Food Access Volunteers of Roslindale (FAVOR)

MISSION: To harness the human, material, and financial resources of Roslindale and the surrounding area to ensure that all local households have access to sufficient healthy food, and to advocate for policy change necessary to achieve food equity.

FAVOR is a volunteer-run mutual aid group serving Roslindale and surrounding neighborhoods, formed to help those experiencing food insecurity. Because Roslindale has the reputation of being a wealthier neighborhood within the City of Boston, our community lacks sufficient services to support households experiencing food insecurity. According to the Greater Boston Food Bank's Food Resources map, of 119 food pantries in the city, only three are located in the Southwest Boston communities of Roslindale, Hyde Park and West Roxbury. 

Our group has built a strong community network to provide fresh, local, nutritious foods purchased at wholesale from local sources using donated funds, and "rescued" from area markets, cafés, and bakeries. Our Friday food programs at Archdale and Washington-Beech Apartments provide families with fresh eggs and nutritious produce, which they do not get through the Greater Boston Food Bank. We also prioritize culturally relevant foods, like beans, rice, bok choy, plantains, and yams, so our neighbors can prepare meals they know and love.

We serve about 150+ households a week through our 2 distribution sites, accessible by public transportation. No IDs or documentation are required to receive food, and no limits placed on how frequently someone can come to our programs. We rely on volunteers who come from Boston and beyond to run our programs every week.