“Cooks for Community” to feed more people for more weeks

The Cooks for Community Program, led by the Marion Institute’s South Coast Food Policy Council with help from the Gleason Family YMCA, is now serving 175 hot meals each day to Wareham seniors and homeless people. 

The program was launched with funding from John Decas and Southcoast Health on April 14, and was initially planned to feed 100 people, five days a week, for one month.

Thanks to additional funding, more people are receiving healthy meals each day, and the program will last for at least six weeks. The Institute is currently working on securing funding to pay for a seventh week of meals.

Patti Rego, the director of marketing and communications for the Marion Institute, said that the program has “snowballed in a good way,” and is now expanding to feed people in New Bedford and Fall River as well.

All the meals are healthy and nutritious. Wareham’s meals are being prepared by Marc Anthony’s and the Minkle Boys Catering Company. 

“It’s really important to us to try to get the most nutritious meal, because food is medicine,” Rego said. 

To donate to the program, go to www.marioninstitute.org/donatetosfpc/.