Rice Sticks and Tea Asian Food Pantry – Boston

…serving the Boston Asian American community.

About

Founded in 1998, Ricesticks and Tea (RST) is an emergency food pantry program serving over 120 pre-screened low-income Asian immigrant and refugee families each month. Those 120 households represent over 300 children, adults and seniors. It is the only food pantry program in the region whose mission is to serve the Asian community and provide food that is consistent with their cultural cooking traditions and preferences.

The program began as a collaboration between the Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministry and the Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence and continues today with a dedicated group of volunteers. RST was created in response to legislation that denied food stamps to all immigrants regardless of their circumstances. Battered immigrant women and children as well as the elderly are among the most affected.
Ricesticks and Tea is generously supported by organizational and many individual donors. In 2025, major support came from:
Massachusetts State Legislature, under the leadership of Rep. Aaron Michlewitz
Asian Community Fund of The Boston Foundation
City of Boston
Tufts Medical Center (in-kind services)
 
RST also thanks Boston Chinatown-based Sun Sun Market and the Asian American Civic Association for their enduring support, and Boston University School of Dental Medicine for enabling RST to access discounted dental supplies for its client households.
 
**RST serves a limited number of clients, all of whom are pre-screened for income eligibility and referred by referral agencies. Walk-in clients are not able to be accommodated.