Haven from Hunger, Neighbor

Everyone — especially children —needs nutritious food to thrive, so Haven from Hunger provides free, nutritious food to low-income families and individuals who struggle to put food on the table.

The Haven’s hunger-relief programs include a food pantry, community suppers, and summer meals for low-income children. Guests include working families trying to make ends meet, homeless families, elders scraping by on limited incomes, and individuals trying to get their lives back on track.

Food-insecure residents of Peabody, Salem, and Lynnfield count on the Haven’s food pantry for fresh produce, lean meats, milk, and eggs, as well as canned and boxed staples. Close to half of the food distributed is “rescued” — the Haven’s truck is on the road four days a week picking up food that would otherwise be discarded by local grocery stores and restaurants. in 2016, we distributed 1.09 million pounds of food.

Haven from Hunger’s community-dinner program offers dinner to those in need. Close to 20 percent of the dinner guests are homeless. In 2016, we served 11,410 meals.

When school is out for the summer, the Haven steps up with free breakfast and lunch for low-income children in Peabody. in 2016, we served 9,500 free summer meals for kids.