Food donations from the stadium expected to reach 45+ food assistance and social service programs in Southeastern MA
FOXBOROUGH, MA – Ahead of an exciting season full of internationally renowned events, Gillette Stadium has teamed up with the Massachusetts-based food recovery organization, Spoonfuls, to prevent food from going to waste, with these donations creating meals for neighbors facing food insecurity.
The nonprofit Spoonfuls, which recovers donations of still-edible excess or unsold food primarily from grocery retailers, wholesalers, and farms, piloted food recovery from Gillette Stadium starting last summer and will continue to work with the stadium throughout 2026. Spoonfuls is presently on track to keep over seven million pounds of food, primarily perishable items such as produce, meat and dairy, out of the Commonwealth’s waste stream this year, inclusive of donations from Gillette Stadium. Spoonfuls provides same-day deliveries reaching over 250 community-based food programs, such as local pantries, with the food recovery route servicing Gillette Stadium reaching 48 of these programs.
This initiative is part of Gillette Stadium’s wider commitment to deliver sustainable, world-class sports and entertainment events with the goal to manage and reduce environmental impact. Gillette Stadium’s sustainability goals feature six guiding pillars, with this food donation program aligning most closely with the Materials Management and Community Engagement pillars, as stadium staff packages prepared food and gives back to those in need in the local community.
“Food factors into every game day, concert, and corporate and community event we host here — and so do considerations for how to mitigate food waste,” said John Flaherty, Senior Vice President of Operations for Kraft Sports + Entertainment. “With the help of Spoonfuls to continue to scale our food donation efforts, not only are we preventing waste but we’re also having a tangible impact beyond game day and the stadium.”
Said Erin Ash, Spoonfuls’ Senior Director of Programs, “Spoonfuls’ team has picked up everything from individual boxed lunches to precut produce, pastries, sandwiches and more following New England Patriots and Revolution home games and other events at the stadium. Combined with food donations from retailers and wholesalers along our Southeastern Massachusetts route, the food is distributed to a combination of pantries, meal programs, school and child-serving programs, senior centers and veterans-serving programs that reach people facing food insecurity.”
“Anywhere there’s unsold, uneaten food, there’s an opportunity for food recovery,” said Ash. “The Gillette Stadium team recognized this opportunity as well as we did, and it’s been to the benefit of so many people who need food.”
Currently two in five Massachusetts households face food insecurity, with the number expected to rise with federal funding and program cuts impacting low-income people. Ash said Spoonfuls is planning to scale its operations to meet the growing need, with expansion to additional Southeastern Massachusetts communities, centered in Plymouth County, in fall 2026.