Newton Food Pantry will be closed on Wednesday May 29, 2024 and Thursday May 30, 2024

About Us

The Newton Food Pantry is the oldest and largest food pantry in Newton, powered by volunteers since 1983.

How We Serve Our Neighbors

The Newton Food Pantry aims to alleviate food insecurity in Newton by providing supplemental food and personal care products to community members in need, serving our clients with dignity, compassion and respect.

We believe no one deserves to go hungry, and everyone has a right to nutritious food. We address food insecurity with a community-based approach and value equity and inclusion. Our clients feel welcome and accept our help with dignity.

The Many Ways We Serve Our Newton Neighbors

  • Bi-monthly choice shopping at our pantry for Newton residents and Newton-based college students and staff
  • Choice shopping includes a large variety of fresh produce, dairy, proteins, staples, personal care products and a large selection of culturally-relevant foods to serve our diverse client population
  • Bulk delivery to seven Newton Housing Authority complexes
  • Home delivery to medically homebound residents
  • Stocking the Newton Community freedge daily and paying all associated expenses
  • Lasell University Dry Pantry re-stocking
  • Kids’ Bags to all clients with children twice a month
  • Partnership with Welcome Home to provide home goods for clients
  • Biannual grocery store gift cards for all clients
  • Community partnerships to provide Thanksgiving and holidays meals
  • Community partnerships to provide holiday gifts to clients for gift giving
  • Teen Ambassador Program partnership to provide winter gear and books for clients
  • Quarterly delivery of shelf-stable food to support Family Access of Newton

Strategic Plan & Looking to the Future

As food insecurity continues to grow in Newton, the Newton Food Pantry must maintain its critical services and ensure future sustainability. Our 2024 strategic plan embraces these goals.

Ensuring Sustainability
Due to the continued rise in need for food assistance in Newton and the tremendous organizational growth achieved in recent years, the Newton Food Pantry has hired its first Executive Director to ensure that this growth is sustained while maintaining our existing services.

In addition, the Newton Food Pantry is working on IT platform integration to help streamline our processes. This has created a system ready for continued growth in terms of volunteering, communications and donor relations.

Enhancing Client Experience
After much logistical planning, in September of 2023, we expanded our in-person shopping hours in order to reduce client wait times and accommodate the rise in numbers of households served. Clients can now shop Thursdays by appointment in addition to our Wednesday appointment and walk-in hours.

So that our clients have a voice, we conduct client focus groups at least twice a year where we offer multi-lingual translators. We embrace our clients’ many cultures by offering a culturally-relevant food section during all shopping days, as well as cultural sensitivity training for our volunteers and staff.

Expanding Client Reach
We continue to partner with many social service nonprofits in order to find common ground. We believe this approach will help us reach as many Newton residents in need as possible. The Newton Food Pantry will continue to meet clients where they are by thinking outside the box on different food delivery methods beyond our brick and mortar pantry.

In addition to our 24-hour freedge located on Watertown Street and the dry pantry at Lasell College, in 2024 we will partner with William James College by supplying staples for their new dry pantry. 

Secure Space
While we are grateful to the City of Newton for the space in City Hall, we have simply outgrown it. Therefore, we formed a Real Estate Committee in late 2023 and are currently searching for larger options in Newton.

To learn more about our accomplishments and strategic plan, please watch our October 2023 Annual Meeting here (passcode aM4.6peL), or download the presentation slides here.

Newton Food Pantry Board

Sindy Wayne

Sindy Wayne

President

Close [x]
Sindy Wayne

Sindy Wayne
President

Sindy’s first encounter with the Newton Food Pantry was as a volunteer with Newton Neighbors Helping Neighbors, delivering food to Newton Food Pantry clients on Wednesday afternoons during the height of the pandemic . She was so impressed with the pantry’s well-organized COVID-19 distribution process that she became a Wednesday morning volunteer at the pantry. In January 2021 she joined the Newton Food Pantry leadership team to launch the Newton Community freedge. She was honored to become a member of the Board later that year.

Sindy brings more than 25 years of experience as an avid nonprofit leader and fundraiser to the Newton Food Pantry. She has managed and served on nonprofit boards and was the Executive Director of an interfaith youth social justice organization. She is passionate about building organizations through mission-driven strategic planning, constituent engagement, and operational improvement.

Sindy is the parent of two young adult sons and lives in Newton Highlands with husband and her loveable Tibetan terrier named Nick.

