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
Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023
The Open Door Unveils Game-Changer Building Project
on Emerson Avenue
GLOUCESTER— Hundreds of Cape Anners gathered at The Open Door on Saturday for a ribbon-cutting unveiling its new Food and Nutrition Center.
“We built this project, together. The Food and Nutrition Center wouldn’t have been possible without the community here on the North Shore,” President and CEO Julie LaFontaine said. “It strengthens and expands the safety net for groceries, meals, nutrition, and more for our neighbors.”
Those in attendance included Sen. Bruce Tarr, Rep. Ann-Margaret Ferrante, and Gloucester Mayor Greg Verga.
“The amazing thing about The Open Door is the fact that it has constantly evolved to meet the needs of the community. Today is another example of that, as this new, incredible place opens,” Sen. Bruce Tarr said. “There’s a lot more stuff beyond kitchen appliances in there, there’s a community that cares. There’s a group of people at The Open Door that give us a chance to help our neighbors. There’s spirit that’s always uplifting, and always fulfilling.”
“Today, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for all of the people you feed, for all of the people that you make feel special,” Rep. Ann-Margaret Ferrante said. “And thank you for the foresight to take it one step farther and realizing nutrition, not just food, but nutrition is a basic building block of who we are and what we can do.”
The project includes a larger, modernized commercial kitchen with a double line, fulfillment center, food packing space, additional dry and cold storage for more food rescue, client meeting spaces, and more. As a result of the project, the nonprofit can sustainably continue to meet the need for food resources in the community, including a 28% increase in visits to its food pantries in 2023 over 2022.
“I just want to thank all the volunteers, all the employees, everything you do every day for this organization,” Gloucester Mayor Greg Verga said. “COVID really shined a light on the need for it and today with inflation, there’s still a long way to go.”
In the kitchen, the team is now preparing 3,000 meals each week, up from around 1,000 pre-pandemic.
Those in attendance joined in a community ribbon-cutting, where long strands of orange ribbon were threaded through the crowd, and everyone invited to cut the ribbon with their individual pair of scissors. C$ommunity members were also asked to bring dirt from their homes to help plant two trees, to symbolize the role the community made to bring the Food and Nutrition Center into reality.
After the ceremony, an open house was held at The Open Door, and members of the public toured the new space and learned more about The Open Door programs from staff. Food samples were provided by the kitchen and nutrition team.
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 non profit 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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