Attleboro Council of Churches Feeds Families in Need:
Family Café Program Growing

With food provided by The Greater Boston Food Bank, the Attleboro Area Council of Churches is providing food to the growing number of families in need in our community by expanding their “Food N Friends Kitchens” initiative.  They’ve created two new kitchens, or “Family Cafes,” that are specifically designed to be welcoming to children and accessible to families.  During its first year of operation, the Family Cafes doubled the number of parents and children they feed on Saturday evenings. By using the framework of a family outing – with fun kids activities, as well as free food and resource assistance – Family Cafes offer a safe, confidential and supportive atmosphere for struggling families.  Food N Friends Kitchens provide nutritious, high-quality and well-balanced meals, including vegetables and fresh produce.  They’re held on the last Wednesday and Saturday of each month because families receiving public assistance are most at risk of hunger at that time. Despite the program’s rapid growth, Family Cafe managers are aware there are many more at-risk families, and have started to send out personal invitations for those families to join in the meals. Eventually, Food N Friends Kitchens plans to host a Family Cafe dinner party in varied locations as often as once per week.  The Attleboro Area Council of Churches Family Cafes currently receive about 30% of their food from GBFB, which is up 5% over the past year, and likely to increase further with growing outreach to meet growing need.