Important: Helping Our Neighbors in Need

Dear Shrewsbury Families, Colleagues, and Community Members,

Food insecurity is an unfortunate reality for many in our community.  Many of our neighbors rely on SNAP benefits to feed their families and themselves – including seniors, veterans, and children.  In our schools, almost 1 in 5 students qualifies as low income, and 15% of our students are currently receiving SNAP benefits.  Thankfully, Massachusetts public school districts provide universal access to both breakfast and lunch every school day for students in grades K-12, but the loss of SNAP benefits will affect our students at home, and no one should go hungry in our community.

Given the impending loss of access to food that many of our neighbors, including almost 900 of our students, will experience starting tomorrow due to the federal government's halting of SNAP benefits, I am asking for your help.  Now is the time for our always-generous Shrewsbury community to again step up and make a positive difference for those in need.

If you are in need of help:
1) If you are an SPS parent or caregiver, click HERE if your family is in need so that we can confidentially provide your family with support, including gift cards to local supermarkets.

2) For anyone, click HERE* for information on where to access food in our area.

What you can do to help:

1) Starting Monday, November 3, send gift cards of $50 or less from a local supermarket to school with your child (Price Chopper, Shaws, etc.).  They can be dropped off at each school's main office.  Due to the impending loss of SNAP benefits, we are starting our annual Season of Gratitude and Giving campaign early.  Click HERE for more information.

2) Starting Monday, November 3, send non-perishable food items or personal care items to school with your child.  Each school will have a collection location near the main office, and we will distribute donations immediately to St. Anne's Human Services Food Pantry and the Worcester County Food Bank.  Click HERE for a list of most requested items at St. Anne's.

3) Anytime, drop food donations off at the Shrewsbury Community Fridge at the Shrewsbury Senior Center (98 Maple Ave, behind the Town Hall) sponsored by the Shrewsbury Rotary Club.  Click HERE for information about what kinds of food and items are accepted, and click HERE to make a monetary donation to the Community Fridge.

4) Drop off food donations at the Shrewsbury Senior Center Food Pantry inside the Senior Center (98 Maple Ave, behind the Town Hall).  Click HERE for their hours and information on how to donate.

5) Learn more about food insecurity and how you can volunteer, donate, or receive help by clicking HERE* (*this is a website that an SHS Class of 2025 graduate created for her honors capstone research project).

THANK YOU for whatever help you can provide during this challenging time for so many of our neighbors.

Joe Sawyer
Superintendent of Schools