Community Servings, a renowned nonprofit organization based in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, celebrated the grand opening of its new satellite distribution center in Mansfield. This expansion marks a significant step for the organization, which is a leader in providing medically tailored meals and nutrition services, championing the “food is medicine” movement through research, advocacy, and policy work. The newly inaugurated 23,000-square-foot facility in Mansfield is strategically designed to enhance meal packaging and delivery operations, aiming to serve hundreds more individuals across the region who are battling critical and chronic illnesses.
Ribbon-cutting ceremony at Community Servings Mansfield distribution center, featuring CEO David Waters, Congressman Jake Auchincloss, and other dignitaries.
This expansion is pivotal for Community Servings, enabling them to more effectively support their existing client base and extend their vital services to new individuals in southeastern Massachusetts, including Cape Cod, and Rhode Island—an area experiencing rapid growth in demand. By the summer of 2024, the Mansfield center is projected to efficiently manage weekly deliveries of nutritious meal packages to 1,000 clients. Each delivery is substantial, providing ten healthy, scratch-made meals alongside nutritious snacks, wholegrain breads, and homemade, diet-specific desserts.
“The establishment of our Mansfield satellite facility is crucial for Community Servings as we face unprecedented demand for our medically tailored meals from individuals and families grappling with illness and food insecurity,” stated David B. Waters, CEO of Community Servings. “We deeply appreciate the warm reception from the Mansfield community and the support from Massachusetts’ elected officials, who recognize the profound positive impact of integrating ‘food is medicine’ into healthcare.”
U.S. Representative Jake Auchincloss, who attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 4 in Mansfield, emphasized the importance of food accessibility: “Every resident of the Bay State deserves access to affordable, healthy food options. Community Servings’ expansion is a significant stride towards this goal, and I am committed to supporting their ongoing efforts in Mansfield and beyond.”
Community Servings secured a long-term lease for the Mansfield building, located at 170 Forbes Blvd. in the Cabot Business Park, chosen for its excellent access to I-95 and I-495. The project benefited from collaborative efforts with the town of Mansfield during the interior construction phase and was further supported by federal funding secured with the assistance of the Massachusetts congressional delegation.
Senator Elizabeth Warren highlighted the broader impact of this initiative: “Ensuring access to nutritious meals for individuals managing critical and chronic illnesses is essential for their recovery and overall well-being. Community Servings’ Mansfield facility expansion exemplifies how federal funding can effectively bolster food security and advance economic justice.”
Senator Ed Markey echoed this sentiment, noting, “Securing $580,000 in federal funding for Community Servings and witnessing these funds directly benefiting our community is incredibly rewarding. This new distribution center will significantly expand the reach of medically tailored and nutritious meals to more individuals and families in need, reinforcing Community Servings’ dedication to health equity and economic fairness.”
The Mansfield distribution center will operate in conjunction with Community Servings’ main headquarters in Boston. Critically, all meals will continue to be prepared from scratch at the 13,000-square-foot kitchen in Boston, utilizing the skills of staff and volunteers. In Mansfield, teams will focus on the essential tasks of sorting and packaging these meals into delivery bags and boxes, and coordinating weekly deliveries via Community Servings drivers or UPS ground shipping.
Community Servings distinguishes itself by offering 15 distinct medical diets, each rigorously approved by registered dietitian nutritionists, catering to individuals managing life-threatening illnesses such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, kidney disease, diabetes, and heart disease. The comprehensive meal offerings include entrees, soups, fresh produce, snacks, and desserts, all designed to meet specific dietary needs. Crucially, numerous research studies have consistently demonstrated that medically tailored meals are not only effective in improving patient health outcomes but also in significantly reducing healthcare costs, such as those associated with hospital readmissions and extended nursing home care.
The establishment of the Mansfield distribution center also provides valuable space optimization at Community Servings’ Boston headquarters. The Boston facility, expanded in 2019 to a substantial 31,000-square-foot, three-story building, already houses an expanded kitchen, culinary classrooms for nutrition education and food-service training, a volunteer orientation center, administrative offices, and a hub for food and health policy research. The Mansfield center now allows the Boston location to further refine its operations and focus on its core functions.
The Mansfield facility is equipped with a 3,000-square-foot combined walk-in freezer and refrigerator, a spacious area for meal packaging, multi-tiered warehouse shelving, administrative offices and workspaces, and a state-of-the-art multimedia training room. Upon entering, visitors are greeted by the Community Servings logo on the lobby wall—an orange cooking pot enclosing a heart—along with the powerful and simple message: “Food Heals.”