Dan Silver

Treasurer

Close [x]

Dan Silver
Treasurer

Dan started with the Newton Food Pantry in 2021 as a runner, loading groceries in client cars. Having worked with affluent investors for most of his career, he wanted to help people struggling with food insecurity.

Today Dan teaches undergraduate business at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business. Previously, he founded and ran one of the largest wealth management firms in the country (Barron’s Top 100). A former board chair of the Eastern Massachusetts Better Business Bureau, he’s also a former Big Brother and a current member of the Big Brother Big Sister Board of Overseers.

Dan lives in Newton Centre with his wife. He grew up in Newton, attending Angier School and Newton South High School. He and his wife raised their two children here, although both attended cross-town rival Newton North. Dan coached Newton Girls Soccer and Newton Southeast Little League for many years. In his free time, he enjoys golf and playing guitar in a local band.

As Treasurer Dan’s favorite part of volunteering is keeping the vendors paid and the shipments coming — so there’s always plenty of food at the Newton Food Pantry.

Megan Russel

Clerk

Close [x]

Megan Russel
Clerk

Interested in issues around food insecurity and seeking an opportunity to get more involved in the community, Megan started volunteering for the Newton Food Pantry in 2017. Megan started as a Wednesday afternoon volunteer and shift supervisor where she managed client interactions. She now plays an integral role in the ongoing support of the Newton Community freedge Collaborative.

Megan is a registered nurse with a strong background in maternal-child health and loves the ability to bring her passion surrounding the connection between health and food to the Newton Food Pantry. That knowledge and passion, coupled with her strong organizational skills, has enabled her to take on a variety of leadership roles at the pantry including her position as a co-founder of the pantry’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.

Megan lives in Waban with her husband and three kids ages 13, 12 and 7. When not driving her 3 kids to their three schools, where she also volunteers, or getting them to their many extracurricular activities, she enjoys playing tennis, cooking and traveling.

Megan’s favorite part of being a volunteer is interacting with the clients and listening to their stories. 

Colleen Nolan

Donor Engagement and Development Liaison

Close [x]

Colleen Nolan
Donor Engagement and Development Liaison

Colleen began volunteering at the Newton Food Pantry in 2017 after her childrens’ elementary school was hosting a food drive to benefit the pantry. Shortly thereafter, she began volunteering as part of the fundraising committee. With the onset of the pandemic and the change in the pantry’s operational model, Colleen leveraged her high energy and strong organization skills to support the Wednesday afternoon distribution team.

Before becoming a full-time stay-at-home mom, Colleen worked in Human Resources for 11 years, inheriting skills that helped her in the many volunteer roles at her kids’ schools and within her community. Looking to make a real difference, she continued to increase her support and positive client impact at the Newton Food Pantry, taking on the new position as the Donor Engagement and Development Liaison.  

Colleen lives in Waban with her husband and two children, ages 12 and 10. When not chauffeuring her children to all of their activities and managing the daily chaos of their house, she enjoys spending time with friends and running with a local running group, Runners Up.

Colleen’s favorite part of being a volunteer is working with a team of people who are extremely passionate about what they do to help others in need in our community.

Jill Coull

Communications Director

Close [x]

Jill Coull
Communications Director

Jill began volunteering with the Newton Food Pantry’s Newton’s Community Table fundraising event in 2015. She handled event planning, decor and design of all promotional materials. In 2020, Jill became part of the freedge launch team – designing the logo and shed, and managing construction. Then, in spring of 2021, Jill designed our new logo and handled all aspects of the rebranding. 

Jill is a creative/art director with her own business where she offers marketing, communications and design work for a variety of clients. Her unique blend of creativity and organizational skills makes for a great and much-needed addition to the Newton Food Pantry. She, and an amazing communication team, handles all aspects of outward communications including an annual plan and schedule, social media, newsletters, blasts, flyers and posters, photoshoots, and event planning and promotion.

Jill lives in Waban with her husband and two kids, ages 14 and 17. When not shuffling around the kids and watching sporting events, Jill enjoys exercising, traveling and catching up with friends and extended family in the south. 

As Communications Director, Jill’s favorite part of being a volunteer is educating and connecting someone in need with the Newton Food Pantry’s services. 

