February-March 2022
Warm Winter Greetings.
As the Earth sleeps under snow and ice and cold, the Council of Churches is buzzing with activity and new initiatives. Our programs are coming off a Christmas season that shared goodwill and assistance across our Cape and Nantucket thanks to special programming at A Baby Center, Hands of Hope, Covenant to Care, Hospital Chaplaincy and Homeless Ministries. Thanks to the support of so many volunteers, donors and community partners, we distributed thousands of gifts of food, clothing, diapers, toys, and cheer a-plenty! An enormous thanks to our dedicated and creative staff and all our supporters for helping to make this possible (all happening in addition to our regular services).
We are so pleased to welcome Kevin Dellarciprete to Faith Family Kitchen as our new Chef/Program Director. Kevin brings to this role both great skills and a great heart for serving the vulnerable. He is overseeing our greatly expanded meal service at the Kitchen as we partner with Duffy Health Center to provide lunches and dinners seven days each week for those placed into emergency hotel sheltering through the cold months.
A Baby Center is launching our new Dottie Program, which provides free period supplies to our clients. What a help, as just like diapers and wipes, these costly products are not covered by SNAP benefits. So far about 95% of our clients are happily accepting these goods!
We also celebrate Here Now Ministry joining our Homeless Ministries program. Rev. Pam Wannie offers spiritual services that are designed to be accessible to all in the community. Her partnership with Youth StreetReach is a natural fit. At the January outdoor service, we welcomed over 60 people in the blowing snow amidst 24 degree temperatures. Pam spoke so movingly of God, who "loves us all just as we are." The Spirit was moving along with the wind. Please plan to join our next service, also to be held outside, beginning at 9:45 am on Saturday, February 26 at First Baptist Church on Main Street in Hyannis.
Join us -- the door is open in the cold.
Peace,
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Council News
Hands of Hope Food Pantry and Outreach Center was delighted to be able to conduct an in-person Christmas Market in December! Our heartfelt thanks to the First Congregational Church of Yarmouth for providing a beautifully decorated and spacious room for the market, and to all our volunteers for helping to make this annual event a wonderful success.
A Baby Center, with the help of Cape Cod Church and many hardworking and enthusiastic volunteers, assembled 400 Santa bags containing gifts for more than 460 children. The spirit of the season was very much in evidence as we prepared for this big event - the virtual version of ABC's annual Santa Party. Thank you to all!!
Homeless Persons' Memorial Service
On December 21, 2021 we paused to remember the 54 individuals who lost their lives over this past year after experiencing homelessness at some point. We thank the First Baptist Church of Hyannis for hosting this annual memorial service. We hope you saw the memorial signs placed on the Hyannis Village Green as a part of this virtual event.
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Service of Commemoration, held on January 16, 2022, featured local political leaders of color who spoke to Dr. King's belief in “truth and unconditional love as the final word." Thank you to Dr. Debra Dagwan (former Barnstable Town Councilor), Andre King (Barnstable School Committee Member) and Kip Diggs (MA State Representative) and to the musical ensembles who graced us with an amazing performances. The Scholarship Fund of the Cape Cod Chapter of the NAACP was the beneficiary of a good will offering.
We would like to acknowledge and thank our many donors who have participated
in our Annual Appeal. Your gifts do indeed make a difference, and enable us to fulfill
our mission of "Serving God by Serving Others." We are grateful for your support.
Council Program News
Youth StreetReach, Homeless Ministries
The January Youth StreetReach event was adapted because of Covid to an outdoor event beginning with a service run by HereNow Ministries. The gathering of 75 people was a time of celebration, sharing of food, clothing, and hospitality. Our February event will probably follow this same pattern. Once the Covid surge subsides we hope to return to our regular indoor breakfasts.
 
From 9 am to 2 pm on February 21 - Monday of school vacation week - we will gather with other caring youth to create sleeping mats for unhoused folks. Bring a lunch and stay all day, or come for the morning or afternoon. Start collecting plastic grocery bags now - bring them with you on the 21st. This project is coordinated by Rev. Jennie, Rev. Saramaria from UU Falmouth, and Youth StreetReach. The event will be held at First Baptist Church at 486 Main Street in Hyannis.
Our next Youth StreetReach-HereNow Ministry gathering will be Saturday, February 26, 9:45 am, outside at the First Baptist Church of Hyannis, 486 Main Street. Masks that fully cover both nose and mouth are required.
