Food Link raises more than $500K for Hub renovations

Created: 17 June 2020 | Last Updated: 17 June 2020 | Written by YourArlington publisher | Print | Hits: 1857

New home for Food Link, 108 Summer St. / Bob Sprague 2018 photo

UPDATED, June 17: Food Link, a community organization that rescues fresh food, plans to have an even greater impact on the community once it opens its permanent home. The Food Link Hub, at 108 Summer St., is to open later this year.

Under renovation at last, those involved encourage the public to follow its progress on Facebook and in newsletters.

A virtual fund-raiser for the project, “Home Cook-In!,” held Sunday, June 14, drew more than $500,000 by that night, bringing the total raised in the capital campaign to to $2.1 million, or two-thirds of the way to the goal of $3.25 million.

View the virtual “Home Cook-In!” by clicking here >>

You can still make a gift or encourage others to make a gift for this event through June 30. Please use this link to donate funds to build the Food Link Hub, and help Food Link reach its vision of a food system without waste in which everyone has enough.

Boston 25 News reporter Crystal Haynes was the host for the event, featuring "Chopped Junior" winner Charlotte Kilroy and Twyrl chef Anka Bric. These top chefs will be sharing some creative recipes made from food rescued by Food Link.

During the Covid-19 shutdown, Food Link has distributed double the amount of food it usually does. But operations are easing a bit, with access to much-needed space and refrigeration.

Artist rendering of Food Link Hub.Working with Dylan from Boston Area Gleaners, Sasha from Food For Free and Tufts University, co-founder DeAnne Dupont arranged the use a Tufts' dining facility to hold, refrigerate, sort and distribute food to the 38 percent of state residents who are food insecure.

Food Link supporters are grateful to Tufts for offering its big refrigerators, loading dock and room for volunteers to work safely. Learn more here.

New staff members

Food Link has welcomed two new staff members to its operations team -- Emma Lowenstein, operations associate, and Bridget Wright, program assistant. Both started as interns with Food Link in 2019.