1946 - 2026

80 Years of Community Care

Celebrating eight decades of putting faith in action and building pathways to community care.

80 Years of Community Care

Since 1946, we've been putting faith in action and building community compassion through chaplaincy services, fighting food insecurity, and connecting our neighbors to resources.

Founded as the Attleboro Area Council of Churches in 1946, our organization began connecting faith groups with community care work through the establishment of a chaplaincy program at Sturdy Memorial Hospital. From there, the organization expanded to fighting food insecurity, providing resources to people experiencing homelessness, building relationships between local houses of worship and social services, and more.

Old archive photo AAIC volunteers with boxes in front of sign reading "CLOTHING DEPOT - HUNGARIAN RELIEF" — AAIC members running a clothing drive for Hungarian refugees in 1960.

In 2017, the organization changed its name to the Attleboro Area Interfaith Collaborative to foster connection and understanding across people of many faiths and backgrounds.

Today, our work continues through our three core programs: Food n' Friends, fighting food insecurity in collaboration with local partners; Interfaith Chaplaincy, providing interfaith spiritual care at Sturdy Memorial Hospital and fostering connections between houses of worship; and Resource Junction, offering pathways to stability through referrals, rides, IDs, and more.

AAIC volunteers serving the community today — AAIC continuing the mission today

For 80 years, we've created pathways for communities to put their faith and values into action. Help support our next decade providing a healthy, secure, and meaningful life for all.

Our Journey

Let’s explore our history together!
Beginning in 1948, this timeline of archival material showcases our dedication to serving the greater Attleboro area through photographs and documents; regional and national historical context; information highlighting notable leaders, and more.

1956

Our First Decade of Work

Since 1946, we’ve honored multiple decades and milestones of AAIC’s work, from anniversaries and celebrations for our 20th, 50th, 75th, and now 80th year. Each milestone anniversary gives us a chance to take a step back and reflect on the work that has been done; what has been accomplished; and where we can grow and change. In the decade to come, we ask: how can we honor those stewards of connection and care who came before us, and whose lives can we touch over the next 10 years?

This pamphlet was created to honor AAIC’s 10 year anniversary. It highlights “A Decade of Service,” pointing to notable events including AAIC’s formal inception, the first school of religious education with an enrollment of 250, the men who came on the Council's executive board in 1952 and 1953, and more. In the middle, it details every president AAIC had thus far, and on the right community events and services are listed.

1959

From The Archives — A Long Weekend With the Youth Council

Did you know that AAIC used to have a Youth Council? Like this 80th anniversary history project—pulling photos from our archives—we see here an example of The Sun Chronicle doing the same. This archival photograph gives us a moment of introspection and reflection on our own history.

AAIC used to engage youth councils from local churches, inviting them to engage in service projects and participate in ecumenical learning. Today, AAIC primarily serves youth through the Kids Summer Café program, the only provider of free lunches for kids and families in the Attleboro area in the summer.

1968

Community in Collaboration

This directory highlights AAIC’s decades-old commitment to inclusion and religious diversity. Beginning as the Attleboro Area Council of Churches, AAIC has expanded from an ecumenical Christian service organization to an interfaith collaborative, building partnerships with Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, and non-religious communities in the area. Over the past 75 years, the religious makeup of the U.S. has changed enormously, with waves of immigration emerging from the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 diversifying and reshaping the religious and spiritual landscape of the country.

With the growth in religious diversity, there has been accompanying growth in interfaith initiatives, often built around shared struggles for representation, anti-poverty work, and civil rights. AAIC continues to serve as a primary connector for local houses of worship to collaborate, share resources, and engage with social action.

1968 church directory showcasing religious diversity

1974

CROP Walk and Connecting Globally

For many years, AAIC participated in and was a recipient of the global CROP walk, which raises money to alleviate hunger across the globe and locally.

The Crop Project began in 1947, when US farmers were asked to donate food and seed crops to people facing food insecurity in post-World War II Europe and Asia. Organized by the Church World Service, the CROP Walk eventually spread across the U.S., addressing disaster, hunger, and poverty relief. This annual event connected local struggles around food insecurity to global ones, reminding its participants to think globally, but act locally.

