Charity

LETTER: Food Pantry Thanks Community for Its Support; Even With SNAP Restored the Need is Not Over

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It has been a whirlwind of a month at the Watertown Food Pantry, as we faced one of the greatest obstacles in feeding our clients that we have encountered. We’ve been through COVID, the fall of our ceiling, and, at this moment, the emergent loss of our space, but the loss of life-saving SNAP benefits for our clients was devastating, personal, and emotional to all of our volunteers who care so much for our clients. And yet, they showed up, handed out as much as they could, with sympathy, empathy, and love to all who came through our doors. My heartfelt thanks and gratitude goes out to all these unsung hero’s, without whom, we could not do what we do. And to our Watertown Community — you always come through for us!  Thank you for all your donations of food! Thank you for all your monetary donations! Thank you for your words of support!

Around Town

Watertown Community Foundation Distributes $7,000 in Donations to Food Pantries

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Tia Tilson, Executive Director, Watertown Community Foundation, delivers a donation check for the Watertown Food Pantry to Jenna Bancroft, Director of Human Services, City of Watertown. The Watertown Community Foundation announced the donations received in the first days of the drive to support local food pantries. The drive runs through December. See details in the announcement from the Watertown Community Foundation, below. The Watertown Community Foundation received $7,000 in donations to support both of Watertown’s food pantries to date.

Around Town

Watertown Porch Pick Up Collects 1500 Pounds of Food for Food Pantry

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Watertown Food Pantry Coordinator Kathy Cunningham looks as some of the food donations from the November Porch Pick Up. (Contributed Photo)

The Watertown community stepped up at a time when many in town face cuts in their SNAP benefits. The monthly Porch Pick Up program collected around 1,500 pounds of food for the Watertown Food Pantry. Kathy Cunningham, coordinator of the Watertown Food Pantry sent out a thank you on social media on Nov. 1.

Around Town

Nearly 2,500 Watertown Residents Set to See Food Benefits Frozen, Local Assistance Efforts Underway

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With a freeze on SNAP benefits set to start Nov. 1, 2025, food drives for local food pantries are being planned. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Starting Nov. 1, 2025, nearly 2,500 Watertown residents who receive federal food assistance funds will likely lose hundreds of dollars in SNAP benefits. Food pantries, non-profits and other groups in the City are gearing up to try to fill the gap.

Government

Funds Approved to Update Part of Parker Building, Build New Home for Watertown Food Pantry

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The Parker Annex Building (Courtesy of City of Watertown)

Tuesday night, the City Council approved funds to renovate the Parker Annex Building to set up a new home for the Watertown Food Pantry, update and rehabilitate the building, and bring it up to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. On June 24, the Council unanimously approved borrowing $5.778 million to pay costs of renovating the Parker Annex Building, the former school building that became an office building before being reacquired by the City in 2023. City Manager George Proakis the money will be combined with the $326,890 in ARPA and other funds set aside for setting up the Watertown Food Pantry in the Parker Building, and $104,000 (also approved Tuesday) to cover the cost above the project estimate. “We’re excited about this project. What this project accomplishes is it builds out the second floor for the (Department of) Community Development and Planning,” he said.

Around Town

Community Foundation’s Food Drive Delivers Cart Loads of Items to Watertown’s Two Food Pantries

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Tia Tison, Executive Director of the Watertown Community Foundation and WCF Co-President Lauren Coughlin Unsworth push a cart of food into the Watertown Food Pantry. (Courtesy of the Watertown Community Foundation)

The two food pantries in Watertown received a special delivery of supplies courtesy of donations made by the Watertown community during the Watertown Community Foundation’s Food Drive. The collection took place during May, which is the Foundation’s annual month of volunteering called Watertown Helps Out — or WHO. The food was delivered Thursday afternoon to the Watertown Food Pantry, located in the former United Methodist Church, and the Watertown Catholic Collaborative Food Pantry, located the Sacred Heart Church, made Thursday afternoon, said Tia Tilson, Executive Director of the Watertown Community Foundation. “We delivered food to both pantries, unloading roughly six full grocery carts at each pantry,” Tilson said.

Around Town

Brownie Troop Hosts Drive-Thru Food Drive in Watertown to Support Local Food Pantry

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Watertown Brownie Troop 84267 announced it will be hosting a drive-thru food drive to help out a local food pantry. See more information below. Our local Brownie Troop is hosting a Drive-Thru Food Drive to benefit the Watertown Food Pantry on Saturday, November 16, from 1-3 PM at First Parish Church in Watertown, 35 Church St. This event is an opportunity for people in the community to give back easily and safely. Donors can drive up and drop off non-perishable food items without even getting out of their car.

Around Town

Local Jam Maker Holding Pop-Up and Food Drive for Watertown Food Pantry

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If you missed Berry Mari and Belle at the Watertown Farmers Market, you can buy Hanna Opdahl’s jams and preserves at a pop-up and she will also be collecting items for the Watertown Food Pantry with donors being entered into a drawing for jam and spices. See details below. Berry Mari and Belle will be having a jam pop-up at Curio Spice Co., 2265 Mass. Ave., in Cambridge on Saturday, Nov. 23 (12-4 p.m.), and will be collecting donations for the Watertown Food Pantry.