FITCHBURG — Empower Children for Success (ECFS) marked the second launch of its Swipe Out Hunger Gift Card Nutrition Support Program on Saturday, March 28, distributing 100 grocery gift cards to individuals and families served by the Highland Food Pantry, just in time to help supplement food purchases for the Easter celebration.
The Swipe Out Hunger program provides grocery gift cards to pantry users, allowing families to purchase fresh foods, culturally relevant items, and essential goods that are not always available through traditional pantry offerings. The initiative is designed to complement, not replace, existing food pantry services by giving families greater choice and autonomy.
The response was immediate and overwhelming. All 100 gift cards were distributed in less than two hours, well before the pantry closed, highlighting the urgent and growing need for flexible, dignified food support in the community. As distribution ended, lines of pantry users were still stretching toward the door, with many families waiting to be served.
This second launch builds on the program’s initial debut in mid-December 2025, just before Christmas, when ECFS first introduced Swipe Out Hunger with support from the Madigan Family Foundation. That first distribution set the foundation for what has quickly become a vital community resource.
“I had the privilege of handing out these gift cards myself, and what I saw was incredibly moving,” said MacLean. “Each person expressed heartfelt gratitude, many stopped to say thank you, and the smiles they shared spoke volumes. But at the same time, it was difficult knowing that I couldn’t support everyone. There were still long lines of people waiting, and the gift cards were already gone.”
This year’s expansion was made possible through the generous support of the Rollstone Charitable Foundation and the Fontaine Community Foundation, whose contributions helped bring immediate relief to families during a critical time.
Marites MacLean, President and Co-Founder of Empower Children for Success, was on-site volunteering during the distribution and witnessed firsthand both the impact, and the unmet need.
The timing of the distribution, just ahead of Easter, made the support even more meaningful. For many families, the gift cards provided an opportunity to celebrate the holiday with foods of their choosing, something that might not have been possible otherwise.
The overwhelming demand underscores a critical reality: food insecurity continues to impact a significant number of families across North Central Massachusetts, and current resources are not enough to meet the need.
Empower Children for Success is now calling on foundations, financial institutions, individual donors, and local businesses to step forward and support the expansion of Swipe Out Hunger.
With additional funding, ECFS aims to increase the number of gift cards distributed at each pantry event; expand to additional food pantry locations; provide consistent, monthly support to families in need.
“This program is making a real difference, but it’s clear we need to do more,” MacLean added. “No one should have to wait in line and leave without support. With the help of our community, we can expand this program and reach every family who needs it.”
Swipe Out Hunger is more than a food assistance program, it is a community-driven effort to reduce stress on families, improve access to nutritious food, and support healthier outcomes for children.
Empower Children for Success extends its sincere gratitude to the Rollstone Charitable Foundation and the Fontaine Community Foundation for their commitment to this work and invites others to join in sustaining and growing this critical initiative.
For more information or to support the Swipe Out Hunger Gift Card Nutrition Support Program, please visit: https://empowerchildrenforsuccess.org
-Empower Children for Success
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