City of Cambridge and Cambridge Community Foundation Commit $500K for Food Insecurity With SNAP Benefits At Risk

Cambridge residents are eligible to receive a grocery store gift card if they are current SNAP recipients and meet one or more of the following criteria:

• You are an older adult (age 60 or older)

• You have a disability

• Your family includes a child ages 18 or younger who attends Cambridge Public Schools, a Cambridge Charter School, Cambridge Preschool Program, or a younger child

Residents will be asked to show their EBT card in order to receive a gift card.

Grocery store gift cards are $50 each. Gift cards to Market Basket, Star Market, and Target will be available.

Each gift card will be single-use. Families who are eligible for this program will receive one $50 gift card per eligible child.

For families with young children:
If you are a SNAP recipient and your child or children do not yet attend school, you are eligible to receive a grocery store gift card. If your child attends a preschool through the Cambridge Preschool Program (CPP), you may attend any of the CPS distribution dates listed below.  

If your child does not attend a preschool that is part of CPP or your child is not old enough for preschool, please contact Cynthia Woodward, the family services coordinator at the Center for Families: cwoodward@cambridgema.gov / 617-349-6327.

For families with a CPS student or child in the Cambridge Preschool Program:

Grocery store gift cards for families with school-aged children will be distributed through Cambridge Public Schools at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, 459 Broadway, on the following dates:

• Monday, November 10 from 5-8 p.m. (Field House entrance)

• Friday, November 14 from 5-8 p.m. (Field House entrance)

• Saturday, November 15 9 a.m.-1 p.m. (Main Entrance)
  
  

Gift cards will be distributed to eligible families on a first-come, first-served basis. Bring your EBT card. You will be asked to provide the name of your student, and to provide your EBT card to show you are receiving SNAP benefits.

For families with students at a charter school:

Please reach out to the staff at your school for information on how gift cards will be distributed. 

For older adults and adults with disabilities:

Grocery store gift cards will be distributed through the Council on Aging at the following times: 

• Tuesday, November 18 from 9 a.m.- 12 p.m. at the North Cambridge Senior Center (2050 Massachusetts Ave.) 

• Friday, November 21 from 9 - 11 a.m. at the Cambridge Senior Center in Central Square (806 Massachusetts Ave.)

Gift cards will also be distributed to older adults and people with disabilities who live in Cambridge Housing Authority, Homeowner’s Rehab, Inc, and Just-A-Start housing developments. Distribution dates will be announced by individual buildings.

For older adults and residents with disabilities, you may send someone to pick up a gift card on your behalf. They will need to have your EBT card and a letter from you stating that it’s okay for them to pick up your gift card. The letter will need to be signed by you.

At this time, you do not qualify for a grocery store gift card, but please stay tuned for more information in case this changes.

If you are not a current SNAP recipient who meets the criteria outlined above, you will not be eligible to receive a grocery store gift card from this program.

The Cambridge Food Resource Guide has information about local food pantries and community meals. The guide is available in the following languages:

ምግብ ምንጭ (ግብዓት) መመሪያ (Amharic)
كامبريدج للموارد الغذائية (Arabic)
খাদ্য সংস্থানসমূহ (Bangla/Bengali)
剑桥的粮食资源指南 (Simplified Chinese)
Resous Gid pou Manje (Haitian Creole)
Guia de recursos alimentares (Portuguese)
Alimentos Recurso Guía (Spanish)

The state’s Department of Transitional Assistance is continuing to accept SNAP applications and to provide updates on SNAP benefits.

Learn more at http://mass.gov/SNAPupdates.

Residents interested in supporting emergency food access work can donate to CCF’s Urgent Needs Fund, a pool of resources from donors that enables CCF to continuously respond to urgent needs in the community. To give, please visit CCF’s website.

• Food for Free Food Markets. Food for Free operates free food markets every month at the Graham & Parks, Peabody/RAUC, Fletcher Maynard, and Cambridge Community Charter School. They offer fresh fruits, vegetables, and pantry items. Learn more on the CPS website.
  
  
• Project Bread’s FoodSource Hotline has counselors available in 180 languages. Counselors can help you find food assistance through other sources. You can click this link or call 1 (800) 645-8333 to access the hotline.
  
  
• The Cambridge Food Resource Guide (available in many languages) contains the times and locations for food pantries, community meals, farmers’ markets, and more.
  
  
• Applications for SNAP benefits continue to be open during the shutdown.
  
  
  • The Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) will process applications, and benefits may be distributed once funding resumes.
  • Local SNAP information and assistance is available through the Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee (CEOC). Visit their website for more information.
    
    
• Residents interested in supporting emergency food access work can donate to CCF’s Urgent Needs Fund, a pool of resources from donors that enables CCF to continuously respond to urgent needs in the community. To give, please visit CCF’s website.