Catholic Charities Boston Launches Holiday Giving Drive with M&T Bank to Support Food for Families

Campaign launches early to support Catholic Charities Boston food pantries as need increases  

BOSTON, MA (October 31, 2025) – M&T Bank is joining Catholic Charities Boston (CCAB) in providing Hope for the Holidays to those in need. M&T Bank is collecting non-perishable food items at all Greater Boston branch locations beginning next week through the end of November. The donations will benefit Catholic Charities Boston’s food pantries, which served 69,441 people across Eastern Massachusetts this past year.

This holiday season, the need for donations is dire as policy changes, funding cuts, and high grocery costs further strain struggling households. One in three Massachusetts families faces food insecurity. One in six Massachusetts families rely on SNAP benefits to feed their families. Catholic Charities Boston operates four food pantries in Dorchester, Brockton, Lynn and Lowell, distributing approximately 2.4 million meals annually. The agency is a key provider of meals to those in need at Thanksgiving and other holidays, assists families with applying for SNAP benefits, and provides assistance for those struggling with high food costs.

“We are distributing bags of groceries at our pantries faster than we can pack them, and for many families, one bag of food per week is simply not enough,” said Kelley Tuthill, President and CEO of Catholic Charities Boston. “Many of the clients we serve tell us they don’t know how they would feed their families if they did not have our food pantries as a resource. We are incredibly grateful to M&T Bank for their support in helping us ensure that our most vulnerable community members don’t go hungry.”

“M&T Bank is proud to support Catholic Charities Boston in its Hope for the Holidays food drive – an initiative that helps stock local food pantries and ensures families across Massachusetts have nourishing meals during this critical time. As more families face food insecurity, we believe no child or parent should have to worry about their next meal,” said Jeff Carpenter, M&T Bank’s Interim Regional President in Massachusetts.

“Our commitment to community runs deep. Through collaborations like this, we strive to break down barriers and meet essential needs—bringing comfort, stability, and hope to the communities we serve.”

Donations can be brought to M&T branches and placed in designated cardboard boxes. The most urgent items needed are canned protein (tuna, chicken), canned vegetables, grains (pasta, mac & cheese, etc.) and canned soup. Items will be distributed at Catholic Charities Boston’s pantries in Eastern Massachusetts. On Giving Tuesday, Dec. 2, M&T employee volunteers will stock shelves at the Catholic Charities Lynn Food Pantry.  Last year, the M&T Charitable Foundation, the philanthropic arm of M&T Bank, presented Catholic Charities Boston with a $20,000 grant to fight food insecurity.

For more information visit: https://www.ccab.org

About Catholic Charities Boston

For over a century, Catholic Charities Boston has served vulnerable individuals and families of all faiths and backgrounds. One of the most comprehensive non-profit providers of social services in Massachusetts, we offer programs across more than 20 locations throughout Greater Boston, with 450 employees serving thousands of individuals and families annually within the four core areas of Basic Needs, Family & Youth Services, Refugee & Immigrant Services, and Adult Education & Workforce Development. Rooted in our faith mission, we address critical social justice issues with compassion and aim to break the cycles of poverty in our communities by providing life’s necessities, education, and advocacy to move families toward self-sufficiency.

About M&T Bank  

M&T Bank Corporation is a financial holding company headquartered in Buffalo, New York. M&T’s principal banking subsidiary, M&T Bank, provides banking products and services in 12 states across the eastern U.S. from Maine to Virginia and Washington, D.C. Trust-related services are provided in select markets in the U.S. and abroad by M&T’s Wilmington Trust-affiliated companies and by M&T Bank. For more information on M&T Bank, visit www.mtb.com.