Contact Marilyn Lariviere for information on how to participate: mlariv@comcast.net or 508-776-6059
Marilyn Lariviere
Director, Homeless Ministries
Faith Family Kitchen
We welcome our new chef in the kitchen, Kevin Dellarciprete! Most recently, Kevin was the executive chef at The Pavilion Nursing Center of Hyannis. Clearly health, nutrition and high volume are second nature for him. Our volunteers are very enthusiastic about their experience with him. And the food is delicious!
Since late November, the Faith Kitchen has been partnering with Duffy Health Center’s “In From The Streets” (IFTS) program. Dedicated state funding allows Duffy to provide housing in local hotels for those who are medically fragile or escaping bad weather.. Faith Family Kitchen has been supplying hot and cold meals every day of the week for those in this emergency shelter  program. The number of meals served in December increased 50% over November. Preparing and packaging this volume of food involved creative thinking and hard work across the board! Andrea Marczely (Food Access Coordinator for Barnstable County) organized volunteers from the Barnstable County’s Medical Reserve Corp (MRC) to pick up the food from the kitchen and deliver it to the two participating hotels. The ITFS food is out the door for distribution by 5:30 pm, when regular take-out service at the Kitchen window begins. We now welcome volunteers from Osterville Baptist Church to transport these meals to those in emergency shelter.
We celebrate this partnership between Duffy Health Center and our Faith Family Kitchen as we combine forces to provide care for our neighbors needing food and shelter. This work could not be possible without the dedicated support of our volunteers - we are so grateful for our hardworking teams!
Hands of Hope Food Pantry and Outreach Center
We Thank You So Much for All Your Help with Food Donations!!
These items are needed now: 
Cereal
Pancake Mix and Syrup
Kids School Snacks and Juice Boxes
Baked Beans
Spam, Manwich, Stew, Tuna
Tomato or Pasta Sauce
Hamburger Helper
Cookies or Crackers
Brownie Mix
Ketchup, Mayo
Canned Pasta (Chef Boy R Dee)
Spaghetti
Donations Accepted Monday and Friday 10-3 or Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday 1-3. Or call us to make other arrangements at 508-432-1312. 😊
Cathy Driscoll
Director, Hands of Hope Food Pantry and Outreach Center
Covenant to Care for Foster Families
Covenant to Care for Foster Families matches a Cape Cod and Islands congregation or civic group with a foster family to support that family and children in their care. This program works along with the Cape’s District Office of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF). Liaisons, who are volunteers from congregations or civic groups, help the families with emotional support and other needs for the foster children in their homes. Foster families have been very grateful and have enjoyed participating in this program. Seeing the smiles on the faces of all the family members as a result of having been helped through this program is very rewarding for everyone! The liaisons have shared that they have a rewarding and grateful feeling while working with foster families. In addition to this support, the “Fostering a Dream” Fund offers small grants to cover special needs, such as sports fees, enrichment lessons, equipment, summer camp fees, etc. Families can apply to receive funding for each child in their foster care, up to a limit of $400 per calendar year.
If you know a foster family, please tell them about this great program that is available for them. Also, if you are a member of a congregation or civic group that would like to volunteer, please contact Natalia Albino Frois at 774-487-2369 or at ctocaredirector@gmail.com.
Natalia Albino Frois
Director, Covenant to Care for Foster Families
A Baby Center
"Dottie" Period Supplies Pilot Program
This pilot program serves our clients with free period supplies each month. One in seven individuals living in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts does not have enough feminine hygiene products to last through their period. ABC accepts donated period supplies during open hours. Click here to read the brochure. Thank you for helping us support our clients!
Diapers are always needed...
Our most popular diaper is size 6. Please donate size 6 diapers! Babies wear size 6 diapers the longest! Thank You!
Potty Chair Kits
ABC gives out free potty chair kits to “graduating” babies! The kit includes:
- a new potty chair
- Cloth training pants
- Wipes
- 2 books
Please help us to encourage potty training by donating new potty chairs and cloth training pants! Thank you!
Advocacy
Please write to your local State Rep to advocate for Diapering Legislation! The time has come for the state to provide some funding to support low income families with diapering babies!
Bill H.206 - Read about the detail here: https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/H206
We can all do something!
If you are interested in creating a local fundraiser or diaper drive, please contact Robin Hayward at 508-560-9433.
Many thanks for all you do!
Robin Hayward
Director, A Baby Center
Donate to help your neighbors
Cape Cod Council of Churches is a charitable 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization
During this COVID-19 crisis, you may be depending on Amazon for some essentials. Consider adding the Council as your preferred charity on AmazonSmile. The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products to the charitable organization of your choice. Click on the button below to get started, and thank you!
