The Greater Boston Food Bank is the largest hunger-relief organization in New England and one of the largest food banks in the country. It distributes more than 60 million pounds of food a year across 190 cities and towns in eastern Massachusetts through over 600 partner agencies, serving about 600,000 people a month on a roughly $100 million budget. Catherine D’Amato has led it as President and CEO since 1995 and announced her retirement in 2026 after nearly three decades, with the organization transitioning to new leadership.
The Greater Boston Food Bank sources food at large scale and distributes it through more than 600 partner agencies across eastern Massachusetts, adding up to more than 60 million pounds a year. Under three decades of leadership it became a national model for health-focused, data-driven hunger relief, prioritizing nutritious food and using research on food insecurity to guide where and how it works.
Like food banks nationwide, it absorbed a serious blow when federal food-program cuts in late 2025 reduced the USDA food it received by roughly a third, forcing it to buy more food to fill the gap.
Catherine D’Amato has been President and CEO since 1995 and is one of the most influential figures in the national anti-hunger movement. She announced her retirement in 2026 after nearly 30 years, during which GBFB grew from a regional distributor into one of the largest and most respected food banks in the country, with about 135 staff and a roughly $100 million budget. The organization is transitioning to new leadership.
The service area covers 190 cities and towns across eastern Massachusetts, from Boston out through the suburbs and surrounding communities. Massachusetts has high living costs that push working households into food insecurity, and GBFB’s own research has documented how widely that need spreads, touching a large share of households at some point each year.
Yes. The Greater Boston Food Bank is a registered 501(c)(3) and a Feeding America member, and one of the largest food banks in the country. Donors can review its financials through Charity Navigator and GuideStar. Bulk buying and donated food mean a gift produces many meals.
Donations and volunteer shifts run through gbfb.org. The food bank runs a large volunteer operation, and cash gifts go furthest, especially as it buys more food to replace cut federal supply.
The Greater Boston Food Bank is the largest hunger-relief organization in eastern Massachusetts and all of New England. It works alongside mentoring and human-services groups like Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts on the broader safety net. For anyone in the Boston region, GBFB is the lead food bank to support.
600+ agencies across 190 eastern MA communities.
A national model for prioritizing nutritious food.
Original research on food insecurity guiding the work.
Targeted distributions for the most vulnerable groups.
Sources: The Greater Boston Food Bank website (gbfb.org), and 2026 Boston Globe reporting on Catherine D’Amato’s retirement and the organization’s scale. We are not affiliated with The Greater Boston Food Bank and receive no compensation for this listing. Spotted an error? [email protected]
More Massachusetts and food-bank resources