Hunger is a real problem for many individuals and families in the area, and it includes their pets. Our community food outreach program is designed to reach out to assist families in need of food for their pets. In collaboration with Baypath Humane Society of Hopkinton, MetroWest Humane Society pools and distributes food items to these local food pantries typically on the third Sunday on each month.
Families and individuals benefiting from food assistance from these designated pantries can pick up cat and dog food while selecting food items for themselves. It’s our way to support these animals and prevent families from making the difficult decision to surrender, abandon or simply give up on their pets, because of their inability to feed them.
Currently food packets can be found in the following locations:
- Ashland Food Pantry, 162 West Union St, Ashland, MA, 508-532-7949
- St. Bridget’s Rectory, 15 Wheeler Street, Framingham, MA 508-875-5959
- Holliston Pantry Shelf, 73 Charles Street, Holliston, MA 508-429-5392
- Project Just Because, 77 South Street, Hopkinton, MA 508-435-6511
- The Food Pantry at United Parish of Upton, 1 Church St., Upton, MA 508-529-3192
- Grafton Food Bank, 30 Providence Road, Grafton, MA 508-277-4535
- Franklin Food Pantry, 341 West Central Street, Franklin, MA, 508-528-3115
Each food pantry listed above has eligibility requirements. Please contact them directly to determine if you qualify for assistance, as well as for a list of hours of operations.
Our food outreach program relies solely on donations from individuals and retail stores. Therefore, quantity and content vary month to month based on what’s available to us. We carefully screen donated items and provide only high quality food from recognizable brands. We never distribute food with opened bags or with expired dates. As non-food items become available to us, we distribute them, such as pet dishes, bedding and toys but prefer to focus on food items. The one non-food item that is the exception is kitty litter. Food for pets other than dogs and cats, such as rabbits and birds, is not provided.
At our shelter location at 30 Pond Street in Ashland, our volunteers sort, re-bag (large bags of dry cat and dog food are repackaged into smaller 1.0 pound or 2.5 pound bags), and label items for delivery to the local food panties. Cans of wet food, treats and smaller bags of pet food are distributed in their original packaging. In addition to supporting the local food pantries, MetroWest Humane Society supports various individuals and other rescue groups that feed hundreds of domestic, feral and abandoned cats. The more food we have only means that we can provide more support to help these groups keep these animals fed and healthy.
If you are interested in helping provide food to these animals, you can show your support in the following ways:
- Make a food donation: Drop off cat and dog food (wet and dry) at the shelter with a note designating the food to be used for the food outreach program.
- Make a cash donation: Your cash donation will be used to purchase food for use by the program. A receipt for the goods purchased by your donation will be sent to you. MetroWest Humane Society is a 501(c) ( 3) non-profit organization and all your donations are tax deductible.
- Facilitate a Food Source: If you work at or know someone who works at a retail store with surplus dog and cat items, contact us so that we can establish MetroWest Humane Society as an approved non-profit to receive these donations. Once a connection is made, our volunteers will pick up unwanted food items in a timely manner so that valuable store inventory space is quickly relieved of unwanted items while helping us provide food assistance to many.
For additional information about this program, please contact the shelter at (508) 875.3776 or mwhspaw@yahoo.com
Thank you so very much for your support.