Special to the Times-Free Press
Boston City Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata will hold a hearing to discuss food access and address hunger in East Boston. The hearing will take place onTuesday, November 12 at 6:30pm in the Mario Umana Academy School. Councilor Coletta Zapata aims to bring together city officials from the Office of Food Justice and community stakeholders to identify service and operational gaps while exploring the concept of a centralized food hub or alternative models.
“East Boston is fortunate to have community partners who establish food pantries and distributions to ensure residents do not go hungry,” said Coletta Zapata. “Boston has made transformative citywide investments to support the operations of our food pantries and soup kitchens including expanding refrigerated storage space. I’m hopeful that this conversation will help us develop a roadmap toward creating a dedicated space in East Boston to support our food pantries in providing wholesome, nutritious foods while simultaneously providing low-cost retail opportunities. I look forward to the conversation and invite all community members to come to the hearing to share their ideas.”
Boston has seen successful food hub models in other areas, such as the Dorchester Co-Op and through private partnerships in Roxbury. At the hearing, Coletta Zapata hopes to gain insights into how these models have been developed and explore ways to replicate them in East Boston, which has experienced a significant rise in food insecurity since the pandemic. Currently, East Boston residents face challenges in accessing affordable, healthy, and sustainable food given limited retail options. Neighborhood groups and nonprofits have established food pantries and weekly food distributions to support residents with limited resources, though operational challenges remain.
Members of the administration invited to participate include representatives from the Office of Food Justice and GrowBoston: Office of Urban Agriculture.
This docket was referred to the Committee on City Services and Innovation Technology chaired by Councilor Enrique Pepen (District 5). Community members are encouraged to testify. There will be Spanish translation available.
For additional information, including how to testify, please contact the Office of Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata by phone at (617) 635-3200 or by email at [email protected].