The Longest Table, September 2026 - free community dinner in partnership with the City of Salem.
Volunteers in Root’s Salem Kitchen assemble lasagnes for Beverly Bootstraps.
Root’s Community Catering Program
In March 2020, Root launched our Community Catering initiative as an emergency response to help address Covid-related hunger relief efforts in Essex County. This mission-enhanced work continues today.
Today, our team of Root alumni employees produces 800-1000 nutritious meals, soups, sides, and snacks each week for those struggling to put food on the table, and sends them out for distribution through our partners at The Salem Pantry, Beverly Bootstraps, Senior Care, My Brother's Table, Acord Food Pantry, and more.
Behind the thousands of meals delivered to those in-need are thousands of above-minimum wage employment and additional training hours for Root alumni.
Root's Community Catering relies on strong collaboration with our recipient agencies and innovative partnerships with area farms and food rescue organizations such as The Boston Area Gleaners and Spoonfuls. In 2025, Root incorporated over 19,000 lbs of food rescue, and we are expanding that work in 2026, alongside sourcing from local farm partners such as New Entry Sustainable Farming Project’s Food Hub and Newhall Fields Community Farm.
Food insecurity remains an urgent issue on the North Shore, impacting over 40% of households in Essex County and driving increased demand across all our partner agencies. Root remains committed to seeking funding to provide freshly prepared meals for the families and individuals served by our partners, and we invite you to join us in our mission to Feed Opportunity and Community.
Join Us in Feeding Community!
This year, we are on track to prepare and distribute over 50,000 meals! Root’s Community Catering initiative operates on a mixed funding model, with some meals fully subsidized through philanthropy and others supported through cost-sharing agreements with partner organizations. However, many partners lack the financial capacity to contribute. Root remains committed to seeking funding to provide freshly prepared meals for the families and individuals served by our partners, and we invite you to join us in our mission to Feed Opportunity and Community by supporting this work.
Make a donation today! Every dollar helps expand access to nutritious food for vulnerable populations while creating meaningful economic opportunities for young adults
Join us for a shift in the kitchen and make a measurable difference in helping feed our community! Each Wednesday and Thursday morning, a team of volunteers organized by our partners at SPUR joins our team in the kitchen to help with processing and packaging. Visit the SPUR website to sign up!
Hungry to learn more? Please contact Faith Emerson for more information on how you can get involved.
We are grateful for the support of our 2026 Community Catering funding partners
Community Catering funded in part by the City of Salem Department of Planning & Community Development, U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development. Root’s Community Catering does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, gender or gender identity, familial status, disability, ancestry, age, marital status, public assistance status, sexual orientation, veteran history/military status or genetic information.
And a huge thank you to our partner farms and food rescue organizations!
