Catholic Charities South Hosts First Delivery of Holiday Cheer Thanks to the City of Brockton’s Hunger Relief Fund

Catholic Charities South in Brockton hosted Brockton Mayor Robert F. Sullivan, Eastern Bank Executive Chair Bob Rivers, and The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) Chief Operating Officer Cheryl Schondek on December 23 as they volunteered and unpacked one of the Brockton Hunger Relief Fund’s first food deliveries – 13,650 pounds of healthy produce on seven pallets. The City of Brockton launched the Brockton Hunger Relief Fund with a $1 million donation from the Eastern Bank Foundation. During this first phase of funding, the Fund is helping more than 15 non-profit organizations already working with the GBFB, including Catholic Charities Brockton, consistently feed more Brockton residents throughout this winter by increasing the amount of food that GBFB will distribute to these hunger-relief organizations.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance, over 33% of Brockton’s population uses SNAP benefits – one of the highest proportions in the State. Brockton Mayor Robert F. Sullivan said, “The City of Brockton expresses our profound gratitude and thanks to the Eastern Bank Foundation for their generosity to provide healthy, sustainable food to our residents. Today is the initial distribution and we look forward to continuing the success of this mission.”

The Eastern Bank Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Eastern Bank, which has a long-standing presence in Brockton strengthened by its 2025 merger with HarborOne Bank in addition to a long history of forging public-private partnerships that advance economic growth and mobility in Brockton and other Gateway Cities. Bob Rivers, Executive Chair of Eastern Bank, said, “Food insecurity in Brockton is a critical challenge. The goal of this first effort of the Brockton Hunger Relief Fund is delivering greater amounts of healthy food quickly, efficiently and at scale this winter to residents in Brockton. We thank the Mayor, The Greater Boston Food Bank, and the hunger-relief organizations in The Greater Boston Food Bank’s Brockton-network for their collaboration around making an immediate impact at a time when the need has grown. This is not a one-time effort—our commitment to thriving communities is long-standing, and this Fund will continue to advance sustainable solutions for food security.”

“We are incredibly grateful to the Eastern Bank Foundation for this game-changing investment that will help ensure the residents of Brockton have access to healthy food during the winter months,” said Cheryl Schondek, COO at The Greater Boston Food Bank. “GBFB is proud to work with all our food pantry and meal program partners in Brockton to make this a food-secure community by doing what we do best: acquiring and distributing healthy food to empower our neighbors. With great partners like the Eastern Bank Foundation, we have the power to end hunger here and throughout Eastern Massachusetts.”

Kelley Tuthill, President and CEO of Catholic Charities Boston, added, “We are deeply grateful to the Eastern Bank Foundation for standing with us to ensure that no one in our Brockton community goes hungry. This generosity arrives at a critical time when so many of our neighbors are facing difficult choices between paying bills and feeding their families. Catholic Charities has proudly served the City of Brockton for over a century, and it is through collaborative partnerships with organizations like The Greater Boston Food Bank and the Eastern Bank Foundation that we can truly care for one another when it matters most.”