/ Events, Press Releases

The Open Door  
Julie LaFontaine, President and CEO  
28 Emerson Ave.,  
Gloucester, MA 01930  

 
Media Contact: Kelsey Richards 
Email: kelsey.richards@foodpantry.org 
Phone: 978-283-6776 x 226 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  
Friday, Sept. 1, 2023 

Help The Open Door “Paint the Town Orange” this September for Hunger Awareness

Pumpkin Cheesecake at the Seaport Grille. Beauport Hospitality Group is one of several local groups partnering with The Open Door to spread hunger awareness this September. (Photo Courtesy of Beauport Hospitality Group)

CAPE ANN – The Open Door will “paint the town orange” for Hunger Action Month™ this September to raise awareness about the reality of food insecurity, right here in the communities where we live, work, and play. 

Hunger Action Month™ is an annual, nationwide campaign by the Feeding America network to raise awareness and encourage action to reduce food insecurity. This year, Hunger Action Day is being recognized on Friday, Sept. 15. Orange is the color used to spread hunger awareness.  

“Hunger Action Month™ is rooted in community coming together, and that’s never been truer than it is this year,” President and CEO Julie LaFontaine said. “When life happens The Open Door is here to help, and that’s possible because of everyone who steps up to donate, volunteer, advocate, and do their part to help our neighbors.” 

The Open Door has already seen a 28% increase in visits to its Food Pantries alone in 2023, and a 20% increase in people visiting its pantries. This means more people are getting their groceries from The Open Door, more often. 

Interested in supporting local hunger-relief programs at The Open Door and raising hunger awareness this month? 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. 
  • Order a tasty “orange” treat at a local eatery. A handful of local restaurants have volunteered to help spread hunger awareness this month, including: 
  • 1606 Restaurant & Oyster Bar will offer mango and blood orange sorbet, and a Naranja Nights cocktail.  
  • QR codes for donations will also be available, and patrons may also round up their bill to support hunger-relief programs of The Open Door this September. 
  • Brother’s Brew (reopening Sept. 14) will offer a special Hunger Action Month™ donut. 
  • Cake Ann will offer special Hunger Action Month™ cupcakes. 
  • Duckworth’s Gloucester will provide a special Hunger Action Month™ menu item. 
  • Holy Cow will offer a Hunger Action Month™ ice-cream flavor starting on Hunger Action Day Friday Sept. 15 through the rest of the month at its Gloucester location. 
  • Seaport Grille will offer a pumpkin cheesecake and creamsicle margarita. 
  • QR codes for donations will also be available, and patrons may also round up their bill to support hunger-relief programs of The Open Door this September. 
  • Turtle Alley will offer chocolate bars with the word “LOVE” embossed on them, wrapped in cellophane with an orange ribbon.  
  • Shop at a special, orange-themed shopping event at Second Glance, Thrift Store of The Open Door on Wednesday, Sept. 13. Proceeds at the store support hunger-relief programs of The Open Door.  
  • Borrow a book from a special Hunger Action Month™ display at one of the following libraries: Sawyer Free Library in Gloucester, Manchester-by-the-Sea Public Library, T.O.H.P. Burnham Library in Essex, Hamilton-Wenham Public Library, and Boxford Town Library. 
  • Wear orange. Join a handful of community groups who will be sporting orange this September to raise awareness, including the Gloucester City Council at their Tuesday, Sept. 12 meeting, Gloucester Police Department Community Impact Unit, CORE Peer Recovery & Resource Center, Beauport Hospitality Group staff, and Sudbay Automotive Group team members. 
  • See Gloucester City Hall and the Beauport Hotel lit up with orange lights. 
  • Commuters: keep an eye out on Rt. 128 for a special Hunger Action Month™ banner at Sudbay Automotive coming soon. 

Gloucester Mayor Greg Verga will issue a proclamation naming September Hunger Action Month™ on Hunger Action Day Friday, Sept.15. The Gloucester City Council will also issue a proclamation at its Tuesday Sept. 12 meeting naming September Hunger Action Month™. 

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 2022, The Open Door helped stabilize the lives and health of 8,486 people from 4,872 households through the distribution of 1.78 million pounds of food. 

For more information, visit FOODPANTRY.org. 

### 

Scroll to Top