elementary School producing 3,500-4,000 pounds of fresh produce annually for the pantry), and the Kathy Abouzahra Memorial Scholarship ($5,000 grants for Burlington graduating seniors). The organization employs approximately three paid staff (Executive Director Jim Sheridan, joined 2021; Senior Pantry Manager Julianne Kelleher; Pantry Manager Abby Hurd, joined January 2024) and relies on more than 100 active weekly volunteers for food sorting, stocking, garden tending, and event support.

People Helping People generates no product revenue; its business model is donation-based, drawing on individual giving (Zeffy online portal, Venmo, checks), workplace and payroll giving, donor-advised fund grants (DAF Direct), vehicle donations through CARS, foundation grants (notably a 2024 Cummings Foundation grant), and annual fundraising events including the Wine Tasting & Charity Auction at Cafe Escadrille, Capital Grille Holiday Raffle, and the Pumpkin Patch at St. Mark's Episcopal Church. Per the organization's stated figure, 86% of donations go directly to support Burlington residents. The organization maintains no proprietary technology platform; distribution is conducted physically at the Murray Avenue pantry during three weekly windows (Tuesday 3-7 p.m., Wednesday 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m.-12 p.m.) plus a Wednesday/Thursday home delivery service for clients unable to visit, and eligibility requires Burlington residency and self-declared income within Massachusetts Good Neighbor Energy Fund guidelines.

Strategically, the organization is a tightly geographically focused community safety-net provider with deep institutional ties to local churches (United Church of Christ Congregational, St. Mark's Episcopal), town agencies (Burlington Youth & Family Services), food supply partners (Greater Boston Food Bank, Spoonfuls, LaMarca & Sons Bakery), and Francis Wyman Elementary School. Its competitive position rests on nearly five decades of community presence, an established volunteer base, and integrated food-plus-financial-aid programming rather than technology or scale advantages.

Name

Burlington Food Pantry

Legal name

People Helping People, Inc.

Website

https://peoplehelpingpeopleinc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Short description

People Helping People, Inc. is a Burlington, MA-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides weekly food assistance, emergency financial aid, and holiday programs to at-risk Burlington residents through its food pantry, Covenant for Basic Needs, Victory Garden, and Wish Tree holiday program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Assistance Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421), Community Food Services (624210), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food Assistance & Nutrition Relief (Emergency Feeding) (BPAGAAAD), Emergency Food Assistance & Nutrition Response (BPADADAE)

Keywords

• Community food assistance
• Emergency financial aid
• Holiday support programs
• Nonprofit food pantry
• Volunteer charity services

Headquarters

HQ city

Burlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Donations from individuals collected through online donation portal (Zeffy), Venmo, check, or money order. 86% of donations go directly to support Burlington residents.
2. Vehicle Donations: Vehicle donations through CARS (Charitable Adult Rides & Services), a nonprofit that processes vehicle donations and provides funding to PHP programs.
3. Payroll Giving: Workplace giving programs allowing employees to donate directly from paychecks, often with employer matching.
4. Donor-Advised Fund (DAF): DAF Direct allows donors to make grants from their donor-advised funds directly to People Helping People.
5. Grants: Grant funding from foundations such as Cummings Foundation (2024 grant winner).

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

People Helping People, operating through the Burlington Food Pantry, provides weekly food distribution (non-perishables, fresh produce, dairy, meat, prepared foods, bread) to registered Burlington, MA residents, along with emergency financial assistance for utility and rent crises, holiday meal programs, and a community garden producing fresh produce. All services are provided free of charge to qualifying at-risk residents through a predominantly volunteer-driven operation.

