This time in history is a creativity explosion, as people and countries come together to combat COVID-19. The challenge of combating COVID-19 has been addressed medically, socially, economically, and  emotionally and spiritually on websites, radio and TV shows and in houses of worship.

At Catholic Charities of Boston, our work often extends beyond the walls of our 23 locations in Eastern Massachusetts, as we are committed to supporting our communities through partnerships and outreach initiatives.

“No.  Thank you for inviting me!”

I heard this sentence five separate times Saturday after I said “thank you for coming” to sweaty but happy volunteers who came to Catholic Charities Yawkey Center to pack bags of food, snacks and produce for the 1300 families and individuals we expect will come to Yawkey this week to pick up one of those bags of food.

Almost two months into the COVID-19 pandemic, we continue to see the effects of the crisis across all of our programs and services at Catholic Charities of Boston.

Our five food pantries are serving increasing numbers of individuals week over week-- in fact, since March 9, the number of individuals that we serve has increased over 460%. Our pantries have distributed over 100,000 lbs. of food more than this same time period last year.

Catholic Charities of Boston is so appreciative of the many volunteers and donors who make our work possible.

As COVID-19 continues to escalate, our goal is to shine a light on the helped in our community – our CCAB Champions—who are helping us continue our programs and services that support the most vulnerable in our communities.

We are so grateful for our community champions! Take a look at what’s going on across the agency:

During these unprecedented times, it’s important to shine a light on all of the helpers in our community who are doing their part to care for others.

Jim, Kathleen and Anna are a local family who enjoy giving back, engaging in a number of volunteer projects with area organizations.

With COVID-19 moving through the country at a rapid rate, it’s easy to fall prey to  a negative mindset. We’re often told to worry about only that which we can control, and in a situation that’s as fluid as this pandemic, it may seem that everything is out of our control. In these times, it’s helpful to remind ourselves that our attitudes can make all the difference.

During these unprecedented times, the Catholic Charities team is hard at work responding to an increased demand for basic needs services, including food at our food pantries. To keep up with this demand, we are immensely grateful to our community partners for their generous donations and support. We can't thank these amazing partners enough for helping us help our neighbors in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.