To donate to NEW Health’s food insecurity program,
please visit http://bit.ly/Food-Donation-
Charlestown Community Fridge
The NEW Health Community Fridge launched in late 2021 to directly fight food insecurity in the Charlestown neighborhood. The fridge is located in an alcove at the front of the Health Center at 15 Tufts St. It is open 24/7 to anyone who needs food or wants to donate.
The fridge asks to follow these guidelines when donating food to the fridge. The Health Center is not able to maintain the fridge when it is closed on weekend and holidays. If you are interested in volunteering, please check out the calendar for availability and fill out the form for the day you want to help.
Rooftop Garden Program
In May of 2017, NEW Health began a rooftop garden at our 15 Tufts Street location. Students from the Harvard-Kent School and the Charlestown ABCD Head Start Program visit throughout the summer to learn about gardening, help grow the crops, and sample some of the fresh produce. Produce from the garden is also used in our monthly nutrition sessions, open to patients and community residents.
Nutrition Sessions
NEW Health hosts monthly meetings for community members to visit and take part in educational seminars hosted by our staff nutritionist. Our nutritionist teaches how to prepare simple, healthy, and affordable meals and session themes are planned for specific times of the year (garden fresh, healthy holidays). Participants are also educated on how to read labels and good tactics for shopping at grocery stores.
Throughout the duration of this pandemic NEW Health has been able to provide thousands of dollars in grocery store gift certificates to food insecure children attending the Harvard-Kent and Eliot Schools. Thousands more have been made available to provide to individuals being tested at our COVID-19 sites.
Shelf Stable, Ready-to-Eat Foods
This initiative helps food insecure patients get immediate nutritious foods. When patients arrive for their appointments, they can request a bag which has been prepared by our staff nutritionist. Patients will leave the Health Center with a grocery bag of nutrient-rich foods.
Grocery Assistance
The Health Center provides grocery store gift cards to Food Insecure homes in the North End and Charlestown neighborhoods on a monthly basis. These gift cards are distributed to local schools, community members, and patients. This initiative has continued through the COVID-19 Pandemic which has increased Food Insecurity everywhere.
