SNAP Response Fund: Help Feed Our Children

 At our centers last week in Chelsea and Lynn we logged over 100 families that relied on SNAP benefits that were worried about how they would have enough food for the week, and/or had already run out of food.

If you do not have enough food or essential items in your home please contact us directly, in any language you speak. Your information will remain confidential between 3 members of our management team. We want you to know you are not alone in this, nor did you do anything wrong and you should not feel embarrassed to reach out for help.

If you are able to help with our efforts by donating and/or running food/essential items drives as a drop off site please contact us as well. We also welcome online donations that are tax deductible if you are able to donate online, and you can check out our Amazon wishlists as well:

Donate:

👉 Donate Now — Help Feed a Child Today

Send through Amazon using our Wishlist Mon-Fri 7:30 am - 5:30 pm to:

Northshore Early Learning Center

21 Munroe St

Lynn MA 01901

NOTE: We are grateful to the state of MA for mandating SNAP funds be sent, and are disheartened at the federal mandate to revoke those funds. As a result, we will continue our response until there is a long term resolution and families can be at ease knowing there is a continual, reliable source of funds to feed their families.

11/09 update:

• At our centers last week in Chelsea and Lynn we logged over 100 families that relied on SNAP benefits that were worried about how they would have enough food for the week. As a result we sprung into action, running a food and donation drive, sending food and gift cards home with families, and encouraging children to have as much food as they wanted if they arrived at our center hungry. We passed out information on local food banks and worked with families to identify barriers to going to those locations.

• We are offering free shuttles starting Monday 11/10 between the hours of 11am - 1PM to food pantries and other sites where families can get resources.

Examples of our response:

• We learned Monday night at 6:30 that a family of 5, including a 5yo, 2yo, and 11 month old, had run out of food in our house. As a result our staff brought them dinner and loaded up grocery bags from their own pantries and fridges to make sure they had food for the next day and the rest of the week.

• We learned Saturday about another family of 5, including a 6yo, 4yo, and 9 months old in our care, was not going to have enough food for the weekend. We sent them with enough groceries to get through the weekend and part of next week.

• We learned of one mother who did not have enough diapers to send her child to school. Instead of that child being absent, we supplied diapers and formula at school, and sent her home with food, diapers and other essential items.

• We distributed Market Basket gift cards and put out food every day for families to take home.

• We sent groceries home to families who rely on transport for their children to get to and from our Lynn location.

We are so grateful for the dedication of our staff, management team, and the families that are in a position to help our community.