COVID-19 is having a direct impact on many families and seniors in our community. We’ve put together a list of resources available to those experiencing food insecurity and hunger at this challenging time. We’re all in this together. For assistance, please see below:

🥕 Project Bread – Food Source Hotline: The toll-free Hotline responds to more than 28,000 calls a year from people across Massachusetts struggling to feed their families. FoodSource Hotline counselors refer callers to food resources in their community as well as provides them with information about school meals, summer meal sites for kids, elder meals programs, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps.

🥕 The Open Door – The Food Pantry at The Open Door provides emergency groceries to those in need. Community Meals offer free, nutritious meals to those in need of food.

🥕 Gloucester School Food Service Department – The City has established a lunch “Pick-Up Station” at O’Maley Middle School at 312 Cherry St., Monday-Friday, 11 a.m. – noon. All children ages 18 and under, regardless of their Free/Reduced/Full Pay status will receive a FREE complete nutritious bagged lunch daily. The meals are prepared under the same strict nutrition and food safety guidelines that are followed every day in our school kitchens. Meals may not be consumed at the “Pick-Up Station” limiting participants’ interaction and proximity to other participants.

🥕 The Office of the Mayor of the City of Gloucester – If you are self-quarantining or under mandatory quarantine (none as of 3/16) and need food assistance, please contact the Mayor of the City of Gloucester at mayor@gloucester-ma.gov. The City has runners and will drop off a food package to you.

🥕 Backyard Growers will soon be launching a program to make container gardening materials and resources available to our community – putting the power to grow your own food on more doorsteps, patios, back stairs, and backyards throughout the region, in a variety of shapes and sizes. Watch this space.