LYNN — Phoenix Food Hub celebrated its one-year anniversary on Thursday.
The hub is a collaboration between nearly 20 organizations across the city that bring together resources for individuals and families to take advantage of as many nutrition-related supports as possible.
“It’s been extraordinary,” said Valerie Parker Callahan, Director of Planning and Development at Great Lynn Senior Services. “We worked with the city and Lynn food security task force and really came up with an idea of what we were.”
The hub provides variety of services, including nutrition counseling, nutritional resources, meals delivery, healthy cooking classes, mobile markets, winter farmers markets, and an on-site food pantry at its Greater Lynn Senior Services facility.
Callahan said she hoped Phoenix Food Hub would act as a model for other communities looking to address issues around food insecurity.
“I don’t think there’s a lot of this kind of hub model,” Callahan said. “I think that’s the way to do it. It’s a comprehensive way and it allows us to synergize so that the resources are as powerful as possible.”
In a year, the on-site food pantry, ran by Catholic Charities, went from helping around 300 to 1,600 households monthly, according to Christine Keller.
“It’s just been really phenomenal to see the melding of community that happens here,” said Keller and added that the pantry will be expanding its hours.
Pantry Assistant Chuck Ferrell, who works at the pantry daily, said he was hopeful that in year two, more people in the community would volunteer with the pantry and allow it to serve more people.
“The growth seems continuous,” Ferrell said. “We’re getting new clients every day.”
Tina McLoughlin, Director of Community Health at Mass General Brigham Salem Hospital, also attended the event to award community grant awards for various Phoenix Food Hub partners in the city, including The Food Project, My Brothers Table, and New Lynn Coalition.
“Since the COVID pandemic, we have seen escalating rates of food insecurity in Lynn and throughout the commonwealth,” McLoughlin said. “Nutrition equity is a priority for Mass General Brigham in addressing the contributing factors that impact health disparities. Phoenix Food Hub and all the partners that came together to create this space is incredibly important in reducing health inequities in Lynn.”
During the event, Norris Guscott, leader of the Lynn Food Policy Council, was also honored with a citation from the Executive Office of Elder Affairs, delivered by Adriene Worthington, Director of Nutrition Services.
“The Food Security Task Force, which is now the Food Policy Council, was forged during the carnage of COVID-19,” Guscott said. “This little experiment was extremely successful, in my opinion.”
Guscott said the new council was determined and ready to combat food insecurity in the city.
“We’re clear-eyed about what we need to do and what needs to continue happening,” Guscott said. “Rest assured, this food policy council has the passion, the skills, and the strategy to fight back against food insecurity.”
Callahan said that for the future of the hub, she hopes to offer more services and programs, such as its soon-to-launch SNAP counseling program.
“I think it’s really identifying what gaps are missing and helping to address those,” Callahan said. “As well as expanding those that are working.”
