HISTORY

The Open Pantry was founded in Lowell in 1981 from an outgrowth of local church groups who saw a need in the community for short-term food assistance. We were originally designed to accommodate those persons not qualifying for other programs, thus making our services a last resort. Currently, clients can return to The Open Pantry every 30 days.

The Open Pantry of Greater Lowell has operated as an independent, non-denominational not-for-profit organization for almost 30 years. A founder of The Open Pantry designed our original logo (shown above).

The Open Pantry of Greater Lowell is run by a dedicated team of volunteers. Daily operations and organizational development are managed by our Executive Director. Board members represent a variety of backgrounds and are drawn from several area communities. Board members are elected for three-year terms and meet regularly to provide organizational governance and administrative direction.

We are an active and proud member of the following community groups:
– Greater Boston Food Bank
– Merrimack Valley Food Bank
– The Non-Profit Alliance of Greater Lowell
– City of Lowell Food Security Coalition
– City of Lowell Hunger & Homeless Commission
– Enterprise Bank’s Non-Profit Collaborative

View our hours of operation and contact info here.

Our Executive Director is Geoff Bryant who can be reached at director@theopenpantry.org

Meet our family and supporters: View list of our Board of Directors and dedicated Volunteers!

The Open Pantry receives much support from local churches. In addition to monetary donations, some churches have food collection boxes or set aside a specific Sunday each month for parishioners to bring food. Their support helped create The Open Pantry since it sprouted from an outgrowth of local church groups.

We welcome new faith-based communities to join us in supporting The Open Pantry. Please contact us for more information.

We also receive donations from individuals, schools, community groups, organizations, and businesses. Grant money and in-kind donations are also a good source of revenue to help cover our operational and administrative costs.

The Open Pantry thanks all our generous supporters in the last 30+ years for helping us serve the Greater Lowell!