Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Cape Cod Cooperative Extension reports surge in food‑pantry use, pilots regional resilience and purchasing programs
Summary
Cape Cod Cooperative Extension told the Assembly standing committee on Health & Human Services that local pantries and meal sites have seen a 30–40% jump in use amid SNAP disruptions and other pressures; Extension described a new online referral form, a CARROT resilience audit and $1.2 million in state grants for local purchasing.
Andrea Scarpolini, food access coordinator for Cape Cod Cooperative Extension, told the Cape Cod Regional Government Assembly of Delegates’ standing committee on Health and Human Services that local food pantries and meal sites are seeing a sharp increase in demand tied to recent SNAP disruptions and other economic pressures. “We have been seeing such an increased huge number of people needing the pantries,” Scarpolini said.
Scarpolini and a colleague, identified as Kim (a nutritionist with Cooperative Extension), said pantries report a roughly 30–40% increase in usage, including many households that had not used pantries in a decade. To respond, Extension created an online food‑access request form that…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
