BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Worrying about where the next meal comes from is a stress that is often dealt with in secret. All types of people with all types of employment can struggle against ever-rising prices at grocery chains and stores— and that is the lesson being taught near South Bay.
At the frontline of fighting food insecurity in eastern Massachusetts is the Greater Boston Food Bank, a 117,000 square foot facility nestled in the heart of Dorchester.
Volunteers and workers have been receiving and providing food since 1974, though the idea of putting an "x" out front dates back to the Great Depression. The symbol marks the GBFB facility as a safe place to get food, though nowadays trucks deliver produce to where the need is, like a heart pumping out blood to limbs.
Chief Operating Officer Cheryl Schondek gave WBZ NewsRadio a tour around the place, which is more like a well-oiled iron-clad machine that pumps out some hundred million pounds of meals and ingredients out each year to those in need.
"Yes, we see our volume increase during Thanksgiving, but we need help 365 days a year," Schondek said.
The GBFB considers those receiving its food as "clients," and the pantries that serve them "agencies." Schondek said their wording is not just a sign of respect, but a message that it's not just the homeless that can struggle to find meals each day. In fact, one in three adults in eastern Massachusetts face food insecurity.
To meet the growing demand for cold items like eggs, the GBFB's most wanted product, the facility welcomed in a new refrigerated section— doubling cold storage size.
"We got the air conditioner on all year round [at] -11 degrees. It's really busy around here— good work," Ed, one of the facility workers, said.
The new additions includes high-speed roll-up doors, two new truck bays, a new freight elevator, and extra receiving space.
Read More: Local Charity Gifted Thanksgiving Meals To Veterans and Military Families
GBFB has no shortage of volunteers, but they certainly encourage more people to sign up— just be prepared to commit to a date months away. Often times corporate groups come through to help assemble meal kits and organize, but there are still individuals that can find a spot to help out.
WBZ NewsRadio's Jay Willett (@JayWillettWBZ @bluejaywbz) reports.