Watertown Cable Access Corp
Food Insecurity in Watertown | Part 1
Watertown – In cooperation with the Watertown News and thanks to a generous grant from the Watertown Community Foundation, Watertown Cable News is producing a series of videos chronicling issues of hunger and food insecurity in the community.
In part 1 of the series, we talk to a number of different stakeholders in the community from the Food Pantry, Famers’ Market, Wayside, and Community Foundation to find out how many people are struggling and where the gaps in service lie.
Accompanying this series are articles written by WCN news anchor and local journalist Maya Shwayder as well as Watertown News Editor Charlie Breitrose.
Read the Articles
Part 1: Watertown’s Hidden Problem: Food Insecurity Among Us
Part 2: Hunger Hits Home: A Watertown Teenager’s Struggle to Feed Herself
Part 4: Through Pandemics & Collapsed Ceilings, the Watertown Food Pantry Stays Open
Part 5: Filling the Watertown’s Free Fridge is a Community Effort
Part 6: Food Insecurity in Watertown: Hunger is a Multi-Faceted Problem — It Won’t Magically Go Away
Roundtable Discussion
On February 12th, WCN and the Watertown News produced a live roundtable discussion at the Mosesian Center for the Arts to hear from representatives from the city, Food Pantry, Watertown Housing Authority, and Wayside to dive further into these issues.
Resources in the Community
Watertown Food Pantry: 80 Mt. Auburn St. (rear of the Belmont-Watertown United Methodist Church), Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. https://www.watertown-ma.gov/330/Watertown-Food-Pantry, 617-972-6490
Watertown Catholic Collaborative Food Pantry: 770 Mt. Auburn St. (basement), Thursdays from 10 to 11:45 a.m. https://watertowncatholic.com/news/food-pantry 617-926-7121
Watertown Community Fridge: 80 Mt. Auburn St. (Front of the Belmont-Watertown United Methodist Church), Open 24/7 https://www.watertowncommunityfridge.org/
Watertown Social Services Resource Specialists: at Wayside Multi-Service Center, 127 North Beacon St. https://www.watertown-ma.gov/673/Watertown-Social-Services-Resource-Speci 617-744-9585
Live Well Watertown/Watertown Farmers Market: City Hall, 149 Main St. 617-972-6446 x8 https://www.livewellwatertown.org/home
Watertown Community Foundation: https://www.watertownfoundation.org/ 617-926-1500
Food Pantry at American Legion Post 440: 295 California St., Newton, 3rd Fridays from 10 to 11 a.m. 617-244-0440
Centre Street Food Pantry: 11 Homer St., Newton, Tuesdays 2:30-6 p.m. & the first Saturday of the month from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. 617-340-9554
SNAP: (formerly Food Stamps) https://www.mass.gov/snap-benefits-formerly-food-stamps
Project Bread: https://www.projectbread.org/ Food Source Hotline (1-800-645-8333)
Recent Stories
-
Watertown Group Advocates for Repeal of Winter Parking Ban Ahead of Upcoming City Council Meeting
WATERTOWN, MA — The Watertown City Council will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, January 21st at 6 p.m. to discuss a petition calling for the repeal of the city’s winter parking ban. The petition, submitted by the group Watertown Citizens for Better Parking, argues that the current ban creates significant challenges for residents, particularly…
-
Watertown Non-Profit DEAF Inc. Advocates for and Empowers Deaf and DeafBlind Communities
WATERTOWN, MA – For nearly five decades, Deaf Inc. has been a cornerstone of support and empowerment for the deaf, hard of hearing, late-deafened, and deafblind communities in Massachusetts. Founded in 1977, Deaf Inc. relocated its main office to Watertown in 2023. The organization provides a wide range of services, including advocacy, housing assistance, tax…
-
Addressing Loneliness and Isolation: Watertown Launches Coffee Socials for Veterans
WATERTOWN, MA – Loneliness and isolation are more than feelings—they’re public health challenges with severe mental and physical consequences. As Dr. Jay Gorman, a clinical research psychologist with the Bedford VA, explained, “Loneliness is a subjective feeling that we have less social connection than we want… Isolation is the objective, real-time lack of social interaction.”…