Family Table

The mission of Family Table is to end hunger in the Greater Boston Jewish community while serving people who need our assistance regardless of religious affiliation.

Family Table fulfills its mission by providing kosher food, creating a caring Jewish connection, and empowering people to make healthy eating a part of their daily lives.

We do this by offering:

• Nutritious groceries, including fresh produce and whole grain products
• Jewish holiday and ritual items, including challah and Shabbat candles
• Personal hygiene items such as soap, toothpaste, and shampoo
• Healthy recipes and recipe tastings using pantry foods
• Connections to programs that help families move from crisis to stability

Family Table serves more than 100 towns across Greater Boston, the North Shore, and the South Area. Currently, Family Table is helping more than 500 families each month with groceries and connections to other services.

Food Distributions

Family Table operates four distributions each month, including one Sunday each in Waltham, Marblehead, and Canton, and a weekday distribution in Waltham. At our Sunday distributions, volunteers pack and deliver groceries to clients who are unable to drive or lack transportation. View our distribution schedule.

Volunteers

Our volunteers are dedicated to making a difference by providing an important caring connection to the community for our clients. Each month, hundreds of volunteers give their time to Family Table. Last year, Family Table volunteers packed more than 35,000 bags and made more than 3,300 grocery deliveries to clients who might otherwise have gone without.

Volunteers can join us for a few hours once a month or on a one-time basis. Families with young children are welcome to volunteer. In this way, children experience hands-on tzedakah and truly come to understand that they can make a difference in the lives of others. 

Please fill out our brief Family Table Application to sign up. Email familytable@jfcsboston.org if you have questions.

Our volunteer community is also very important in supplying much of the food we distribute. Seventy collection sites, including synagogues, Jewish day schools, and community centers from around Greater Boston, the North Shore, and the South area donate food to Family Table each month, supplying nearly two-thirds of the food we provide.

North Shore Volunteering

Massachusetts has seen a 59% increase in food insecurity since the start of the pandemic. Family Table’s most critical need is for more volunteers to help pack and deliver groceries in the North Shore, since we do not have enough volunteers each month. We appreciate any commitment—from monthly to whenever your schedule allows. If you are interested in volunteering, learn more here. 

Clients

Our clients are individuals and families in need, including people with disabilities, older adults living on fixed incomes, Holocaust survivors, survivors of domestic abuse, and people who have experienced job loss or underemployment. We know that contacting Family Table can be one of the most difficult calls to make, but we are grateful to be able to help. For assistance, please call 781-693-5593.

For immediate assistance after regular business hours, call the Project Bread Food Source hotline at 1-800-645-8333.

Fundraise for Family Table 

Supporters of JF&CS can now fundraise on behalf of Family Table! There are three ways to get involved:

• Host a fundraising event, like a bake-off, car wash, or garage sale.
• Ask for donations in lieu of gifts for a special occasion, like a birthday or a bar mitzvah.
• Create a virtual fundraiser to be shared on Facebook or other social media pages.

An anonymous donor is currently matching gifts dollar for dollar, so every donation your fundraiser receives will double in impact!  To get started, visit our Fundraise for Family Table page.  

SNAP Benefits (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly Food Stamps)

Family Table is part of the JF&CS Center for Basic Needs Assistance, whose primary aim is to ease the burden of poverty among members of the Jewish community in Eastern Massachusetts. Family Table works in collaboration with Bet Tzedek Legal Services to help clients access and maximize their SNAP benefit. The SNAP application process can be complicated, so staff of Family Table and Bet Tzedek work together to make sure all Family Table clients access the maximum amount of SNAP they are eligible to receive.

Nutrition

We believe that an important part of healthy eating is learning how to prepare tasty meals at home. Family Table creates and adapts recipes for our clients that are simple, nutritious, and inexpensive, costing less than $2.50 per serving. Our recipes highlight easy and creative ways to use the fresh and frozen produce, as well as whole grains, beans, lean proteins, and other foods we provide. We offer new recipes at each distribution, and at Marketplace we sample a recipe to encourage clients to pick up the ingredients and try it at home. All our recipes are also available in Russian. View some of our recipes to find healthy meals, side dishes, snacks, and desserts, curated by our Registered Dietitian.

Greater Boston Hunger Network 

Launched by JF&CS in 2013, the Greater Boston Hunger Network (GBHN) is a coalition of food pantries and other food assistance organizations serving the Greater Boston area. Through bi-monthly meetings and an online forum, the Greater Boston Hunger Network is a dynamic venue for food pantry managers to learn from one another, address common challenges, and promote best practices. Our common goal: to provide more nutritious food to more people more efficiently.

For more information, call 781-647-JFCS (5327) or email your questions via our contact us page.

This program is funded in part by CJP.   

Resources