The Greater Boston Food Bank hosted a mobile food pantry at the Thomas Chew Memorial Boys Girls Club on Saturday morning.
A variety of nutritious foods were available to club members and their families for free.
“Our mobile pantries are targeted at areas where the need for food is not fully met,” said Paul Colligan, Greater Boston Food Bank program director. He added that the food bank is lucky “to have committed and compassionate partners, like the Boys Girls Club of Fall River, that work with us to help neighbors and friends who are hungry.”
Colligan said the Greater Boston Food Bank member agencies and distribution programs in Fall River serve 7,865 people every week. He said 21.8 percent of children are food-insecure and at risk of hunger in Bristol County.
The Boys Girls Club has a longstanding relationship with the Boston Food Bank and also hosts the Kids Cafe program. The program provides wholesome dinners each week to 200 children, as well as Saturday lunch.
Stop Shop has supported the Fall River Kids Cafe since 2009. Employees from Stop Shop in Fall River and Somerset stores helped distribute food on Saturday.
“We are grateful for the generous contributions from Stop Shop as well as the support offered by The Greater Boston Food Bank,” said Irene Orlando, chairwoman of the Boys Girls Club Board of Directors.
The Saturday distribution was the second Greater Boston Food Bank Mobile Pantry at the Boys Girls Club. In February, it provided more than 8,000 pounds of food to 122 households, reaching about 500 people.
Another distribution will be offered on April 21.
In 2011, about 675,000 meals were provided to people in need in Fall River through the Greater Boston Food Bank member agencies and direct distribution programs.