Food Insecurity Work and Resources Update

To: Cambridge City Council From: Alanna Mallon, Vice-Mayor Date: May 7th, 2020 Subject: Food Insecurity Work and Resources Update To the Honorable, the City Council, As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to devastate our community, I wanted to share an update on the work being done to ensure no Cambridge resident goes hungry during these challenging times. Since this public health crisis began, Food For Free has risen to the occasion, helping coordinate the operation of school meals distribution sites, and partnering with the City to organize the Cambridge Community Food Line, which delivers fresh produce and shelf-stable items to residents’ homes on a weekly basis. Currently serving roughly 2,000 households each week, the Community Food Line has reached capacity, despite interest in its services growing every day. To address this high need, Food For Free has begun to move some residents off the delivery list for the Community Food Line, instead offering them gift cards to local grocery stores within a one-mile radius of their homes. This effort helps them keep food on the table, while ensuring that those who specifically need delivery service, such as elderly or immuno- compromised residents, can still access the critical resources they need. However, as we know that our community will continue to weather this public health crisis and its effects for months to come, I have been searching for more proactive ways to ensure this high level of need can be met long-term, and sustainably. After I reached out to Project Bread, UMass Boston, and the City’s Department of Human Services, we recognized a unique opportunity to use the existing food distribution recipient list from the Community Food Line to launch a targeted outreach campaign encouraging residents to apply for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Through partnering with the Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee (CEOC), their trained employees have made 447 calls to residents to date, not only offering prescreening services and helping residents apply for SNAP, but also connecting them to other invaluable resources, such as unemployment benefits, housing assistance, City-run relief programs, and more. CEOC staff are able to provide support in Amharic, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, and Spanish, and outside translation services are available as needed, to ensure a language barrier does not prevent a resident from accessing the help they need. 289 residents have been reached so far, with follow-up calls being scheduled to confirm residents have received the benefits they apply for. Voicemails outlining residents’ options are being left for unanswered calls. CEOC expects to have called all 1,900 residents by May 15th, and will publish a report soon after. The chart below illustrates the callers’ findings, so far, on the areas residents have needed guidance on.

It is critical, now more than ever, that residents have the information and tools they need to keep themselves and their loved ones safe and healthy. By having trained callers who are knowledgeable about various benefits available, we are connecting residents to the crucial resources that will help them keep afloat during these difficult times, and ensuring our existing programs remain sustainable and accessible long-term. I cannot thank Project Bread, UMass Boston, the Department of Human Services, and CEOC enough for their partnership and for their diligent efforts in fighting food insecurity in our City. Throughout these last several weeks, I have been heartened to see the dedication of my colleagues on the City Council, across other City Departments, and beyond in supporting Cambridge’s most vulnerable residents during their time of need. It is times like these that I am reminded of a favorite Cambridge saying, “one City, one family,” and I believe these efforts to uplift our community truly exemplifies that spirit. Thank you, Alanna Mallon Cambridge Vice-Mayor