Recent News
FRAMINGHAM - The hungry people who come to the Pearl Street Cupboard and Café for a free hot meal aren’t walking into a soup kitchen. They're met by a maitre d’, seated at a banquet table, then served baked salmon or Italian chicken over pasta.
"There are two words that we use here at the Pearl Street Cupboard and Café: respect and dignity," United Way of Tri-County President Paul Mina told a roomful of supporters Tuesday afternoon. "And that’s the way that everybody is treated here."
Dignitaries and local community and business leaders joined Mina’s organization in celebrating the second birthday of the successful hot meal program and adjoining food pantry. Together, the two have distributed more than 1.3 million pounds of food and served more than 8,400 Framingham residents, Mina said.
The MetroWest Daily News
FRAMINGHAM-- The United Way of Tri-County is seeking nominations of local "do-gooders" who dedicate their time and talent to making the world a better place.
Northborough –Employees of the Northborough Wegmans store recently contributed nearly $54,000 to be donated to two local United Way branches.
On Jan. 16 store officials presented to United Way representatives a check for $26,939.50 for each of the two branches in a ceremony held at the store.
CLINTON — Food insecurity is the catchword for not knowing where your next meal is coming from. The recession may be waning and unemployment may be decreasing, but the number of people who aren't making it from paycheck to paycheck is increasing, with many of them using food pantries to put food on the table.
WHEAT of Clinton, a direct service agency of the United Way of Tri-County, not only has a food pantry, it is serving free meals six days a week at its Community Café.
Tazanyia Mouton/USAG Natick Public Affairs--
NATICK, Mass. (Jan. 17, 2014) -- In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy, the personnel of the Natick Soldier Systems Center hosted a food drive Jan. 6-13.
The donations were delivered Jan. 15 to the Marlborough Community Cupboard, the Salvation Army- Framingham Food Pantry, the Natick Service Council and the Worcester County Food Bank. The Equal Employment Office received more than 6,000 pounds of food.
Framingham Patch/Susan Petroni--
Town of Framingham employees together with Town Manager Bob Halpin, and with an anonymous donor from the Framingham Fire Department, raised $5,000 to make a difference in the lives of families in need in Framingham.
Wicked Local Bolton/Nan Shnitzler--
Donna Jarvis, program manager of Clinton-based WHEAT Community Connections and board member Panny Gerken appeared before the selectmen Dec. 5 to describe increases in Bolton residents’ use of services. WHEAT is the local support agency for residents in Bolton, Berlin, Clinton, Lancaster and Sterling who might be facing difficult times and need essential services like food, heat, shelter and advice to help them get back on their feet. WHEAT merged with Framingham-based United Way of Tri-County in spring of 2012.
Framingham Patch/ Mary MacDonald
The United Way of Tri-County has launched a free mental health helpline, connecting people in need to trained volunteers. The service is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, at 508-532-CALL (2255).
The Boston Globe/Kathleen Burge
Some of the people who come looking for free groceries these days at the Pearl Street Cupboard and Cafe in Framingham were once on the other side of the United Way’s ledger: as volunteers and donors.
But then they lost their jobs, and began struggling to feed their families. And those who rely on food stamps saw their benefits cut last month after the 2009 federal stimulus package expired.
Wicked Local/Christine M. Quirk
Maynard — Good kid, helpful, and giving back – these are some of the ways staff describe Jonny Caso, the Boys & Girls Club of Assabet Valley’s Youth of the Year.
"He’s such a good boy," Executive Director Wendy Allegrone-Leslie said. "He’s done a lot here. We’ve really seen him grow into a mature young man."
