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meals

    HUNGER

    Where to Find Free Groceries and Meals on the Outer Cape

    Community groups help put food on the table

    By

    PROVINCETOWN

    Inquiries and requests for assistance in accessing food programs in Provincetown should go to Mackenzie Perry, the community support liaison, at 508-237-7042 or [email protected]. You can also visit her during her office hours at the United Methodist Church on Shank Painter Road, Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

    Food Pantry, Council on Aging
    What: Food pantry with nonperishable items for shoppers in need.
    Where: Senior center at 2 Mayflower St. (off Winslow St.).
    Who: Anyone in need. Residents age 60+ can call for food assistance.
    When: Mon.-Thurs. 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Fri. 8 a.m.-noon.
    Contact: 508-487-7080.

    Healthy Meals in Motion, COA with Family Pantry of Cape Cod
    What: Mobile pantry with monthly grocery deliveries including fresh produce, frozen goods, baked goods, meat, and nonperishables.
    Who: Income-eligible residents age 60+ and families with children. Registration by phone required.
    When: Office reachable for registration and scheduling Mon.-Thurs. 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Fri. 8 a.m.-noon.
    Contact: 508-487-7080.

    Senior Center Weekly Lunch
    What: meal pickup and delivery for elders.
    Who: Residents age 60+. To participate, you must sign up.
    When: Wednesdays, hours depend on how many people sign up.
    Contact: 508-487-7080.

    Crop Swap
    What: Fresh fruits and veggies available free.
    Who: Anyone in need.
    Where: Refrigerator located on first floor of Provincetown Public Library, 356 Commercial St.
    When: During library hours.
    Contact: 508-487-7094 or [email protected].

    Soup Kitchen in Provincetown (SKIP)
    What: Free meals to go. Vegetarian options available. Extra takeaway meal provided on Fridays, as SKIP is closed on weekends. SKIP will have special holiday lunches on two Thursdays, Dec. 23 and 30.
    Who: Residents of Provincetown and surrounding communities.
    When: Mon.-Fri., 12:30-1:30 p.m.
    Where: Provincetown United Methodist Church, 20 Shank Painter Road.
    Contact: 508-487-8331 or www.skipfood.org.

    AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod, Meal Delivery and Food Pantry
    What: Delivery of prepared meals or boxed groceries.
    Who: Clients living with HIV in Provincetown and Truro.
    When: Meal deliveries made daily, grocery deliveries made monthly. On holidays, meal provided a day in advance. Office reachable for information Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
    Contact: 508-487-9445; additional information at www.asgcc.org.

    Provincetown Food Pantry, Lower Cape Outreach Council
    What: Fresh and frozen food and nonperishables including personal care and cleaning products.
    Who: Anyone in need.
    When: Drop in on Weds. and Thurs. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Closed Christmas week.
    Where: Provincetown United Methodist Church, 20 Shank Painter Rd.
    Contact: Pantry manager Nicola Vichert, 516-974-1524.

    Editor’s note: The phone number for the Provincetown Food Pantry was incorrect in the Dec. 16 print edition.

    TRURO

    Truro Community Kitchen
    What: Free delivery of multi-course prepared meals. Additional food provided; many recipients say a delivery lasts them 2-3 meals.
    Who: Any Truro resident.
    When: Deliveries made on Tuesdays.
    Where: Christian Union Church, 27 Shore Rd.
    Contact: Call, text, or email to sign up for deliveries or to volunteer: [email protected] or 973-868-7526.

    Truro Pantry, Lower Cape Outreach Council
    What: Canned fruits, vegetables, beans and soups, pasta and rice, as well as fresh and frozen meat, dairy, and eggs. Shopping available by appointment.
    Who: All Truro residents in need. First-time users need to register with LCOC upon arrival.
    When: Tues. and Weds. 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
    Where: Truro Council on Aging, 7 Standish Way.
    Contact: Barbara Bond at [email protected], or call 617-515-4342.

    WELLFLEET

    Wellfleet Food Pantry, Lower Cape Outreach Council
    What: Nonperishable goods available for shopping.
    Who: Wellfleet residents in need. Shoppers must provide proof of vaccination to enter the pantry, where one person can shop at a time. Unvaccinated shoppers will be asked to provide a grocery list for a designated volunteer shopper.
    When: Excluding holidays: Mon. 3-6 p.m., Wed. 4-6 p.m., Thurs. 10 a.m.-noon.
    Where: Grace Chapel, 25 Lieutenant Island Road.
    Contact: wellfleetfoodpantry.org.

    Mustard Seed Kitchen
    What: Prepared meals delivered to homes in Eastham, Wellfleet, and Truro.
    Who: Participants must be referred to this program through an agency such as the Council on Aging or Visiting Nurse Association. You do not need to be 60+ to qualify.
    When: Deliveries made on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
    Where: First Congregational Church, 200 Main Street.
    Contact: 508-349-2049.

