Thanks to all who joined us for our first-ever End of Summer BBQ. The turnout was beyond our expectations, and it truly reflected ONT's community with a combination of volunteers, donors and people we serve every week. Let's do it again next year!

For every meal a food assistance organization provides, SNAP provides 9. The program is the most important tool in our food safety net and serves more than 1 million people in Massachusetts (about 1 in 6 residents).
Of those receiving benefits:

• 32% are children under 18
  
• 24% are seniors
  
• 28% are people with disabilities

But since federal requirements were tightened last October, more than 700 people in our region have lost these benefits, and more changes are expected this fall. Across the state, 61,000 children are among those who no longer receive benefits.
Many of those who do qualify for SNAP struggle to enroll due to extensive paperwork and requirements. Meantime, a severe staffing shortage at the Massachusetts Division of Transitional Assistance is resulting in a dropped-call rate of 75-85%.
At Our Neighbors' Table, we are supporting many of these families and preparing for another wave of SNAP benefit losses this fall.
Every week, our SNAP advocate helps neighbors navigate the application process and works to maximize the benefits available to each household seeking help. Our success rate with these challenging cases is over 90%.
And thanks to our community of support, ONT's grocery programs are here to make sure every neighbor has the healthy, fresh food they need.
For a closer look at how SNAP cuts are impacting our communities, click the button below to view a printable impact sheet.

Thank you to everyone who joined us in this year's Yankee Homecoming parade! It was a beautiful day and the crowd gave us a grand reception all along the 2-mile route. A special thanks to Coady's Towing for pulling the bull and the Dean family for giving us access to it during fair season. The next parade is in Salisbury on Sept. 20. We hope you will join us!