Another week in the new normal.

On Thursday, one of our Cambridge delivery volunteers told us he was unable to deliver food at one address because the woman said she was too sick to take it and he heard her coughing behind the door. He was concerned. Alanna asked Cambridge Police to do a wellness check. EMTs visited with her. She was ok and they let her know she could follow up with them. We also had our contact at the city give her a call. She said she was alright and so grateful that people were concerned. We are not just bringing people food. We are bringing them community support. We are telling someone who lives by themselves that they are not alone and that the community cares. We are a touch point when so many are isolated. We are immensely grateful to be able to do this work with the support of hundreds of volunteers and donors.

This week we:

• Distributed over 13,000 pounds of food to Somerville
• Delivered over 28,000 pounds of food to 1,276 households in Cambridge
• Worked with 186 individual volunteers
• Continued to support the distribution of 400-500 meals a day to Cambridge students

Food Rescue continues to see closures by some of our recipient organizations and, on many days, an influx of food. We have been able to add support for the Daily Table, serving Roxbury and Dorchester, the Chelsea Cooperative for distribution to Chelsea residents, Mission Main – a housing complex in Roxbury, and the YMCA food pantry in Medford. Next week we will begin providing food to Vinfen so they can provide meals to their houses in Lawrence, Haverhill, Roslindale, Quincy, Plymouth, Hyannis, and Harwich Port. Each site will be making meals for 50 participants per day.

Thank you for being a part of this work – whether you are giving hours of your day to pack food, sending a donation, or simply reading this and rooting for us, you are a part of what’s allowing this to happen.