1976

The Role of Women in AAIC’s History

From digging through our archives, a trend emerged: early on, women were not included in services, positions of power, and community leadership until roughly the 1970s. This photograph is one early instance where a group of women held a role of power within a church setting.

As AAIC transitioned into an organization led by women and gender-expansive staff, we also see a historical movement toward ordination and spiritual leadership for women and gender-nonconforming people. Since the mid-20th century, major religious groups have opened these formal leadership paths, including the Episcopal Church, United Methodist Church, several Jewish denominations, and some Buddhist communities.

1980s

Creating Connection in Community

One of many examples of our indomitable community spirit! This photo depicts roughly 140 people from different churches in our Attleboro area, joining together in song.

Now, we celebrate a wider table with our annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Service, which draws volunteers and congregants from local houses of worship across 11 faith traditions, connecting in song and spirit. In each year’s celebration, we honor the variety of spiritual and faith traditions that make up our table, and ask faith leaders to share pieces of wisdom and stories to inform our work in community. Check out the 2025 Interfaith Thanksgiving sermon here.

1986

A Brief Timeline of 40 Years

For AAIC’s 40th anniversary, a pamphlet detailing highlights over the decades was created. This part of the document spans 1952 - 1986, noting major changes to AAIC staff, structure, and finances.

Faith-based nonprofit organizations were pivotal in shaping the nonprofit sector in the 19th and 20th centuries, from the Red Cross (founded 1863 on Christian principles) to the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (1884) and beyond. Faith-involved nonprofit organizations often made use of in-kind donations, volunteers, and financial support from local houses of worship, a model that AAIC still utilizes today.

1989

Historical Legacies and Growing Diversity

This photograph from our archives shows Reverend Theodore Lockhart serving as a guest preacher at Centenary United Methodist Church in Attleboro. For Lockhart, his four-decade career as a United Methodist minister saw historic changes in the church and American society, moving through movements around civil rights, racial justice, LGBTQ inclusion, and more. It is noted at the top of the photograph that he is giving a sermon on MLK Day 1989, a tradition that continues to this day through Attleboro’s Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day commemoration which features both an interfaith service and civic gathering.

As Attleboro has grown more diverse ethnically and racially in the past few decades, we have seen expanding growth of Black and Latino communities, as well as waves of immigrant populations from Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Middle East.

Reverend Theodore Lockhart preaching, 1989

1995

Transportation and Travel Around Attleboro

For AAIC’s 50th anniversary, a trolley tour was provided by two GATRA trolleys, which took 50 passengers through Attleboro and North Attleboro locations either affiliated with AAIC or were integral to the local communities, including the YMCA, Sturdy Memorial Hospital, and Corner Club House, among others. The tour concluded with looping back into the parking lot of the Evangelical Covenant Church and a Swedish luncheon.

Transportation continues to be a core part of AAIC’s program work through our participation in the Community Access to Rides (CAR) program. This program, which operates through Resource Junction, provides hundreds of rides per year to people to access medical care, food sites, legal services, and more.

1997

Celebrating Food ‘n Friends

In this photograph, volunteer coordinator Marguerite Burt cuts a cake in celebration of the Food ‘n Friends program 12th year anniversary. Since its inception, Food ’n Friends has become a staple in the Attleboro community, serving as a lifeline for many experiencing food insecurity, and serving its one-millionth meal in May 2023.

The history of Food n’ Friends has seen changes not only in food access, but also in food insecurity reporting. Since the mid-1990s, USDA has reported on household food insecurity in the U.S. and at the state level; in 2025, it was announced that the Trump administration would cancel this annual survey. In Massachusetts, a 2025 survey by the Greater Boston Food Bank and Mass General Brigham indicated that 40% of Massachusetts residents experienced food insecurity.

2026

80 Years Strong

Today, AAIC serves thousands of individuals and families annually. As we celebrate this milestone, we recommit to our founding vision: building community compassion and pathways to hope.

After 80 years of service, help shape what comes next

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Food n' Friends volunteers distributing meals

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80 Years of Community Care