07/16/2025
Thanks to a Cold Storage Grant from Office of Food Justice , DotHouse Health continues to grow our pantry services to better fight food insecurity for families in Dorchester and nearby neighborhoods. We are so honored to receive this grant opportunity and hope to continue meeting the needs of our community.
Check out our full newsletter feature below:
Cold Storage Grant Spotlight: DotHouse Health
DotHouse Health is a community health center serving Dorchester residents with comprehensive healthcare services. For over 30 years, they have also operated one of the only food pantries in the Fields Corner neighborhood of Dorchester. Their pantry serves over 300 families weekly and distributes more than 7,000 pounds of food, providing healthy groceries to some of Dorchester's most vulnerable residents. Operating twice weekly with dedicated senior and community pantry hours, DotHouse Health serves Dorchester and Mattapan residents through the work of 8 multilingual volunteers. In the first three months of 2025, they served 2,158 individuals from 981 households, averaging 592 pounds of produce weekly. The pantry also provides emergency food assistance for patients facing immediate food security challenges.
Through our Healthy Food Access through Cold Storage Grant, DotHouse Health is installing a new walk-in freezer to expand its fresh and frozen foods capacity. This investment will enable them to accept larger food donations, including palletized deliveries, and form new partnerships with food suppliers.
"We are looking forward to being able to put all our new equipment to use and being able to reach out to hopefully form new partnerships for food donations," shares Lara Jackson Senior Director of Practice Strategy & Transformation.
As a community health center, DotHouse Health recognizes the critical connection between food access and patient health outcomes. The expanded cold storage capacity will strengthen their ability to serve pantry clients and patients with consistent access to nutritious foods.