Kris Bowden

Board Member

Close [x]

Kris Bowden
Board Member

Kristen Bowden started volunteering with the Newton Food Pantry in the Spring of 2021, when the pantry was still operating outdoors. Kris coordinates volunteer recognition activities, manages interns and teen volunteers, and leads countless shifts supporting client shopping hours.

Kris is a parent of two young adults and happily shares her time and energy with the Newton Food Pantry. She is honored to share her skills for a worthy cause. She lives in Newtonville with her two dogs, Charlie and Poppy. When not at the Pantry you will most likely find Kris tending to her garden, her latest passion project.

Kris is proud to be a part of this organization and also proud of the many volunteers she works alongside. She strives to create a rewarding and impactful experience for our volunteers by keeping them engaged and feeling valued. Helping in the community is of great value to Kris, as is appreciating all of the volunteers who take the time out of their busy lives to join the fight against food insecurity.

Allegra Grant

Board Member

Close [x]

Allegra Grant
Board Member

Allegra Grant started volunteering with the Newton Food Pantry in March 2022. She looks forward to her interactions with clients on Wednesdays; wishing clients a good night after receiving a supply of nutritionally balanced food and personal care products.  

The passion to help others runs deep in Allegra’s family. At the age of seven, Allegra began distributing food (and clothing) to the homeless throughout the streets of New York City with her family. Allegra has worked in the human services field for over 20 years and loves the world of Human Resources in which she currently serves as a director.

When not at the pantry, Allegra enjoys spending time with her family, traveling and growing indoor (tropical) plants.

Ephraim Ezekiel

Newton Community freedge Coordinator

Close [x]

Ephraim Ezekiel
Newton Community freedge Coordinator

Ephraim started volunteering for the Newton Food Pantry when he retired in the summer of 2020. This was during the pandemic when pickups were done outside. 

In spring of 2022, Ephraim started preparations for taking over the role of freedge Coordinator, and by summer it was official. Coordinating all the moving parts of the Newton Community freedge is no small task. Ephraim is responsible for managing 13 community partners with teams of volunteers, as well as 40+ business partners.

Ephraim was born in London and came to the U.S. in 1981 when offered a position as a software developer. He worked in the industry until he retired in 2020.

Ephraim lives with his wife Margo in Newton Center, where they raised their children — now grown and living in New York City and San Francisco. Ephraim and Margo are now snowbirds, spending winters in Florida but still living the rest of the year in Newton.

When not volunteering, Ephraim enjoys running. His competitive marathon days are over, but he still runs regularly.

Ephraim is proud to be a part of the Newton Food Pantry and feels so honored when clients show their appreciation. He has learned so much about food insecurity in Newton and is thrilled to give his time as the new freedge Coordinator.

Cindy Arcate

Board Member

Close [x]

Cindy Arcate
Board Member

Food insecurity had always been a concern for Cindy. Her mother was a volunteer for Meals on Wheels growing up. When she retired from the energy industry, pursuing volunteer opportunities at the Newton Food Pantry was at the top of her list. She started with curbside pick-up in the fall of 2020. Soon after, she started doing some home deliveries and the feminine products inventory pick-ups from Dignity Matters in Westboro. With a strong background in Board governance, she volunteered to participate in the Board’s Governance Committee and, more recently, the Strategic Planning Committee. She particularly enjoys the work with her home delivery clients. She has gotten to know them, particularly their likes and dislikes, and always tries to find a little something special to bring them.

Cindy has worked in both state and federal energy agencies, and what is now National Grid, as a lawyer and a business executive. She retired as President & CEO of PowerOptions, a non-profit retail energy buying consortium for non-profits and government entities at the end of 2019. Mid-career she served as Executive Director of the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center. She currently serves on the Board of the Newton Foundation which oversees the Newton Commonwealth Golf Course and the Dedham Choral Society. She has lived in Newton for over 30 years and raised her daughter in Waban.

Rebecca Diamondstein

College Liaison

Close [x]

Rebecca Diamondstein
College Liaison

In 2017, Rebecca’s oldest son, Ethan, first inspired her to get involved with the Newton Food Pantry. Ethan noticed the Newton Food Pantry when participating in a theater program at City Hall. He asked how they could get involved, and they quickly became Saturday volunteers, with Rebecca as a shift leader. Both are still active volunteers in our pantry space.

During the pandemic, Rebecca took on the challenge of food insecurity on college campuses by connecting with Newton-based colleges and universities to determine how the Newton Food Pantry could help. Today Rebecca is our College Liaison and has played a pivotal role in developing dry pantries on both the Lasell University campus and the William James College campus.

