Gr. Boston Food Bank Sending Aid to NY, NJ, CT

As a First Responder, The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) has mobilized to send relief supplies to aid victims of the terrible disaster caused by Hurricane Sandy.

We want you to know that, starting early Saturday, GBFB drivers will be heading to our sister food banks in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, carrying these supplies they have requested for those without food:

• Bottled Water

• Canned Meals

• Energy Bars / Granola bars

• Meal replacement bars

• Soups/Stews

• Pasta

• Tuna

• Beans

• Peanut Butter

• Crackers

• Juice Boxes

• Gatorade/Powerade

Future deliveries will include cleaning supplies to aid in clean-up efforts. As the region's food banks come together, the relief efforts of unaffected food banks will be coordinated by Feeding America, the umbrella organization for the nation's network of 200+ food banks.

We need your donation of FUNDS to allow GBFB to continue sending disaster relief supplies and defray the costs of these activities outside our service area of eastern Massachusetts. Thank you!

 

 

We will keep you up-to-date on our relief efforts in the days ahead.

 

 

 

September is Hunger Action Month

September is Hunger Action Month, and it’s just around the corner. That means FeedingAmerica will be asking everyone to Speak Out Against Hunger™. All throughout September, Feeding America will be giving you ways you can help  raise awareness of hunger in America—both online and in your community.

Also in September, your Members of Congress will be heading back to Washington to get back to work. This is a great opportunity to let them know about Hunger Action Month and encourage them to pass a strong Farm Bill that invests in programs that help Americans struggling with hunger.

What you can do

Please consider sending a quick note to your Members of Congress letting them know September is Hunger Action Month, and that a great way to show their recognition would be to pass a Farm Bill that protects and strengthens our nation’s hunger relief programs.

 Send your note to Congress now!
 
As you know, the federal government plays a big role in helping us work toward a hunger-free America. That’s why it’s so critical that we help Congress understand the importance that programs like SNAP, TEFAP, and CSFP have in helping hungry Americans put food on the table. Will you help us by sending a quick note today?

Stay Tuned for More on Hunger Action Month
 

Be sure to check back on the Hunger Action Center during the month of September for more ways you can get involved and help us Speak Out Against Hunger™—including the return of our paper plate program, Go Orange Day, and much more. Also, every Friday during Hunger Action Month will be a Hunger Action Friday, so Hunger Advocates like you will have several opportunities to get involved.

New RAFT Funding Available for Families

How about some good news?  The state-funded Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) homelessness prevention program is back! After several years of minimal funding ($260,000 statewide), RAFT has been funded by the Legislature at $8.76 million for fiscal year 2013. This means that RAFT is once again a statewide program! RAFT is run by the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), in collaboration with ten partner agencies.

Eligible families may receive up to $4,000 to pay for expenses to avoid homelessness or rapidly exit homelessness. The program now is targeted to families with incomes at or below 50% of area median income, with at least 90% of the funds for families at or below 30% of area median income. See chart.

Residents may apply for funding through these partner agencies:

Berkshire Housing Development Corporation
1 Fenn St. 3rd Floor  Pittsfield, MA 01201
(413) 499-1630 x-108

Community Teamwork, Inc.
155 Merrimack St. Lowell, MA 01852
(978) 459-0551

Franklin Regional Housing & Redevelopment Authority
42 Canal Road  Turner Falls, MA 01376
413-863-9781

HAP, Inc.
322 Main Street, Suite 1  Springfield, MA 01105
413 233 1600
1-800-332-9667

Housing Assistance Corporation
460 West Main Street  Hyannis, MA 02601
508-771-5400 x-287

Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership, Inc.
125 Lincoln Street, 5th Floor  Boston, MA 02111
617-425-6700
 
RCAP Solutions
205 School Street (P.O. Box 159)  Gardner, MA 01440-0159
978-630-6600 or 800.488.1969

South Middlesex Opportunity Council, Inc.
300 Howard Street  Framingham, MA 01702
508-620-2675

South Shore Housing Development Corporation
169 Summer Street  Kingston, MA 02364
781-422-4222 or 800-242-0957

Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance

6 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609
(508) 752-5519

Also listed is the North Shore Regional Resource Center in Lynn, but the state announcement didn't provide contact information for this agency and we are not familiar with it.  If you have information about this organization, please let us know and we will update this post.

Will Bike 4 Food Early Bird Registration Ends Soon

Four routes. One destination… a community without hunger.

September 30, 2012

25, 50, 75 & 100 mile rides leave from The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts in Hatfield

Registration Fee: $35

Fundraising Minimum: $250
EARLY BIRD SPECIAL: Fundraising Min. Only $175 before August 27

Casual and avid cyclists alike are invited to participate in ‘Will Bike 4 Food,’ a bike-a-thon charity event that will feature 25, 50, 75 and 100 mile rides. The Food Bank has been working closely with local cycling experts to determine the most interesting and challenging routes for every level. (Click here for route maps and descriptions!)

Participants may compete in teams or as individuals, and will raise dollars for The Food Bank by collecting donations from friends, family members, and co-workers.
Your registration fee and fundraising efforts will benefit The Food Bank’s mission to reduce hunger and increase food security in Western Mass.! For every $1 you raise, we can distribute $13 worth of food.

Starting from The Food Bank’s headquarters in Hatfield, cyclists will experience beautiful Pioneer Valley in early Fall, one of the best times of the year to experience Western Massachusetts. The scenic routes will take advantage of the area’s natural beauty and quiet back roads.

W. Boylston Meals on Wheels and Food Pantry Needs

West Boylston Meals on Wheels needs one volunteer to deliver a route on Wednesdays. This route will take one or two hours a week. Contact Marcia at the W. Boylston senior center at (508) 835-6916. There is also a need for substitute drivers when regular drivers are unavailable.

The West Boylston Community Food Pantry, 26 Central St., is in need of donations of paper products, like toilet paper and paper towels, as well as food items. The pantry is open every third Tuesday from 3 to 6 p.m.

New Triage Center/Shelter Coming to Worcester

After overcoming many obstacles, ground was broken this week for a new 13,000 sq. ft. triage and assessment center for the homeless at 25 Queen Street in Worcester.  The new facility, run by the South Middlesex Opportunity Council, will provide "housing first" and individualized services to get homeless people back on track to self sufficiency and and into permanent housing. 

“The triage center is the centerpiece in our continuing transformation of the single-adult homelessness response system in Worcester,” City Manager Michael O’Brien said. Its cost, including acquisition, is $3.2 million, he said.

See complete story in the Worcester Telegram.

Whole Foods and N.E. Patriots Sack Hunger

In early August, Whole Foods Market team members delivered 510 cases of food to The Greater Boston Food Bank. The special delivery came as a result of the Whole Foods Market Sacking Hunger program, in partnership with 98.5 The Sports Hub Patriots Radio Network.

Through Sacking Hunger, Whole Foods donated ten cases of grocery items to GBFB for every New England Patriots defensive sack in the 2011-2012 season. This year’s donation consisted of a variety of Whole Foods’ 365 Everyday Value grocery items, enough food for 5,741 meals.

In six years of the Sacking Hunger program, Whole Foods has donated more than 2,500 cases of food to GBFB.

Former New England Patriot and three-time Superbowl champion Joe Andruzzi joined Whole Foods Market team members at GBFB to help unload the delivery. Andruzzi also took time to meet GBFB staff members, pose for photos and share his Superbowl ring.