East Boston Neighborhood Health Center celebrates 15 years of providing fresh and locally sourced healthy foods to the community
Boston, MA (August 14, 2023) — East Boston Neighborhood Health Center (EBNHC) capped off National Farmers Market Week and National Health Center Week with a visit from the Healey-Driscoll Administration, the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture Resources (MDAR), and other city, state, and federal officials.
In honor of the national observance, Governor Maura Healey declared August 6 – August 12, 2023, Massachusetts Farmers Market Week to recognize the important role farmers markets play in providing and expanding access to fresh, healthy, and local food across the Commonwealth.
“Across all stages of life, we believe that food is medicine and that equal access to healthy food is a critical first step in preventing health problems,” said Dr. Ryan Boxill, Chief Operating Officer of East Boston Neighborhood Health Center. “East Boston is one of the top three neighborhoods experiencing food insecurity and our food programs help level the playing field so all our neighbors can buy fresh, healthy, affordable food.”
For more than 50 years, EBNHC has worked with the community to deliver high-quality health and wellness care that is compassionate, culturally appropriate, and open to all. Nutritional equity is a top
priority of the health center, which has been providing fresh, healthy, and locally sourced foods to the communities it serves for the last 15 years.
As the largest community-based primary care health system in Massachusetts, and one of the largest in the country, EBNHC operates across Greater Boston, serving 60% of all East Boston residents, 40% of Chelsea residents and about 30% of all Revere and Winthrop residents.
“In addition to the local food farmers markets provide, they also serve as dynamic community spaces where the public can learn about the hard work that goes into growing and harvesting food,” said Winton Pitcoff, Deputy Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR). “Like the East Boston market, many also provide family-friendly activities like cooking demonstrations, music and other entertainment to build community.”
In addition to the farmers market, EBNHC provides community members with food in several different ways:
- Delivering more than 10,000 hot, nutritious meals to seniors in EBNHC’s PACE and SCO programs each month.
- Distributing more than 15,000 bags of food in partnership with the American Red Cross annually.
- Connecting thousands of families with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP), Women Infants and Children Nutrition Programs (WIC) and Healthy Incentives Programs (HIP) to support healthy food access at home.
ABOUT EBNHC
East Boston Neighborhood Health Center (EBNHC) is one of the nation’s largest Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and the largest community-based primary care health system in Massachusetts, serving over 100,000 patients and recognized by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) as a Health Center Quality Leader. For more than 50 years, EBNHC has offered access to comprehensive care for the underserved populations of Chelsea, East Boston, Revere, Winthrop, Everett and Boston’s South End. EBNHC is dedicated to promoting and sustaining healthy communities, families, and individuals by providing accessible, person-centered, compassionate, and high-quality health care services to all who live and work in our service area. For more information, please visit www.ebnhc.org
