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 (1). That number jumped to 17.1% for households with children. In addition, 1 in 3 Massachusetts households are food-insecure (2), One in 5 children diagnosed with cancer lives in poverty (3) and 1 in 3 children diagnosed with cancer experience food, housing, utility or transportation insecurity (4). 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 Dr. Benjamin L. Ebert, 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.