Nearly one-in-seven Watertown residents qualify for government food programs, but only about half have signed up for the assistance. Many more people living in town do not qualify for the programs, for one reason or another, despite being in a low-income household. And putting more stress on the situation is the increasing cost of housing in town.
These were just part of the discussion about how hunger impacts the community that took place at a live roundtable this week.
A group of people familiar with how hunger touches Watertown gathered for a live event at the Mosesian Center for the Arts to talk about what help is out there for people facing food insecurity and ideas for what more could be done.
The Hunger in Watertown Roundtable, hosted by Watertown News and Watertown Cable Access Television, featured five panelists:
- Watertown Community Foundation Executive Director Tia Tilson
- Watertown Food Pantry Coordinator Kathy Cunningham
- The City of Watertown’s Community Wellness Program Manager Stephanie Venizelos
- Watertown Housing Authority Executive Director Michael Lara, and
- Watertown Social Services Resource Specialist Sophia Suarez-Friedman from the Wayside Multi-Service Center
Co-hosts Charlie Breitrose, editor of Watertown News, and local journalist Maya Shwayder posed several questions to the panelists, and then they opened it up to the audience to ask some of questions of their own.
If you missed the roundtable view it below, or catch it on Watertown Cable Access TV (click here).
The roundtable came out of the series of articles on food insecurity that recently appeared on Watertown News. Stay tuned to Watertown Cable TV for a series of segments on hunger in Watertown. A preview was screened at the beginning of the round table.
The Watertown News articles, the Watertown Cable segments, and the roundtable were made possible by a grant awarded by the Watertown Community Foundation.
Read the Stories in the Series
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
Resources
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)