How To Receive Food Help

Some of the initiatives below are specifically to help people who lost their SNAP benefits temporarily or federal employees not being paid at the moment.

Food Pantries, Free Sit Down Dinners, Other Food Help

See our Food Security section for places that provide free food year round. Remark that our food pantries (Acton Food Pantry (Boxborough), Open Table (Maynard), Stow Food Pantry, Maynard Food Pantry) provide not only cans, but also fresh veggies and fruit, milk, eggs, meats, etc. They also have food from many different cultures. Acton and Boxborough residents can go to every one of these food pantries, except Maynard Food Pantry is only for Acton, not for Boxborough residents.

HIP Massachusetts Money on SNAP EBT Cards

If you keep at least 1 cent on your SNAP EBT card, you will continue to get HIP Massachusetts fruits and vegetables money on your card. Do not let your SNAP balance go to $0. HIP gives $40-$80 monthly on your SNAP EBT card as long as your SNAP balance is not $0. You can find vendors who accept the HIP money here . Closest ones that are still open :

Brookfield Farm - Littleton/Bedford/... (till Nov 6), Growing Places (home delivery or pickup in Fitchburg, Gardner, Leominster...), Clark Farm Market - Carlisle , Small Farm - Stow, Codman Community Farms - Lincoln (Wednesdays 1-3:30pm) , Snowplace Farm on Nov 23 at the AB Farmers Market winter market at Acton Villageworks.

Breads and Little Free Pantry At the AB Resource Center

Every Tuesday the AB Resource Center (15 Charter Rd, Acton) will have a table with 1 day old Panera breads and pastries
One of the 2 little free libraries at the AB Resource Center / school administration building (15 Charter Rd, Acton) has temporary been converted into a little free pantry with food cans.

Subsidized Fall CSA Share (Farm vegetables)

Small Farm (Stow, MA) is providing sliding scale ($0-$205) fall CSA shares (4 biweekly pick ups of12 organic farm vegetables). email farmer@small-farm.com with your name and how much you feel comfortable to pay.

Free Meals

Fourth & Field (Stow, MA) will provide a free pasta dinner and salad for pickup families of 4-5 persons during this SNAP payment stop. Email info@fourthandfield.com with subject line "pickup pasta dinner" (or call 978 925 4126) to reserve your pickup. Delivery available if needed.
Seoul Kitchen (Westford or Leominster, MA) will provide a free family take-out meal ( Korean Dumplings, Beef Bulgogi, Kang's Chicken, Veggie Yaki Udon) for a family of 4 . Show EBT/SNAP or federal ID at pickup. Call 978 399 0016 (Westford) or 978 462 4180 (Leomnister) to reserve your pickup.

How To Donate Food / Help

Donate Money, Giftcards or Food

Donate money (for the food pantry to buy milk, eggs and meat) or critical food items to Acton Food Pantry and Open Table Maynard or organize a food drive for your neighborhood!
Pick-up a gift card next time you go to the grocery store and drop it off with our town Community Service Coordinators (Laura Ducharme in Acton, Wendy Trinks in Boxborough), or bring to AB Resource Center (15 Charter Rd, Acton) and we’ll make sure they get to the town CSCs for distribution
Put some cans of food in the little free pantry at the AB Resource Center / school administration building (15 Charter Rd, Acton)
Donate to the Stow Small Farm subsidized fall CSA share - see this link
Donate pet food or money to Save A Dog in Sudbury, MA. Go to www.saveadog.org and scroll down to the Meals-On-Wheels for Pets section at the bottom of the home page. There is a donate button there.

Pickup/Deliver Food

Pickup 4 boxes of bread at Panera - Westford on a Monday 9:15-9:30pm and drop off at the AB Resource Center the next day at 10am. Contact pina@abccompass.org to select the date.
Message Fourth & Field (Stow, MA) if you want to help deliver take out food to those in need.
Pickup food Saturday mornings at Stop n Shop and Trader Joe's for the Acton Food Pantry

Volunteer your Time

Volunteer at the Acton Food Pantry (also urgently need Portuguese speakers) or at Open Table in Maynard

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