On June 11, The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB), New England’s largest hunger-relief organization, honored the individuals and organizations that demonstrated extraordinary leadership in 2025 in support of its anti-hunger mission at its GBFB Awards event. Awardees represent those who partnered with GBFB through food donations, volunteerism, advocacy, philanthropic support and agency partnerships, helping ensure families and individuals across Eastern Massachusetts have access to nutritious food.
 |
Amber Baur, Chair of the Franklin
Food Pantry Board of Directors |
As part of this year’s celebration, GBFB honored the Franklin Food Pantry with the Agency Partner of the Year Award, which recognizes an emergency feeding program that has gone above and beyond in fulfilling GBFB’s mission. The Franklin Food Pantry serves more than 1,200 individuals each month and distributed 495,000 pounds of food through its partnership with GBFB in 2025, playing a critical role in expanding access to food in the region.
The organization stands out for its focus on providing nutritious, balanced food and a client-centered experience. Recognized in 2025 as a Healthy Pantry Leader, the designation reflects Franklin’s commitment to increasing access to nutritious foods through intentional sourcing, distribution, and programming. The pantry offers a wide variety of produce, dry goods, meat, and dairy with a focus on nutritious options, and operates a market-style distribution model designed to provide a dignified and accessible experience for clients. During the summer months, the pantry also partners with local gardeners to provide additional fresh produce to the community.
“We are deeply honored to be named the Greater Boston Food Bank’s Agency Partner of the Year,” said Amber Baur, Chair of the Franklin Food Pantry Board of Directors. “Food insecurity is at an all-time high and continues to rise. The Greater Boston Food Bank’s leadership and ongoing engagement help make our daily work of meeting the need for food assistance in the Franklin community possible, and we are incredibly grateful for their partnership.”
 |
Amber Baur, Chair of the Franklin
Food Pantry Board of Directors |
Food insecurity remains an urgent and widespread challenge in Massachusetts. GBFB’s sixth annual Massachusetts Food Access Report, released in April 2026 in collaboration with Mass General Brigham, revealed that a record 40 percent of Massachusetts households experienced food insecurity in 2025, increasing from 37 percent in 2024 and doubling since 2019.
“The Franklin Food Pantry is a trusted resource for so many families, and its impact is felt every day in the community it serves,” said GBFB President and CEO Catherine D’Amato. “At a time when more households across Massachusetts are facing impossible tradeoffs to afford basic needs, partners like Franklin Food Pantry are helping us keep pace with rising demand and ensure consistent access to nutritious food in their community. This pantry is a model for responsive, community-driven hunger-relief, and we are honored to recognize their leadership this year.”
Originally established in 2003 as the Partner Appreciation Awards, this year’s GBFB Awards highlighted seven individuals and organizations chosen from GBFB’s network of volunteers, public officials, donors, food distribution partners and advocates who have shown dedication to mitigating the food insecurity crisis and providing wide-ranging contributions to support hunger relief efforts in Eastern Massachusetts.
GBFB also recognized Garelick Farms as Food Donor of the Year after donating more than 380,000 pounds of nutritious dairy products in 2025. Takeda was named Corporate Partner of the Year for contributing nearly $6.5 million and volunteering more than 800 hours over a two-decade partnership. Attorney General Andrea Campbell was honored as Advocate of the Year for leading a coalition of 26 states in a landmark lawsuit against the USDA and mounting a decisive legal defense of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the fall government shutdown.
About The Greater Boston Food Bank:
The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) is the largest hunger-relief organization in New England and one of the largest food banks in the country. For nearly half a century, GBFB has fueled Eastern Massachusetts’ hunger-relief system, putting nearly 90 million healthy meals on tables across the region each year. Over 600 community-based pantries and other local partners in 190 cities and towns depend on GBFB to provide access to healthy food for 600,000 people every month.
GBFB is committed to the belief that access to healthy food is a human right regardless of an individual’s circumstances. Through policy, partnerships, and providing free, nutritious, and culturally responsive food, GBFB is committed to addressing the root causes of food insecurity while promoting racial, gender and economic equity in food access. Together, we have the power to end hunger here. For more information and to help us help others, visit us at GBFB.org, follow us on Facebook, Twitter (@gr8bosfoodbank) and Instagram, or call us at 617.427.5200.
About Franklin Food Pantry, Inc.
The Franklin Food Pantry, Inc. offers supplemental food assistance, household necessities, and resource referrals to more than 1,880 individuals per year. The Pantry relies on donations and grants to purchase items and pay for daily operations, and partnerships with The Greater Boston Food Bank, Spoonfuls, and local grocery stores to achieve greater buying power and lower costs. Programs include Inside Shopping, Curbside Distribution, Emergency Food Boxes, Mobile Pantries, Home Delivery, Kids’ Snack Bags, Weekend Backpacks, Holiday Meals, and the SNAP match at Franklin Farmers Market.
The Pantry is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization in good standing in Massachusetts, recognized by Charity Navigator as a Four-Star Charity, and awarded GuideStar’s Platinum Transparency ranking. The Pantry is located at 341 W Central St. in Franklin, MA on Route 140. Please visit www.franklinfoodpantry.org, or on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn for more information.
.jpeg "Lillian Zhou recipient of the Massachusetts Region Scholastic Art and Writing Award")
