Rachel's Table - Feeding the Hungry

Rachel's Table is a program of the Jewish Federation of Massachusetts, Inc. Food recipients and volunteers are from all faiths and backgrounds.

Worcester
Hunger Statistics

1 in 3 children living in 14 low-income neighborhoods in Worcester are hungry or at-risk of being hungry each month.
10.3% of families in Worcester County live below the poverty level.
70% of people requesting emergency food from agencies helped by Rachel's Table are children and their parents. 8% are senior citizens.
73% of children in Worcester Public Schools are eligible for free or reduced-cost meals.
12% of surveyed mothers not living in shelters stated there were days when family members went without food.
An average of 27% of all donated food to emergency feeding programs in Worcester was supplied by Rachel's Table.

For copies of recent reports, please call Carla at (508) 799-7699 or email her at carlaszyrt@gmail.com

Covid-19 Update

Rachel's Table is operating through the shutdown and transporting as much food as we can. We have increased funding for our Children's Milk Fund and we're trying to provide as much extra milk as possible to food pantries who are helping so many more people. Any financial help that you can provide at this time is sincerely appreciated by so many.

Dispatcher Needed!!!

We urgently need volunteers to help us coordinate and direct our food deliveries. We need people weekdays, during the day. Please call Lissa at 508-799-7699 for more information.

The mission of Rachel's Table is to distribute donated and specially purchased foods, without charge, to agencies feeding hungry families and individuals in greater Worcester, Massachusetts and to reduce the waste of nourishing food. The Children's Milk Fund purchases milk for needy children.

In support of this, Rachel's Table is committed to:

Providing training programs on food safety and efficient food distribution.
Establishing a network of collaborative community support systems.
Advocating where appropriate for hungry people.

A Program of the Jewish Federation

We are one of the many programs of the Jewish Federation of Central Massachusetts. For more information about Rachel's Table, see our Mission page.

Hunger in Worcester, Massachusetts

Rachel's Table is feeding an increasing number of hungry people in the Worcester area.A serious lack of affordable housing, increased heating costs, cost of gasoline, medical costs, childcare costs, mortgage foreclosures, and the increased cost of food in the area have contributed to what agency administrators have termed a "critical" situation. Rents in Worcester increased 16% last year, having a huge impact on people already struggling to get by.

Cuts to SNAP (food stamps) have affected many There are large cuts being threatened. Even families with two working parents are struggling to feed their children once all their expenses are met.

Last year, almost all of the area food pantries and soup kitchens serviced by Rachel's Table reported an increased demand for food assistance. All pantries and soup kitchens saw an increase in the number of families with children requiring food aid. 58% of pantries saw an increase in demand for emergency food from elderly persons.

In all of the social service agencies helped by Rachel's Table, clients needing food aid increased by 16% in 2018.

People must often choose between paying for heat, medicine, or food.

In the past 30 years, Rachel's Table has distributed over 12.5 million pounds of food, at no cost, to 33 local shelters, pantries and soup kitchens.

Even so, hunger and the need for food continues to rise. Even with today's better economic conditions, the situation has not improved for the people we help.

We accept online donations . . .

Click here and you'll be taken to a webpage where you can donate online (using a credit card) . It's a simple and secure 3-step process! Thank you for your support!

Rachel's Table 633 Salisbury Street, Worcester, MA 01609. (508) 799 - 7699

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