Allston-Brighton Food Pantry to Resume Full Operations in May

The Allston-Brighton Food Pantry is expected to restart operations in mid-May, reopening the neighborhood’s largest food pantry after a three-month closure.

The pantry, housed in the Brighton Allston Congregational Church, has been under construction since early February after heavy snowstorms caused extensive water damage to its roof and electrical systems.

Matthew R. Rasure, the pantry’s director of development, said repairs have progressed steadily over the past few months and that the pantry hopes to resume full operations within two to three weeks as work wraps up.

The pantry has continued limited operations during the closure. Under normal conditions, volunteers serve hot meals every Wednesday and distribute bagged groceries every Sunday.

With the building closed for repairs, operations moved outdoors, with volunteers dropping off groceries at a community fridge twice a week. Recipients then picked up food directly from the fridge on a first-come, first-served basis.

The pantry later shifted to a more structured distribution model, partnering with Spoonfuls, a New England-based food recovery organization, to deliver grocery shipments twice a week. Volunteers sort the food on tables for recipients to collect, allowing for more even distribution.

During Wednesday and Friday distributions, the pantry serves between 60 and 80 people each day, according to Rasure.

The months-long closure has pushed residents to seek other sources of food assistance, straining nearby nonprofits as demand rises. One such organization, the Allston-Brighton Food Train, pairs recipients with volunteer donors who prepare hot meals and groceries. Since the pantry’s closure, the Food Train has seen a marked increase in requests.

Rasure said the pantry plans to resume normal operations inside the building once repairs are complete, returning to weekly hot meal service and bagged grocery distribution. The renovations, which cost $120,000, have been funded through a mix of insurance coverage, an interest-free loan from the church, and private donations.

The pantry has set a fundraising goal of $50,000 to cover the remaining costs and repay the church.

“We’re making really, really good progress. All of the walls and ceilings in those areas have been replaced, and in all but one area,” Rasure said.

In addition to the physical renovations, the pantry is undergoing an organization-wide restructuring that will reduce its workforce by more than half. The pantry currently employs nine full-time and seven part-time staff members but plans to scale down to three full-time staff members and a part-time chef.

Rasure said he hopes to retain as many current staff as possible, but added that the pantry’s new minister and business lead — two of the three anticipated full-time roles — will likely be external hires.

The restructuring is estimated to be completed in September, with Rasure’s own role being phased out once the new pastor is onboarded to handle fundraising.

“Ultimately, I think it comes down to the need for us to rein in spending so that we can try to serve our folks as efficiently as possible,” Rasure said.

—Staff writer Thamini Vijeyasingam can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on X @vijeyasingam.

—Staff writer Kevin Zhong can be reached at [email protected].