Product overview

People Helping People is a non-profit organization serving as the umbrella entity for multiple community assistance programs in Burlington, MA. The organization operates as a single integrated service model offering: the Burlington Community Food Pantry (weekly food distribution), Holiday Programs (Thanksgiving In-Gathering and Wish Tree gift program), Covenant for Basic Needs (emergency financial assistance), Victory Garden (fresh produce cultivation), and the Kathy Abouzahra Memorial Scholarship (educational grants). All programs are coordinated through the main office and executed with a network of over 100 active volunteers, with 86% of donations directed to client services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Burlington Community Food Pantry Weekly food assistance program distributing non-perishable foods, fresh produce, dairy, meat products, prepared foods, and bread to registered Burlington resident clients. Serves approximately 175 households each month (around 500 individuals).
• Holiday Program - Thanksgiving In-Gathering Annual Thanksgiving meal distribution program organized through the United Church of Christ, Congregational, where faith communities conduct food drives to collect traditional Thanksgiving foods for families in need. 127 families received Thanksgiving meals in 2025.
• Holiday Program - Wish Tree Annual holiday gift program at Burlington Mall where wish cards for children of pantry clients are fulfilled by shoppers. Provides basic needs (pajamas, underwear, sweatshirts, shoes) plus three gift wishes per child. Distributed over 4,000 gifts to 233 children in 2024.
• Covenant for Basic Needs Emergency financial assistance fund for Burlington residents facing utility shut-offs or eviction, administered by Burlington Youth & Family Services. Acts as part of the social safety net for rent and utility payments.
• Victory Garden 8,300 square foot community garden located behind Francis Wyman Elementary School producing fresh produce for the food pantry. Includes educational plots, community garden plots, a food pantry production garden, pollinator garden, and composting center. Produced over 3,500 pounds in 2023 and projected 4,000+ pounds in 2024.
• Kathy Abouzahra Memorial Scholarship $5,000 scholarship awarded to Burlington graduating seniors who demonstrated impactful community service and exemplary volunteer work. Application deadline April 1, 2026.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500 individuals served monthly through food pantry
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB)coreOthersMajor food supplier providing fresh vegetables and frozen turkeys for Thanksgiving distribution. Part of the food bank's network supporting food pantries throughout the greater Boston area.
• SpoonfulscoreTechnology or IntegrationFood rescue organization that delivers fresh food to the pantry each week. Pantry Manager Abby Hurd previously worked as a delivery driver for Spoonfuls before joining PHP staff.
• United Church of Christ, Congregational (Burlington)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of PHP's largest contributors; hosts annual Thanksgiving In-Gathering where families shop for Thanksgiving foods. Historical founding partner - original pantry operated from church basement.
• CARS (Charitable Adult Rides & Services)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNonprofit vehicle donation processor that helps PHP receive vehicle donations. Donors can visit careasy.org/people-helping-people-inc or call 855-500-RIDE to donate vehicles.
• Burlington Youth & Family ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTown-funded agency that administers the Covenant for Basic Needs fund and provides counseling services. Screens residents for assistance eligibility and helps connect them to available resources.
• LaMarca & Sons Bakery (Malden)minorOthersLocal bakery that donates fresh rolls for Thanksgiving food distribution.
• St. Mark's Episcopal ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts annual Pumpkin Patch fundraiser during October, raising funds for PHP. Needs volunteers to interact with guests and sell pumpkins.
• Francis Wyman Elementary SchoolminorOthersVictory Garden is located behind the school's soccer fields. Garden includes an educational plot used by the elementary school.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Greater Boston Food Bank: Regional food bank distributing food across Eastern Massachusetts and a direct supply partner of Burlington Food Pantry; both operate community food-distribution models serving low-income households in the Greater Boston area.
• Food Bank of Western Massachusetts: Massachusetts-based food bank serving a comparable community-pantry network; comparable in collecting and redistributing donated food through partner agencies to households experiencing food insecurity.
• The Open Door / Open Table: Greater Boston community food pantry and meal program; comparable as a community-based nonprofit distributing groceries and prepared meals to at-risk residents in a defined town footprint.
• Project Bread: Massachusetts statewide anti-hunger organization running the ChildCareFeed meal program and FoodSource Hotline; comparable in mission, donor-funded model, and Massachusetts food-assistance focus.
• Worcester County Food Bank: Regional food bank distributing to partner pantries across central Massachusetts; comparable operating model as a donation-funded food redistribution organization serving at-risk residents.

Emerging players

• Spoonfuls: Massachusetts food-rescue organization that delivers surplus fresh food to pantries including Burlington Food Pantry; overlapping mission of reducing food waste while feeding food-insecure residents.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Charities Boston: Large regional social services nonprofit operating emergency assistance, food, and housing programs across Eastern Massachusetts; comparable in basic-needs support mission but at much larger scope.
• Salvation Army Massachusetts: National faith-based social services organization providing emergency food, rent/utility assistance, and holiday programs in Massachusetts; comparable basic-needs service mix but with broader geographic scope.
• United Way of Massachusetts Bay: Regional umbrella fundraising organization that channels donor dollars to social-service partners including food and basic-needs providers; comparable donor-development role at much larger scale.
• Feeding America: National network of food banks supporting member pantries; comparable in mission of feeding food-insecure Americans, with regional members including Greater Boston Food Bank that supplies Burlington Food Pantry.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/people-helping-people-inc-burlington-ma

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Burlington Food Pantry