A look inside the pantry
Family Food Connections has served many families in the community.
- Almost 4,300 unique families have visited in the past year, May 2023-May 2024.
- The site has over 1,100 visits per week and more than 40,000 visits to date.
- 120,000 bags of food distributed since opening in January 2022.
- More than 80 percent of families who visit have children under the age of 17.
- Between 200 and 450 families visit the site on the days that it is open.
- About 125,000 pounds of food per month is distributed. Almost 75,000 pounds are in fresh produce.
Boston Children’s Hospital has launched a new community program, Family Food Connections — a food pantry in Jamaica Plain. It’s located within the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments, a Boston Housing Authority development, and next to Boston Children’s at Martha Eliot.
The name Family Food Connections is to recognize all of the positive connections that can be made through food. It is a unique collaborative partnership between Boston Children’s and the Boston Housing Authority, a long-time partner.
Who can access Family Food Connections?
Family Food Connections is currently open to:
- patient families from Boston Children’s at Martha Eliot
- patient families from Children's Hospital Primary Care Center
- patient families from Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine
- patient families in the Celiac Disease Program. The site will feature allergy-friendly and gluten free- foods. Learn about the Celiac Program.
- residents from the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments and surrounding neighborhood (02119 and 02130 zip codes)
- residents from all other zip codes (Thursdays only)
Hours of operation
- Tuesday: noon to 6 p.m.
- Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Closed on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday
* — Patient families, residents of Mildred C. Hailey Apartments, and residents from zip codes 02130 and 02119 are welcome all days that the pantry is open. All others are welcome on Thursdays only.
Address
30 Bickford St.
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Questions? Email us at FamilyFoodConnections@childrens.harvard.edu.
Getting there
- Public transportation: The Mildred C. Hailey Apartments are located near the Jackson Square Orange Line MBTA station. The Orange Line serves Back Bay, Downtown, and Forest Hills. The 14, 22, 29, 41, and 44 buses also provide service to Jackson.
- Parking: Free parking is available in front of Boston Children’s at Martha Eliot.
FREE Virtual Cooking and Nutrition Classes
Family Food Connections will offer monthly cooking classes for families. The cooking classes are free to participate in and will feature recipes using ingredients found in the food packages that families pick up from the site. Until further notice, the classes are being held via Zoom. Please use the link below to register. Anyone who registers will receive a link to the recording after the class.
To register to attend these free classes, please visit https://bostonchildrens.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcudu-qrz0rGNU-ByY_i9O-UweFd-xbE9zr.
Additional food resources
State-wide resources
- Project Bread Foodsource Hotline
- Project Bread and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE)
- FoodPantries.org: Massachusetts food pantries
- Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA)
- Women, Infants, and Children Nutrition Program (WIC)
- Celiac Kids Connection
Greater Boston resources
Resources in Western Massachusetts
Boston Children’s community mission is to improve the health and well-being of children and families in our local community. Addressing food insecurity within the community is a key part of this work. Learn more about the hospital’s community mission here.