New England Country Mart Partners With Brewer’s Foods To Help Prevent Homelessness
Portion of Sales Will Go To Caritas Communities
(Boston) The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a huge toll on the most vulnerable members of our society. Infection rates have been remarkably high amongst the homeless and low income populations. That is why the New England Country Mart (NECM), the family-owned fresh produce and grocery home delivery service, is teaming with Brewer’s Foods to fight homelessness. Throughout the month of May, a portion of the sales of select Brewer’s Foods products through NECM will be donated to Caritas Communities, the Boston based non-profit that provides very low-income individuals with permanent housing.
Serving more than 1,000 citizens of Greater Boston each year, Caritas Communities enables working men and women on minimum wage, veterans experiencing post-service challenges, low-income elderly and disabled citizens, youth aging out of foster care and other marginalized people to live in a clean, safe home that they can afford. The organization prevents homelessness by providing deeply affordable housing and support for individuals with very low income in 33 residences within 17 Boston communities.
Caritas Communities also provides on-site supportive services, emergency rental assistance and veterans-specific housing and services.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a huge toll on Caritas residents, many of whom work in the low-wage service jobs hit hardest by the lockdown. These workers had extremely tight budgets before the pandemic, and no savings to fall back on,” said Karin Cassel Mitterando, Executive Director of Caritas Communities. “Caritas is not evicting residents for non-payment during the pandemic and relies heavily on philanthropic support to sustain housing until residents can begin paying rent again.”
“As a local small business in the Greater Boston area, we have made it our mission to connect with the communities we serve,” said Elyssa Kotzen, Co-Founder, New England Country Mart. “Throughout the pandemic, Caritas Communities has provided life saving support for thousands in the Boston area and they need our help now more than ever. With the help of our customers, we are proud to support them in any way we can.”
Caritas Communities is the latest recipient of NECM’s Groceries that Give program. Each month, NECM partners with a different producer to raise funds for a non-profit. Each charity is nominated by NECM customers. Through Groceries that Give, NECM has donated more than $16,000 in the past year to local organizations and causes that reach those most in need.
Brewer’s Foods is driven to reduce waste in the craft brewing industry by up-cycling ingredients to create nutritious and delicious foods.
US Breweries produce over 1 billion tons of edible food waste each year that ends up in our already crowded landfills! These grains are a valuable by-product from the beer making process. When making beer, brewers steep super high-quality grains, like barley, in water. They then strain this mixture, keeping the liquid to make beer and discard the “spent” grains. Turns out, these grains are still incredibly flavorful and the steeping process actually unlocks valuable nutrients.
Brewer’s Foods recycles these grains into their crackers, chips and other items. Their goal is to rise above other cracker companies by providing an honest, healthy, sustainable, and delicious product.
Anyone looking to purchase Brewer’s Crackers and support Caritas Communities can do so at NewEnglandCountryMart.com.
About New England Country Mart:
New England Country Mart (NECM) is a premium, family-owned fresh produce and grocery home delivery service born out of 4th-generation wholesale produce company J.W. Lopes at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. For more than 100 years, J.W. Lopes and the Kotzen family brought a farm-to-table approach to the wholesale produce business in the Greater-Boston area, and are known for providing fresh premium produce to restaurants, institutions, and grocers.
These same values and expertise were critical to building the foundation for New England Country Mart. NECM strives to deliver the freshest, most sustainable, nutrient-dense foods from every corner of New England. NECM serves the Greater-Boston area with expanded service to Cape Cod, Rhode Island, and Southern New Hampshire offering free delivery six days a week with orders over $75.
About Caritas Communities:
Caritas Communities prevents homelessness by providing very low-income individuals with permanent housing, support, a sense of community and expanded opportunities. For more than 36 years, Caritas has helped fill the need for safe, secure housing in Greater Boston. Caritas owns and operates 33 buildings in 17 Greater Boston communities, serving more than 1,000 individuals annually. Caritas provides on-site supportive services, emergency rental assistance, Veterans-specific housing and services, and on-site property management. Caritas enables people working for low hourly wages, Veterans experiencing post-service challenges, and low-income elderly and disabled citizens to live in a clean, safe home that they can afford. Caritas Communities’ is an independent, non-sectarian, non-profit housing provider. To learn more, please go to www.caritascommunities.org.
