At Among Friends, a shared meal is about more than food, it's camaraderie. Since 1983, our all-volunteer program has served guests restaurant-style at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Newburyport: real plates, real silverware, never cafeteria-style, because genuine conversation and connection matter as much as calories. We're the region's only program offering three prepared meals a week, plus delivery for guests who can't join us in person, about 21,800 meals a year for seniors, people experiencing homelessness, people in recovery, and other neighbors facing food insecurity.

We've always prioritized real nutrition over the processed, carbohydrate-heavy food common in many meal programs. Our new Director, Kate Gilmore, a trained chef and USDA-certified organic farm inspector, is deepening that commitment with a farm-to-table push, building on our partnership with Nourishing the North Shore to bring more fresh, local produce to guests alongside our Greater Boston Food Bank donations. Our awesome project is part of that vision.

The result: meals that nourish body and spirit together. Guests, many of them seniors on fixed incomes, get real, wholesome food, shared at a table built for connection, while local farms gain a new community partner.