Ep. 56, Lorena Lorenzet & Francis Goulliart: The Growth of Local Lunchbox
In this episode of Catalysts for Change, Jill talks with Francis Goulliart and Lorena Lorenzet, two local food entrepreneurs who helped create Local Lunchbox, an innovative new program borne out of the pandemic that provides free, fresh, locally-prepared food for families. Francis is the CEO of Stock Pot Malden, and Lorena is a celebrated local chef and owner of the Farm Girl Food Truck.
Local Lunchbox was created in June 2020 in Chelsea, Massachusetts to help address the overwhelming food insecurity facing this community during the height of the pandemic. Since then, in partnership with Stock Pot Malden and the YMCA, Local Lunchbox has expanded to more than half a dozen communities across Massachusetts and created more than 50 food service jobs, many of which have gone to people who had been collecting meals for their families through the program. As the program grew from hundreds to thousands of meals per week, an offshoot called “Retail Lunchbox” was created, in which the free meals are served directly out of popular local restaurants. As of August 2021, Local Lunchbox has served over two million meals to children and teenagers across Massachusetts.
We talk to Francis and Lorena about their backgrounds, the origins and growth of Local Lunchbox, and the potential for this model to be replicated and scaled around the country. If you would like to learn more about Local Lunchbox, check out the resources below: