Food Insecurity is All Around Us:  

The Open Door Calls for Hunger Awareness 

CAPE ANN— Amid sky-high food prices and a steep cost of living, The Open Door asks the community to come together this September to raise hunger awareness. 

September is Hunger Action Month™, an annual, nationwide campaign by the Feeding America network to raise awareness and encourage action to reduce food insecurity.  

The Open Door served 957 MORE people and had 4,452 MORE household visits in the first six months of 2024 than the same period in 2023. That means more people are visiting the nonprofit, more often.  

“Your help puts food on the table for people right here in our community, and your kindness plants a seed of hope for households during hard times,” President and CEO Julie LaFontaine said. 

Want to help raise hunger awareness and keep local people fed?  Learn more below about the opportunities in your community to participate: 

• Donate to support programs of The Open Door at FOODPANTRY.org. 

• Volunteer with The Open Door! Packing groceries, delivering meals, sorting food or sorting donations at Second Glance, and corporate engagement opportunities are just a few of the many roles available to volunteers. Learn more at FOODPANTRY.org/volunteer. 

• Wear orange. Orange is the color of hunger awareness. 

• Enjoy a sweet treat: 

• 1. Brothers Brew in Rockport will offer a vanilla donut frosted with orange sprinkles starting Sept. 8 for Hunger Action Month 

• 2. Cake Ann will offer special creamsicle and chocolate orange flavored cupcakes to help raise hunger awareness starting Sept. 1 

• 3. Holy Cow’s Gloucester location on Pleasant Street will serve an Orange Creamsicle flavored ice cream 

• 4. Turtle Alley will offer chocolate bars embossed with the word “LOVE” 

• 5. A portion of proceeds will support local hunger-relief programs of The Open Door! 

• Watch out for Hunger Action Month themed coasters at 1606 Restaurant & Oyster Bar, the Seaport Grille, and The Cut to donate! 

• See Gloucester City Hall and the Beauport Hotel lit up with orange lights. 

• Get tickets for The Open Door Thrift the Runway Fashion Show by Second Glance, the thrift store of The Open Door at The Cut on Sunday, Sept. 8. Visit FOODPANTRY.org to learn more.  

• Gloucester Mayor Greg Verga will issue a proclamation naming September Hunger Action Month™ at the Second Glance Fashion Show on Sunday, Sept.8.  

• The Gloucester City Council will also wear orange Hunger Action Month ™ t-shirts to help raise awareness at their Tuesday, Sept. 10 meeting.  

• SHOP and DONATE at Second Glance year-round. Revenue at the store raises funds for hunger-relief programs of The Open Door. Free referrals are also given to the community for those in need. 

Learn more about Hunger Action Month™ at FOODPANTRY.org.  

About The Open Door  

The mission of The Open Door is to alleviate the impact of hunger in our community. We use practical strategies to connect people to good food, to advocate on behalf of those in need, and to engage others in the work of building food security. 

Founded in 1978, The Open Door is a 501 (c)(3) tax exempt nonprofit and community food resource center for low-income residents of Gloucester, Rockport, Manchester, Essex, Ipswich, Hamilton, Boxford, Rowley, Topsfield, and Wenham. In 2023, The Open Door helped stabilize the lives and health of 9,836 people from 4,952 households through the distribution of 1.98 million pounds of food. 

For more information, visit FOODPANTRY.org. 

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