Rebecca brings decades of experience consulting in the nonprofit space. She currently serves on the JCC Board as Chair of Governance & Leadership Development and has served in many different leadership roles throughout her children’s school years — from President of the Mason Rice PTO to Secretary and Board member of South Stage, an arts booster organization at Newton South High School.

When not working or volunteering, Rebecca loves exploring her community and the greater Boston area. You’ll likely find her at every New England fall festival when the leaves start to turn. Rebecca and her family live in Newton Highlands.

Newton Food Pantry Staff

Jeff Lemberg

Executive Director

Close [x]

Jeff Lemberg
Executive Director

Jeff is our third staff hire and our first Executive Director at the Newton Food Pantry. This new position demonstrates the Board of Directors’ recognition of the tremendous growth the Newton Food Pantry has achieved in recent years and the need for a dedicated full-time Executive Director to ensure the sustainability of this growth.

Jeff leads the organization’s staff, operations and fundraising, in addition to overseeing continued efforts to expand and improve our on-site pantry and community-based initiatives. 

Jeff joined the Newton Food Pantry with deep experience in fundraising, partnership development, communications, and educational programming. Most recently, Jeff served as the Director of Development for the One Love Foundation, a national nonprofit that works to end intimate partner violence by providing free relationship health education resources to young people. He has also worked in support of economically disadvantaged military veterans throughout Massachusetts and is the former executive director of an education nonprofit that primarily served male-identifying teens/tweens. Jeff holds a Ph.D. in public communications and journalism and was a Professor of Communications and Media Studies for many years. 

Jeff and his wife, Mora, live in Waban with their two teenage daughters and rescue mutt, Lucy. He likes to believe he’s an above-average home cook and enjoys biking, golfing, and tackling a never-ending array of home-repair projects. 

Denise Daniels

Pantry Manager

Close [x]

Denise Daniels
Pantry Manager

Denise is our first paid staff at the Newton Food Pantry. After 39 years and an unprecedented increase in food insecurity post-COVID, it was time to ensure our sustainability and accommodate even more food-insecure members of our community.

Denise comes to us from the Boys & Girls Club of Boston, where she was the Culinary Director and Chef. In that role, she helped plan and develop 150–200 nutritious meals daily for kids ages 6–18. Denise has held positions at a variety of institutions including: culinary arts instructor at El Paso Community College, intern at America’s Test Kitchen, and cook and manager at many restaurants and hotels.

As Pantry Manager, Denise is focused on positive client experiences, while introducing new ways to streamline food procurement and logistics in daily operations in order to alleviate some of the heavy lifting done by dedicated volunteers each week. 

Denise is originally from West Texas but has made Boston home for the past seven years. She enjoys road trips throughout New England and is always in search of a place for outdoor adventures and culturally-diverse foods.

At the Newton Food Pantry, Denise most enjoys working alongside the volunteers and listening to their passion and dedication to serving the community.

Aimee Lambert

Client and Volunteer Engagement Manager

Close [x]

Aimee Lambert
Client and Volunteer Engagement Manager

Aimee’s first experience with The Newton Food Pantry was as a librarian when she was researching food resources for patrons seeking assistance. She referred countless people to the Food Pantry over the 16 years she was a librarian at the Watertown Free Public Library.

Aimee grew up skiing in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont and throwing hay bales at her family’s small dairy farm. She moved to Boston to attend graduate school where she met her husband who let it be known he had no intention of moving to the woods of Burlington, Vermont.

Her family moved to Newton nine years ago so her children could attend the Newton schools. Her two daughters, Anna and Beatrice, are currently at Day Middle School. When not working Aimee is driving around the state cheering and ringing her cowbell at her daughters’ soccer games. 

Advisory Council

  • Aubrey Henderson — Executive Director, Cradles to Crayons Boston
  • Lauren Lele — Director of Community Benefits and Volunteers, Newton-Wellesley Hospital
  • Sue Lowcock — Senior Director of Grants & Contracts, Advocates Inc.
  • David Sellers — Executive Director, John M. Barry Boys & Girls Club of Newton
  • Susan Paley — Vice President of Community Relations, Village Bank
  • Eric Wetlaufer — Board of Directors, TMX Group, Investment Management Corporation of Ontario (IMCO), Enterra Solutions Niyogin