Stop & Shop and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Celebrate Opening of Food Pantry for Patients and Families
The pantry will help combat food insecurity among cancer patients by integrating easy access of convenient, nutritious, and culturally responsive food into patient care.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is celebrating the opening of its new food pantry, launched with foundational support from a $1 million gift from Stop & Shop.
Located in the lobby of Dana-Farber's Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Research Laboratories building, the initial roll out of the pantry will serve Dana-Farber's pediatric patients and their households, with plans to expand access to adult patients and their households in the coming months across the Dana-Farber network.
The food pantry has been established to help combat food insecurity among cancer patients and their families by providing convenient access to nutritious and culturally responsive food during treatment. In 2023, 12.5% of U.S. households were food-insecure. That number jumped to 17.1% for households with children. In addition, 1 in 3 Massachusetts households are food-insecure, 1 in 5 children diagnosed with cancer lives in poverty and 1 in 3 children diagnosed with cancer experience food, housing, utility or transportation insecurity. In the U.S., at least 30% of cancer patients face food insecurity either at diagnosis or during treatment.
While treatment has advanced, a cancer diagnosis can cause financial strain for patients of all backgrounds, leading to symptom burden. Addressing food insecurity from diagnosis through treatment is essential for improving health outcomes and easing the financial strain on patients and families. The new pantry reflects a shared commitment by Dana-Farber and Stop & Shop to addressing food insecurity and advancing health equity for patients and their families facing cancer.
Based in Quincy, Mass., Stop & Shop supermarket chain is committing an additional $500,000 to help sustain the pantry’s continued operation and support its eventual expansion.
“Our food pantry marks a meaningful step toward addressing the non-medical challenges that can significantly influence treatment outcomes and the overall well-being of our patients and their families,” said Benjamin L. Ebert, MD, PhD, president and CEO of Dana-Farber. “Stop & Shop’s contributions have been critical to ensuring this pantry is now a reality. We are grateful for their continued commitment.”
In Massachusetts, 1 in 3 children diagnosed with cancer live in a household struggling with basic needs like food, housing, heat or electricity. Within Dana-Farber's Pediatric Oncology Department, 30% of families who begin treatment without these hardships develop at least one unmet need during their child’s two-year chemotherapy journey. Stop & Shop and Dana-Farber are stepping up to ensure the need for nutritious food is met.
“A cancer diagnosis is one of life’s most difficult challenges, and it can impact so many people physically, emotionally and financially. By partnering with Dana-Farber to establish this food pantry, we can help make sure patients and their families have one less challenge to endure by providing them with access to the nourishing food they need to focus on what matters most: treatment, recovery and time together,” said Roger Wheeler, president of Stop & Shop. “When families can focus on healing rather than hunger, hope has room to grow. Stop & Shop is proud to support Dana-Farber in its continued efforts to help thousands of New Englanders impacted by cancer each year.”
Offering patients access to nutritious, personalized foods aligned with their unique health needs is another example of Dana-Farber's commitment to a holistic, patient-centered approach to care. This new and innovative model of addressing food insecurity while also being treated for cancer not only supports improved clinical outcomes but also provides a blueprint for cancer centers worldwide.
Over the course of their 30+ years of partnership, Stop & Shop has contributed more than $85 million to Dana-Farber, making the company the institute’s largest corporate philanthropic donor.
About Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is one of the world’s leading centers of cancer research and treatment. Dana-Farber’s mission is to reduce the burden of cancer through scientific inquiry, clinical care, education, community engagement and advocacy. Dana-Farber is a federally designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, the founding member of the Dana-Farber Harvard Cancer Center and a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School.
Dana-Farber is the only hospital nationwide with a top 3 U.S. News & World Report Best Cancer Hospital ranking in both adult and pediatric care.
As a global leader in oncology, Dana-Farber is dedicated to an equal emphasis on cancer research and care, translating the results of discovery into new treatments for patients locally and around the world, offering more than 1,200 clinical trials.
About Stop & Shop
A neighborhood grocer for more than 100 years, Stop & Shop is focused on delivering a wide assortment of fresh, healthy options at a great value through strong weekly sales and everyday low prices. Its new GO Rewards loyalty program delivers personalized offers and allows customers to earn points that can be redeemed for gas or groceries every time they shop. Stop & Shop customers can choose however they want to shop - whether it's in-store or online, which offers both delivery and same day pickup. The company is committed to making an impact in its communities by fighting hunger and working to ensure no student has to go to school hungry through its Stop & Shop School Food Pantry Program. Headquartered in Quincy, Massachusetts, The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company LLC is an Ahold Delhaize USA Company and employs nearly 50,000 associates and operates more than 350 stores throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, and New Jersey. To learn more about Stop & Shop, visit www.stopandshop.com.