Below is a press release from the Greater Lowell Community Foundation, which serves Wilmington:
LOWELL, MA – One month after the Greater Lowell Community Foundation distributed $200,000 in emergency food grants to 15 organizations across its 21-community service area, impact statements reveal the unprecedented scale of food insecurity gripping the region – and the critical role these funds are playing in meeting exploding demand.
In Massachusetts, nearly 800,000 residents – including 240,000 children – face food insecurity, with working families increasingly unable to afford basic groceries despite employment. According to Feeding America’s 2024 Map the Meal Gap study, 11.2% of Massachusetts residents struggle with food access as grocery prices have risen 25% since 2020 while wages have failed to keep pace (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). In Greater Lowell’s 21 communities, thousands of employed residents now earn too much to qualify for SNAP benefits yet too little to cover rent, utilities, and food – creating a modern “working poor” crisis affecting families throughout the region.
The 15 grant recipients collectively serve more than 80,000 individuals each month, distributing millions of pounds of food through pantries, meal programs, home delivery services, and school-based initiatives. Their impact statements paint a vivid picture of communities in crisis – and organizations working at maximum capacity to respond with compassion and efficiency.
Crisis-Level Demand Surge
Organizations across the region reported unprecedented increases in need:
- Project Kompass serving Lowell’s under-resourced Jackson-Appleton-Middlesex neighborhood, reported shocking increases in working poor families unable to afford nutritious food despite full-time employment.
- Bedford Food Bank saw demand surge 60 to 70% from the previous year, now serving 220-250 households weekly and distributing approximately 9,000 pounds of food each week.
- PACH (Pepperell Aid from Community to Home) distributed 76,665 pounds of food in 2025 – a 23.5% increase from 2024 – serving 212 households representing 1,473 individuals.
- People Helping People in Burlington enrolled 31 new clients since the government shutdown, putting strain on financial resources for essential staples like milk, eggs, bread, and fresh produce.
- Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry opened its doors to federal employees impacted by the shutdown, supporting over 60 additional households.
“These grants represent more than emergency funding – they represent our community’s commitment to ensuring no family faces hunger alone,” said Jay Linnehan, President and CEO of Greater Lowell Community Foundation. “The impact statements we’ve received demonstrate both the severity of this crisis and the extraordinary dedication of our partner organizations responding with compassion and efficiency.”
Working Families Priced Out of Grocery Stores
Tracy, volunteer coordinator of the Open Pantry of Greater Lowell, understands the issue of food insecurity isn’t just a problem for “poor” people. “Anyone can find themselves here at the pantry in need of food. Anyone. Nobody should be embarrassed. We are here to help, no matter your circumstances.”
Merrimack Valley Food Bank’s Operation Nourish program delivers food weekly to every Lowell public school. School personnel report that entire families are now seeking help through school food pantries. “There has been an uptick in pantry use and phone calls from parents asking for food,” reported Lowell public school personnel. “Parents often start their phone calls by apologizing for their circumstances, either a layoff, or cost of living increases that price out groceries. One parent called in and pleaded, ‘We have nothing. Anything, and I mean anything, would help.’”
Jennifer Aradhya, GLCF’s Vice President of Marketing, Programs & Strategy, emphasized the Foundation’s ongoing commitment: “The impact statements we’ve received confirm what we knew – this crisis demands sustained response. Every organization is working at maximum capacity with unprecedented compassion and efficiency. Our role is to ensure they have the resources to continue this essential work to help anyone in need, including these hardworking families in our community.”
About Greater Lowell Community Foundation
Established in 1997, the Greater Lowell Community Foundation (GLCF) is a philanthropic organization comprised of more than 450 funds dedicated to improving the quality of life in 21 neighboring cities and towns. With financial assets of over $70 million, GLCF annually awards grants and scholarships to hundreds of worthy nonprofits and students. It is powered by the winning combination of donor-directed giving, personal attention from Foundation staff, and an in-depth understanding of local needs. The generosity of our donors has enabled the Community Foundation to award more than $40 million to the Greater Lowell community.
Loaves & Fishes in Devens provides groceries for a record number of families this holiday season.
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