That commitment to people extends beyond our daily business through major fundraising efforts and hands-on support for our neighbors. Our team has helped raise more than $2 million for the Jimmy Fund, which benefits Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. We also contribute time and resources to organizations addressing food insecurity near our Ayer, Massachusetts, headquarters.
In 2026, our philanthropic arm, Catania Cares, has supported local hunger relief by volunteering with Community Harvest Project, a hunger-relief farming organization, and contributing to Loaves & Fishes, a local food pantry. Both efforts reflect the values that guide how we work and care for the people around us.
Community Harvest Project grows and donates fresh produce for local hunger relief. On Thursday, October 8, fifteen Catania Oils employees joined the effort at its Prospect Hill Community Orchard in Harvard, Massachusetts, spending a beautiful fall morning picking, sorting, and boxing apples.
Our team picked an estimated 2,625 pounds of apples and boxed 2,675 pounds for community distribution.
Before we began, Community Harvest’s administrator explained the need behind the work. For someone relying on public transportation, a lengthy bus ride can make regular grocery shopping difficult, limiting access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Neighborhood food pantries help people access nutritious food between grocery trips.
Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry in Devens, Massachusetts, provides nutritious food to individuals and families in Ayer, Devens, Dunstable, Groton, Harvard, Littleton, and Shirley. Its mission centers on kindness and respect for neighbors in the communities surrounding Catania’s headquarters.
In September of this year, Catania donated 60 cases of canola oil, expected to reach approximately 700 families by year-end. Our team also participated in the pantry’s May 23 “Walk to Feed Our Neighbors,” which raised more than $52,000 to support local hunger relief.
At Catania, our culture is guided by 32 core fundamentals that describe how we work, treat people, and approach our responsibilities. These fundamentals shape our everyday decisions and how we contribute to the communities around us.
At the orchard, COLLABORATE meant joining Community Harvest’s staff and fellow volunteers to prepare food for distribution. Colleagues spent time together outside their usual routines, contributing to an effort that depended on many people doing their part.
Before the picking began, learning about the barriers our neighbors face gave the morning’s work a purpose beyond the orchard. It brought our fundamental BE “OTHERS” FOCUSED into focus: understanding what people need and contributing where we can. The apples picked and packed, the canola oil donated, and the support for the Loaves & Fishes walk all contributed to helping people access nutritious food.
We’re grateful to Community Harvest Project and Loaves & Fishes for serving our communities, and to the Catania employees who gave their time and effort to support them.