On Sunday, October 5, walkers and cyclists will set off on the 14th annual Ride for Food, raising funds to fight food insecurity across Massachusetts. This year, for the first time, the Acton Food Pantry (AFP) will be one of the beneficiaries, supported by a dedicated Acton Food Pantry team .
Ride for Food is organized by Three Squares New England. They partner with more than 30 food pantries, community farms, teaching kitchens, and food rescue organizations, with “a focus on providing access to nutritious, culturally relevant food in a manner that emphasizes choice, dignity, and health.” All donations to the Acton Food Pantry team will assist the Pantry as they move into a larger space on Maple Street. You can read about the plans for the move in the September 6, 2025 edition of the Acton Exchange.
AFP team chair and rider Andrew Gruskay says, “The personal reason why I’m leading this ride is somewhat political, in that as an American, I’m shocked to observe what is going on here in our country, and this is my way of personally affecting the situation in a positive and constructive way by helping families have three meals a day.”
Pantry Executive Director Lisa Gordon said, “AFP has experienced a 27% year-over-year increase in our food distribution for each of the last two years, serving over 400 families a week. Demand for AFP services this year exceeded last year’s all time high. Acton Food Pantry assisted 20% more clients, fed 46,746 clients, and distributed 612,000 pounds of food! The Acton Food Pantry (AFP) is in urgent need of more space to respond to the unprecedented need of people experiencing food insecurity in the communities we serve. AFP is in the process of a $1.25 million dollar renovation of our new pantry space at 19-21 Maple Street which will result in a market-style pantry with two times the storage capacity of our current location. This project is a huge undertaking but is necessary to meet our clients’ needs for today and the future. We plan on opening the new pantry in January, 2026. All the funds collected in the ride will go towards this renovation.”
Team members include Acton riders Dennis Loria, Joe Bockskopf, and George Morton, as well as several other riders from local towns, along with Boxborough-based team leader Andrew Gruskay.
The Ride for Food provides a number of different opportunities to ride or walk, including 100K (62.5 mile), 50 mile, and 25 mile rides, or a 5K walk. All begin and end in Dedham. If you’re interested in joining Andrew Gruskay and his team in riding or walking, you can sign up at Three Squares NE site. If you can’t physically join this year’s ride, you can still help out by donating to the cause. From the donation page, select Acton Food Pantry in the “Would you like to credit this donation to a specific fundraiser or team?” box.