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Community News
A word from Michael Scarpellini, Director of Bayada Home Health Care, Hyannis:
I wanted to reach out to touch base around the services that Bayada nursing/home health care provides. We offer home care for adults in their homes, offering a variety of services. We also offer skilled nursing, and can bill long term care insurance, Medicare, Medicaid and have private pay for our services as well.
Bayada, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, provides a valuable service to our older Cape and Islands residents and their families. If you or a member of your family would like to learn more, please click here.
News from Independence House:
The month of February is National Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. In our efforts to promote awareness of teen dating violence and healthy relationships Independence House is proud to announce its 7th annual Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month Art Contest for Cape Cod High School aged students. The due date for submissions is February 25.
This year's theme is "WE KNOW OUR WORTH." We are encouraging students to take our pledge and take a stand against violence, know their worth and promote respect for all relationships. We are inviting students to find inspiration from the pledge to portray their ideas artistically. Artwork includes drawing, painting, photography, graphic arts, collage, writing, sculpture, multi-media…etc. Contest winners will be announced, and prizes awarded, on March 17th.
For more information and how to enter the contest, see the flier.
Bay to Sound Neighbors continues to move forward in this new year of 2022. Our goal is to enable our seniors in Dennis and Yarmouth to age in place with assistance from our wonderful volunteers. Driving to appointments, to the supermarket, light outside activities, technology assistance or just friendly visits or calls. If you have some spare time, consider becoming a volunteer.
We are looking for volunteers to also join our social, member and volunteer committees to help with administrative/ office tasks. We have no paid staff at all - just rely on our wonderful volunteers.
If you are interested in becoming a member to receive services or becoming a volunteer, contact baytosoundneighbors.org. If you are interested in serving on a committee, contact president@baytosoundneighors.com. A happy and healthy new year to all.
The Silent Spring Institute is looking for participants to participate in the Massachusetts PFAS and Your Health study. The Massachusetts PFAS and Your Health Study is one of seven projects funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) to investigate the human health effects of PFAS contaminants in drinking water. The study is being led by Silent Spring Institute in collaboration with Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Eastern Research Group. It's focusing on two communities in Eastern Massachusetts—Hyannis and Ayer—where public drinking water supplies have been contaminated by PFAS from the use of firefighting foams at nearby fire training areas. Our local community partners are Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition (MBCC) and People of Ayer Concerned about the Environment (PACE).
To learn more, go to the Open House on February 19, or click here.
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Donate to help your neighbors
Cape Cod Council of Churches is a charitable 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization
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About the Council
The Cape Cod Council of Churches serves people of all ages from Cape Cod and the Islands who are facing some of life's most difficult challenges. We have been privileged to serve our neighbors for 60 years, meeting people at their points of critical need and helping them move forward to greater stability. We are able to impact the lives of over 7,500 residents each year through the Council's six different programs and the work of over 400 volunteers. With the help of churches and our community our mission comes to life, "Serving God by Serving Others," as we offer practical assistance, spiritual support and hope - all without regard for religious affiliation.
A BABY CENTER, Hyannis
A BABY CENTER, Nantucket
Provides critical basic baby needs to income eligible families (WIC) for infants up to age four on Cape Cod and the Islands. The Hyannis Center serves over 500 babies each month. Families receive diapers, wipes, formula, gently-used clothing and other baby necessities.
COVENANT TO CARE
Matches a Cape & Islands congregation with Foster Care Families, supporting those families and the foster children in their care. This program works in partnership with the MA Dept. of Children & Families.
FAITH FAMILY KITCHEN
Provides hot, nutritious meals to our food insecure neighbors three evenings a week in Hyannis. Volunteer congregations and community groups help to prepare and serve free meals each Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
HANDS OF HOPE FOOD PANTRY AND OUTREACH CENTER
Offers emergency assistance to low-income families in the mid-Cape area (Mashpee to Harwich). Assistance includes: food, clothing, small household goods and financial relief to prevent evictions.
HOMELESS MINISTRIES
Homeless Ministries Services
Offers short term emergency shelter for families and individuals facing homelessness.
Youth StreetReach
Enables teens to interact with our homeless neighbors by serving a meal and hearing firsthand how a life's path can lead to unexpected circumstances.
HOSPITAL CHAPLAINCY
Sponsors a Chaplain at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital who offers prayers, hope and comfort to patients and families in their time of illness and recovery.
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