Cape wide food distribution effort hosted by 4C’s

by Ian Cole

During the month of October, Cape Cod Community College is hosting a food distribution effort put on by the Massachusetts Military Support Foundation. They have been busy during the pandemic, working with the New England Patriots to organize events at Gillette Stadium, as well as with other veterans’ organizations at numerous other locations throughout Massachusetts. Every Saturday from 9-1, people can go to lot 12 on the 4C’s campus and receive a 35 pound box of food, placed in their car to account for contactless COVID-19 safety. All of the food is provided by the USDA.

Instead of the food going to restaurants that are mostly closed due to the virus, it can go into the hands of people who need it and who may be struggling during the pandemic. The program also supports local New England and Massachusetts farmers, who provide produce. Each box of groceries contains a combination of cheese, produce, milk and meat. Families may pick up only one box as suggested by guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which funds the federal program.

Barnstable Town Counselor Matt Levesque is a volunteer coordinator for the project. “This is the largest food distribution effort in town history.”, said Levesque. He also wanted to stress that nobody would be turned away. “Everyone who shows up gets something.” The events are associated with several different charities such as Food 4 Vets, the Nicholas G. Xiarhos Foundation, and the Farmers Alliance to name a few. “It’s extremely important to connect these groups with the wider community during these trying times.”

There are similar events like this on the Cape, and also around the state, with one hosted at the Sandwich Empowerment Center. A list of locations and events can be found at the Massachusetts Military Support Foundation website, found at this link: https://mmsfi.org. The organization stresses that prior registration is required for all locations. See the link after each location to register and read instructions carefully, as each site varies slightly.

4C’s President Jon Cox stated in an email to the college community, “As our mission and vision indicate, we enrich our unique region through our work, partnerships and students’ achievements.” He also said, “And, we will be an innovative center for academic excellence and community enrichment that champions student success. This partnership helps us fulfill both mission and vision.”

These events further integrate the college with the community and provide help to people in need. With 4C’s being a centralized location on Cape Cod, the MMSF can hopefully help the most possible people.

Vice President of Finance for the college Christopher Clarke, discussed the College’s views on the event also. “We’re proud to be able to work with The Massachusetts Military Support Foundation and to be able to provide this service for the community.”, said Clarke. He also mentioned that there were articles in both the Cape Cod Times and the Barnstable Patriot, and that he thought there would be more information and more articles to come as the month continues.

Categories: Around Campus, Food, People