    246 Kitchen, Soup’s On Program
    What: Quarts of soup, loaves of bread, and large salads available in a drive-through style takeout system.
    Who: Any family in need. Portions are given according to family size.
    When: 246 Kitchen is hoping to reopen sometime this January, following the renovation of its kitchen. Be on the lookout for flyers publicizing the program.
    Where: United Methodist Church, 246 Main St.
    Contact: Janet Drohan, 203-241-9069 or [email protected].

    EASTHAM

    Eastham Food Pantry, Lower Cape Outreach Council
    What: Eastham residents can visit the LCOC pantries in Wellfleet, Brewster, and Orleans (the main location).
    When: Hours and locations for each pantry can be found at lcoutreach.org/pantry-hours.
    Contact: 508-240-0694.

    Eastham Community Food Exchange
    What: A take or leave spot for nonperishable pantry items.
    Who: Everyone.
    When: 24/7.
    Where: Nauset Fellowship at the Chapel in the Pines, 220 Samoset Rd,
    Contact: 508-451-5204.

    COA Mobile Food Pantry
    What: Groceries chosen from a list of items, available for pickup or delivery.
    Who: Eastham seniors. Register to participate.
    When: First Wednesday of every month.
    Contact: To register, call the Eastham Senior Center, 508-240-2327.

    COA Brown Bag Friday
    What: A bag of groceries picked out by COA staff.
    Who: Eastham seniors. Register to participate.
    When: First Friday of every month.
    Contact: To register, call the Eastham Senior Center, 508-240-2327.

    COA Meal Delivery
    What: Home-cooked meals prepared at the senior center.
    Who: Housebound Eastham seniors who are pre-registered.
    When: Every Tuesday and Thursday.
    Contact: For details call Cindy Dunham, LPN Outreach Coordinator: 774-801-3153.

    ALL TOWNS

    Family Pantry of Cape Cod
    What: Food pantry with breads, meats, dairy, fresh produce, and nonperishable items.
    What: Anyone in need. Clients will sign up and receive a member ID upon their first visit.
    When: Tues. 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Weds. 10 a.m.-noon, Thurs. 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. and 5-7 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-noon. Pantry closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
    Where: 133 Queen Anne Road, Harwich. The Family Pantry also provides goods for a satellite location in the Wellness Office of Cape Cod Community College.
    Contact: 508-432-6519 or thefamilypantry.com.

    Meals on Wheels, Elder Services of Cape Cod
    What: Prepared meals delivered Capewide and to the Islands for housebound residents age 60+. Donation of $3 asked for each meal, if you are able.
    Who: Clients must be referred to the Elder Services of Cape Cod, but you can refer yourself. Services not provided to those with life-threatening allergies.
    When: Sites are open 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri., meals usually delivered between 10 a.m. and noon weekdays. Closed Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
    Contact: 508-394-4630, ext. 281.

    Orleans Farmers’ Market, SNAP Bonus Match Program
    What: $10 in free produce after a SNAP purchase.
    When: SNAP members who purchase a minimum of $10 in fresh fruits or vegetables.
    When: Sat. 11 a.m.–1 p.m. Only one more market, on Dec. 18, before the holidays; the market will be back open starting Jan. 8, every Saturday through the winter.
    Where: 19 Old Colony Way, behind the Staples plaza.
    Contact: [email protected] or 508-237-9492.

    RESILIENCE REPORT

    Eastham COA Delivers

    For many, phone calls are a vital connection

    By

    EASTHAM — Dorothy Burritt, director of the Eastham Council on Aging, is looking on the bright side. “I think the best thing I’ve seen is how our entire community is coming together,” she said this week.

    Although the COA building remains closed and staff are working remotely, the council is staying connected to the town’s seniors. The Nauset Regional Schools’ “Grab-and-Go” program sets aside meals for COA staff to pick up. Through that collaboration, Burritt said, the COA has been delivering 220 meals a week to local seniors.

    The council also partners with the Family Pantry of Cape Cod to deliver fresh fruits and vegetables to at least six seniors each week.

    Safety comes first. Staff always wear gloves and masks and drop the food off outside the home. They stay at least six feet from the person inside, Burritt said, but they’ll give a wave.

    “It’s important for volunteers as well as those in isolation to make that connection,” she said.

    Staff spend hours talking on the phone to seniors. “We’re calling everyone in the database to see how they are,” Burritt said, “whether they’re high risk or not.” There are 1,186 people age 59 or older in the COA database, according to Burritt.

    While FaceTime and Zoom have been a boon for some, not everyone has the technological skills for that, Burritt said. “The isolation at this point is dreadful for some people,” said Pat Lariviere, a volunteer at the COA thrift shop.

    The COA board met via Zoom last week to talk about new things to try. Working with the library to deliver books and other media to people’s homes safely is one possibility. So is getting more of Janet Reinhart’s popular exercise videos up online. The council always has volunteers from AARP help seniors do their taxes. That’s still the plan, although the program is on pause, with tax day delayed to July 15.

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