Canton Food Pantry: MARCH

MARCH

PLEASE HELP US STOCK OUR SHELVES

Here are a few suggestions for this month:

NON-PERISHABLE ITEMS

CEREAL

DIAPERS

Cake Mixes

Juice

Hamburger Helper type meals

Milk (Dry / Evaporated)

Pasta Sauce

Peanut Butter
Jelly & Jams

Toothpaste

Shampoo / Conditioner

Feminine Products

Depends

Laundry Detergent

Bar Soap
Mouth Wash

All donations can be dropped off at the following locations:

Canton Food Pantry, 960R Washington St., (rear of Rodman Building) most Mondays 7-8:30 am, and every Tue and Wed 8:30-9am

Canton Co-Operative Bank, 671 Washington St., Mon-Fri 9am-5pm

Bank of Canton, 557 Washington St., Mon - Fri 9am-5pm

Canton Public Library, 786 Washington St., Mon 1-9pm, Tues-Thurs 9:30am-9:00pm

Pratt Realtors, Inc., 1475 Washington St., Daily 7am-5pm

We would like to thank the ongoing support of the Canton School System:

Blue Hills Regional Technical School

Canton High School
Dean S. Luce Elementary
John F. Kennedy Elementary School
Lt. Peter M. Hansen Elementary
St. John's School
William H. Galvin Middle School

Also a big Thank You to the ongoing support from our Canton Residents and Businesses.

We can't wait for Spring! In the meantime please enjoy an easy 3 step Betty Crocker recipe:

CORNED BEEF & CABBAGE

Ingredients:

1 corned beef brisket (2 1/2 to 3 lb)

1 medium onion, cut into 6 wedges

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 small head green cabbage, cut into 6 wedges

Directions:

Remove beef from package, reserving juices and spices. Trim fat from beef; place beef in 4-quart Dutch oven. Add reserved juices and spices. Add enough cold water just to cover beef. Add onion and garlic
Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Cover; simmer 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours 30 minutes or until beef is tender.
Remove beef to warm platter; keep warm. Skim fat from broth. Add cabbage to broth. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered about 15 minutes or until cabbage is tender. Serve with beef.

Also in this issue:

The Farm Bill & Residents of Massachusetts

As Catherine D’Amato (GBFB”s President and CEO) states in her Fox 25 interview, the recent House and Senate passing of the Farm Bill will have significant implications for Americans as well as food banks and pantries. The bill will cut $8.7 billion dollars from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps).^[1] These cuts come on the heels of the $5 billion SNAP program cut this past November.^[3]
Additionally, the H-EAT (Heat and Eat) program, a fuel assistance program designed for SNAP households so decisions between affording food or heat will not have to be made, will be impacted the most. Massachusetts, as well as fourteen other states and the District of Columbia (CA, CT, DE, ME, MI, MT, NJ, NY, OR, PA, RI, VT, WA and WI), offer the H-EAT program. An average household relying on SNAP and H-EAT will see up to $90 cut from their monthly benefits. Who will this impact?

Cuts will affect approximately 850,000 American households and roughly 1.7 million people.^[2]

In Massachusetts, about 125,000 households will see a $70 monthly decrease in SNAP and H-EAT benefits.^[3]

The Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) projects that of the households impacted, 80% are seniors or persons with disabilities.

DTA data also projects that more than 35% of SNAP households include young children.

Essentialy, some of the most vulnerable populations, including elders, veterans, persons with disabilities and children will be impacted.^[4]
The bill will also impact food banks and food pantries. Each month, individuals will run out of their SNAP funds faster and will seek alternative ways to obtain healthy food. As a result, more will rely on hunger-relief organizations that are supplied by The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB). Continued support to meet this need is crucial so that GBFB and other organizations can continue to acquire and distribute more food.
What else can you do? Many organizations have vocalized their concern around this bill and have encouraged community members to contact their congressional representatives to make their voices heard.

References