The Open Door
Julie LaFontaine, President and CEO
28 Emerson Ave.,
Gloucester, MA 01930
Media Contact: Kelsey Richards
Email: kelsey.richards@foodpantry.org
Phone: 978-283-6776 x 226
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023
the open door to hold ribbon cutting for food and nutrition center
All Invited to View New Kitchen and More
GLOUCESTER— The Open Door will hold a ribbon cutting this November for its new Food and Nutrition Center.
WHEN: Saturday, Nov. 4 at 10 a.m.
WHERE: The Open Door at 28 Emerson Ave, Gloucester MA 01930
WHAT: The Open Door invites the community to attend a ribbon cutting for its new Food and Nutrition Center. All are welcome, and encouraged to RSVP at bit.ly/TheOpenDoorRSVP.
“The new Food and Nutrition Center is a huge win for Cape Ann, and a testament to what our community is capable of when we work together,” President and CEO Julie LaFontaine said. “It is with great joy, we invite everyone to join us and celebrate the completion of a project that will support the health and well-being of the community.”
As part of the flagship christening celebration, The Open Door will plant a tree symbolizing the contributions of the community to make the building project a reality. Attendees are encouraged to bring a small bag of soil from their own backyard to add into the planter.
The project includes a larger, modernized kitchen with a double line, fulfillment center, food packing space, additional dry and cold storage, client meeting spaces, and more. The Open Door has also updated and reconfigured other areas of the building to maximize space.
The $4.4 million capital campaign project was supported by the community including philanthropic foundations, many private donors, along with some public funding including 2022 Community Project Funding secured by U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Salem; federal Community Development Block Grant funding from the city.
The organization is still seeking to raise $250,000 to close the capital campaign, and cover costs of the project. (To inquire about making a donation, email development@foodpantry.org.)
About The Open Door
The mission of The Open Door is to alleviate the impact of hunger in our community. We use practical strategies to connect people to good food, to advocate on behalf of those in need, and to engage others in the work of building food security.
Founded in 1978, The Open Door is a 501 (c)(3) tax exempt nonprofit and community food resource center for low-income residents of Gloucester, Rockport, Manchester, Essex, Ipswich, Hamilton, Boxford, Rowley, Topsfield, and Wenham. In 2022, The Open Door helped stabilize the lives and health of 8,486 people from 4,872 households through the distribution of 1.78 million pounds of food.
For more information, visit FOODPANTRY.org.
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