The following announcement was provided by Food For Free:
Chris Haroian, of Watertown, is a volunteer for Food For Free, the leading food rescue and distribution nonprofit dedicated to providing reliable access to fresh and nutritious food to eastern Massachusetts communities. Volunteers for Food For Free help to pack food, convert bulk prepared food into single-serve microwavable meals, and deliver food to help strengthen the community food system. This National Volunteer Month, the nonprofit is celebrating Haroian, who is making a difference for food insecure residents.
Headquartered in Somerville, Mass., Food For Free rescues food that would otherwise go to waste and creates new distribution channels to reach underserved populations across eastern Massachusetts. Each week, the nonprofit engages nearly 175 volunteers to ensure everyone in the community — regardless of age, income, or ability — has consistent access to nutrition.
Haroian has been a volunteer at Food For Free for three years, and so far he has dedicated 300 hours of his time to the nonprofit’s cause. Born in Dorchester and raised in Belmont, with an undergraduate degree from Northeastern University and an MBA from Bentley University, Chris is now retired from a 40-year career in Tech and is living in Watertown with his wife, Karen. The couple both enjoy volunteer work, exercising at their health club, traveling, and walking along the Charles River in Watertown. Chris is also in a golf league, takes guitar lessons, and enjoys cooking.
Chris’s ongoing commitment to Food For Free is driven by his understanding of the problem of food insecurity in our community, and his desire to be a part of the solution. “Food insecurity is a serious problem,” says Haroian. “Food For Free is doing great work to help those in need. I’m able to be a small part of the important Food For Free mission while doing meaningful volunteer work and enjoying friendships with fellow volunteers and staff members.”
Through a combination of food program support and direct service offerings, Food For Free uses partnerships, innovation and logistics to strengthen the community food system. The nonprofit works with 110 food donors and 153 food distribution partners to bridge fresh food access gaps in communities.
“Volunteers are the heartbeat of Food For Free,” says Jessica Cantin, CEO of Food For Free. “Their unwavering dedication fuels our mission to ensure no one in our community goes hungry. Just as food connects us all, volunteers connect our efforts, bridging gaps and making a tangible impact. Together, we innovate, we serve, and we create a stronger, more nourished community. Thank you to every volunteer who stands with us—your commitment echoes far beyond the meals you help provide.”
As one of the nation’s first food rescue organizations, Food For Free now serves more than 150,000 Massachusetts residents who are food insecure and distributes over 6.2 million pounds of nutritious fresh and prepared foods annually. For more information or to volunteer, visit: www.foodforfree.org.
About Food For Free
Food For Free is a Somerville-based non-profit organization dedicated to providing eastern Massachusetts with reliable access to fresh and nutritious food. Food For Free accomplishes its mission through food rescue, partnerships with schools, colleges, and community food programs, and our own direct service programs. In the last year, Food For Free distributed over 6.2 million pounds of nutritious food to 25 communities throughout eastern Massachusetts. To learn more, visit us at www.foodforfree.org, or follow Food For Free on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @foodforfreeorg.
Food for Free is a great organization and it’s been around for a long time, as you say. I volunteer with Food Link in Arlington which does the same food rescue, but covering different towns or food sources. They also rescue a lot of food with their 250+ volunteers. It’s a very enjoyable volunteer role. I highly encourage others who have the time to look into either organization.