The Boston Living Center (BLC) welcomes people living with HIV/AIDS, chronic health conditions, food insecurity, and social isolation. All BLC services, including the food pantry, are free for members. You'll need to become a member before you can access services.
Call 617-236-1012 to schedule an intake appointment. After your intake, you're invited to a New Member Welcome Orientation, where you'll tour the center, hear about all available services, and meet with staff to talk about how they can best help you.
What you bring to your intake appointment depends on your health status.
If you're HIV-positive, bring:
If you're not HIV-positive, bring a photo ID.
If you don't have any of these documents, staff will work with you to help you get them.
Members can receive one food pantry bag each week the pantry is open. The food pantry is only available during the 2nd and 4th week of each month.
The food pantry only distributes bags on Thursdays and Fridays during the 2nd and 4th week of the month. Hot meals in the community dining room are served every weekday, so you can stop in for a meal on other days as well.
Food pantry bags are packed with fresh produce, meats, and nonperishable foods, plus hygiene and cleaning products in every bag. Hot meals are also served five days a week in the community dining room: breakfast Monday through Friday from 7:30 AM to 10:30 AM (full breakfast on Wednesdays only), lunch Monday through Friday from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM, and dinner on Mondays from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
Members sign up to receive food pantry bags. Bags are available for pick-up on Thursdays and Fridays during the 2nd and 4th week of each month. For hot meals, the community dining room is open Monday through Friday.
The BLC offers many services beyond food. Individual peer support is available drop-in or by appointment and can help with medication questions, housing navigation, emotional support, and referrals to case management, mental healthcare, and substance use disorder treatment. Several peer support groups meet regularly, including the Bridges Support Group, Women Thrive, a walking group, and Grupo Latino en Movimiento (in Spanish).
Wellness services include yoga classes, group exercise classes, and acupuncture appointments (available on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month). Cooking classes teach members how to plan balanced meals, build new cooking skills, and manage medication side effects through food. The Cyberspace Computer Room is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM, with internet access and Microsoft Office.
Victory Programs welcomes financial and in-kind support. You can donate online, send a check payable to Victory Programs to 404 S. Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02130, or call Shauna Helton at 617-318-3434, ext. 146.
In-kind donations are accepted year-round. Items always welcome include shelf-stable pantry items such as beans, rice, canned tuna, peanut butter, pasta, and soup, as well as hygiene products, clothing (new only), and household goods. You can shop from their Amazon wish list, mail items, or drop them off at Victory Programs, c/o Development, 404 S. Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02130. To organize a group drive or ask questions, contact volunteers@vpi.org or call 617-318-3434.
Volunteers are welcome to help serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the BLC. To sign up for a meal service shift, visit the volunteer sign-up page. If you'd like to teach a class or workshop, email volunteers@vpi.org with your idea. A background check is required for all volunteers.
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