United Parish is an active contributor to the Brookline Food Pantry, and home to their main operation. With three locations in Brookline, the Brookline Food Pantry (BFP) serves over 700 needy households each week, providing fresh produce, meat and dairy as well as household staples. They also serve over 500 students with food bags to take home from school each weekend and deliver food to clients who cannot get to them. Visit their website to learn more.
Since 2021, United Parish has been home to the Brookline Food Pantry’s main location. Learn more about our ministry partnership in this press release.
Volunteer
With clients coming to BFP in record numbers since the pandemic began, they always need additional volunteers and hope you will consider volunteering and telling family, friends, and neighbors about the opportunity to help. Potential volunteers can learn more and connect with them here.
Food Donations
Please bring your donation to United Parish on Sundays (or during the week when the building is open) and place your contribution in the baskets in the Marion Street lobby, in the back of the Sanctuary or at the 210 Harvard Street entrance.
Additional Drop-Off Times: Wednesdays 9:30am-12:30pm, and Fridays 9:30am-12pm.
If you’d like to donate food or toiletries, please read their guidelines below:
- We aim for healthy and nutritious items for our clients (think lower sugar cereal, whole grains, fewer preservatives, etc)
- Many of our clients have special dietary restrictions and often request low sodium, low sugar, lactose free, gluten free items.
- Many of our clients have small children at home so snacks for young kids are great! Diapers too!
- Personal care items such as feminine products, shampoo, lotion, Vaseline are always appreciated.
- Household items such as dish soap, Ziploc bags, and pet food are very helpful as we do not always have them available for clients.
- We have plenty of canned tuna fish and beans, no need to donate those.
- Clients love vegetable and chicken broth to cook with.
- Cooking oils are often asked for
- Vegetable
- Extra virgin
- Sunflower
- Some items that our clients think of as special treats include
- Jarred olives
- Pickles
- Dried fruit
- Chocolate
- Nuts
- Honey
- Balsamic vinegar
- Dried herbs and spices
- Artisan crackers
- Please check all expiration dates before donating. We cannot accept items past their expiration date.
Monetary Donations
Monetary donations to the Pantry are the most impactful; they go farther than you may think. The Food Pantry is able to use all monetary donations towards purchasing food in large quantities from the Greater Boston Food Bank at a discounted price. Food donations are wonderful and always much appreciated, but since BFP feed over 700 households a week, they need to have a very high inventory of their staple items on hand at all times. Purchasing in bulk allows them to do that.
Click here to make a monetary donation.
Need Groceries?
Please contact the Brookline Food Pantry directly for eligibility requirements. Food pick-up at United Parish is Wednesdays from 2-5pm, Thursdays from 10:30am-1pm, Fridays from 10:30am-1pm.