Happy GivingTuesday!
Delays in SNAP benefits caused by the recent government shutdown, along with potential policy changes still on the horizon, have created real worry for families who rely on food assistance.
Many local food programs are seeing rising demand, especially smaller, volunteer driven initiatives that operate with limited resources but serve as lifelines in their neighborhoods.
Below, we have highlighted several of these organizations from across Worcester County. We hope you will consider supporting them this GivingTuesday.
Food Pantries
Monty's Market at Mount Wachusett Community College
Monty’s Market, MWCC’s on-campus pantry, is committed to alleviating food insecurity among students by offering a wide selection of items, including canned goods, grains, produce, and dairy to frozen meats, hygiene products, and baby items.
Students can access Monty’s Market with no proof of income or ID required. Monty’s Market also supports student wellbeing through community fridges located around both campuses, stocked with perishable and ready-to-eat meals.
WHEAT Community Connections
WHEAT Community Connections, run by United Way of Tri-County, supports families in Berlin, Bolton, Clinton, Lancaster, and Sterling through both food and comprehensive social services.
Their Community Cupboard provides monthly groceries, while their Community Café offers free lunch and dinner. WHEAT also operates an Outdoor Marketplace that distributes surplus bread, produce, and ready-to-eat meals.
HomePlate at Quinsigamond Community College
HomePlate is committed to addressing food insecurity among students, faculty, and staff by providing healthy groceries, snacks, and essential hygiene items.
With support from the Foundation, HomePlate recently acquired a refrigerated truck to transport fresh food, helping to expand access for students including delivery to the downtown and Southbridge campuses.
Sully's Pantry at Project New Hope
Project New Hope’s Sully’s Pantry provides discreet and dignified food assistance tailored to veterans, active-duty service members, their spouses, and children.
Their food pantry offers non-perishable items, frozen meats, dairy, fresh seasonal vegetables, hygiene products, and pet food. Their baby pantry supplies clothing, diapers, formula, wipes, and more.
Community Fridges
The Wellstorm, Inc.
Based in Southbridge, The WellStorm works to close the gap for neighbors facing food insecurity, homelessness, and mental health challenges.
Their flagship effort, the Bridge Fridge, is a 24/7 community fridge stocked with fresh and shelf-stable foods, plus a dedicated section for pet food.
Woo Fridge
Woo Fridge is a grassroots mutual aid effort that maintains a network of free, 24/7 community fridges across Worcester. They partner with local farms, grocers, and restaurants to rescue fresh food that might otherwise go to waste, then put it directly into the hands of neighbors.
Their fridges are located in several neighborhoods in Worcester, including Greendale, Union Hill, Portland Street, and College Square.
Food Distributors
Rachel's Table
Rachel’s Table is a volunteer-led food rescue organization serving greater Worcester, rescuing surplus prepared and perishable food from restaurants, bakeries, senior centers, and more, then delivering it to over 30 local shelters, pantries, soup kitchens, and day programs.
Through its Children’s Milk Fund, Rachel's Table purchases hundreds of gallons of fresh milk each week and distributes it to agencies serving children in need. Their produce program supports summer meal sites so kids continue to get fresh fruits and veggies when school is out.
The Farm School
The Farm School is a nonprofit educational farm set on nearly 400 acres in Athol. Through its programs, participants help tend the garden, milk cows, care for animals, and cook meals with what they harvest.
Rather than operating a traditional pay-for-CSA model, The Farm School is increasingly focusing its food production on a donation model: sharing greens, meat, and dairy with food-insecure communities in the surrounding area.
Ways to Give
Give Directly
Visit each organization's website, linked above, to donate directly to the nonprofit or learn about other ways to support.
Give Through our Portal
If you have a donor advised fund with Greater Worcester Community Foundation, use our donor portal for a simple and efficient way of supporting the nonprofits of your choice.
Give to the Community Leadership Fund
This unrestricted fund helps us take innovative approaches to addressing the community’s most pressing issues.
Learn More
There are many nonprofits dedicated to food security across Worcester County! To support food pantries, you can always give directly to the Worcester County Food Bank or use Food Help Worcester to find your local food pantry.
You can also view our Grantee List to see who we have funded through our Worcester County Food Bank Fund to End Hunger.
Contact Us
To learn more about our grantees, contact Jonathan Cohen, Vice President of Community Impact at jcohen@greaterworcester.org or 508-755-0980 ext. 111.
To learn more about fund options at the Foundation, contact Kelly Stimson, Vice President of Philanthropic Services at kstimson@greaterworcester.org or 508-755-0980 ext. 112.
