Nutrition Resources

Senior Care Inc, The Open Door and the Essex Senior Center provide meals on a weekly basis.  Currently, meals are provided as a "Grab and Go" on Mondays and Thursdays at 12 noon.  Please RSVP at 978-768-7932 for meals. 

Meals on Wheels are provided by Senior Care, Inc. For more information or to sign up, please call 978-281-1750.

The Essex Council on Aging has partnered with Acord Food Pantry and the Open Door Food Pantry to provide a bag of groceries to eligible residents twice monthly. Markets are run on Fridays.  At this time we do request an RSVP.  Delivery is available on an as-needed basis.

The Essex Council on Aging coordinates a number of dining out opportunities, including our monthly breakfast at the Village Pancake House, and a regular group reservations at area Essex restaurants

SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is the program formerly known as food stamps. It is a federal nutrition program that helps you stretch your food budget and buy healthy food.
 

SNAP benefits can be used to purchase food at grocery stores, convenience stores, and some farmers' markets and co-op food programs. SNAP benefits are given to you each month on a plastic card called an EBT (electronic benefits transfer) card, which works like a debit card. Paper coupons are no longer used. SNAP is a nutrition program. It is not a welfare cash assistance program (which is called TAFDC).
 

SNAP is a federal entitlement program. This means anyone who is eligible will receive benefits. You will not be taking away benefits from someone else if you apply. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) oversees SNAP at the federal level. In Massachusetts, you apply for benefits through the state agency that administers the program, called the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA).
 

For more information about SNAP benefits, you may go here or contact Tess Leary who can provide you with more information.

Open Door Food Pantry and Acord both provide support to Essex Residents who are in need. For more information about Open Door, please contact them at 978-283-6776 or here. For more information about Acord Food Pantry, please contact them at 978-468-7424 or here.