TURNERS FALLS — After a few months of handing out brown bags of non-perishable foods, the Franklin County Community Meals Program is resuming its hot, free community meals at Our Lady of Peace Church on Seventh Street each Monday.
According to a press release from the Franklin County Community Meals Program’s new Executive Director Rachel Berggren, the meals — distributed in a to-go fashion — are prepared following restaurant safety guidelines and are available to anyone who needs them.
The shift back to hot meals is possible as a result of the program’s partnerships with Our Lady of Peace Church, Chef Frank Barrett-Mills and many community volunteers. Barrett-Mills brings experience cooking thousands of meals for Mercy Chefs, a hunger relief nonprofit that assists communities around the world during disasters such as Hurricane Katrina.
“With this level of expertise, FCCMP is confident that it will be able to provide nutritious, comforting and safe food for all,” the release reads. “FCCMP’s mission is to work in partnership with the community to alleviate hunger, and it is able to do so through these challenging times because of a committed community that provides food donations and volunteers time to help feed people.”
The Monday meals will be available to-go from 5 to 6 p.m. or until the food is fully distributed, the release states. Meals may be picked up outside at the front of the church.
Social distancing protocols will be observed. Sanitized, homemade masks and grocery bags of non-perishable foods will also be distributed for free, as supplies last.
For more information, contact the Franklin County Community Meals Program at 413-772-1033 or fccmp.ma@gmail.com.