Help The Open Door “Paint the Town Orange” this September for Hunger Awareness 

~ todtheopendoor

Each year, Hunger Action Month™ offers an opportunity for community to come together to address food insecurity in the cities and towns where we live, work, and play.

Hunger Action DAY will also be recognized on Friday, Sept. 15.

Locally, The Open Door has already seen a 28% increase in visits to its Food Pantries alone in 2023, and a 20% increase in people visiting its pantries. This means more people are getting their groceries from The Open Door, more often.

Want to help support local hunger-relief programs at The Open Door and raise hunger awareness this month? Learn more below about the opportunities available:

    • Volunteer with The Open Door! Packing groceries, delivering meals, sorting food or sorting donations at Second Glance, and corporate engagement opportunities are just a few of the many roles available to volunteers. Learn more at FOODPANTRY.org/volunteer. 

    • Order a tasty “orange” treat at a local eatery. A handful of local restaurants have volunteered to help spread hunger awareness this month, including: 

      • 1606 Restaurant & Oyster Bar will offer mango and blood orange sorbet, and a Naranja Nights cocktail.  QR codes for donations will also be available, and patrons may also round up their bill to support hunger-relief programs of The Open Door this September. 

      • Brother’s Brew (reopening Sept. 14) will offer a special Hunger Action Month™ donut. 

      • Cake Ann will offer special Hunger Action Month™ cupcakes. 

      • Duckworth’s Gloucester will provide a special Hunger Action Month™ menu item. 

      • Holy Cow will offer a Hunger Action Month™ ice-cream flavor starting on Hunger Action Day Friday Sept. 15 through the rest of the month at its Gloucester location. 

      • Seaport Grille will offer a pumpkin cheesecake and creamsicle margarita. QR codes for donations will also be available, and patrons may also round up their bill to support hunger-relief programs of The Open Door this September. 

      • Turtle Alley will offer chocolate bars with the word “LOVE” embossed on them, wrapped in cellophane with an orange ribbon.  

    • Shop at a special, orange-themed shopping event at Second Glance, Thrift Store of The Open Door on Wednesday, Sept. 13. Proceeds at the store support hunger-relief programs of The Open Door.  

    • Borrow a book from a special Hunger Action Month™ display at one of the following libraries: Sawyer Free Library in Gloucester, Manchester-by-the-Sea Public Library, T.O.H.P. Burnham Library in Essex, Hamilton-Wenham Public Library, and Boxford Town Library. 

    • Wear orange. Join a handful of community groups who will be sporting orange this September to raise awareness, including the Gloucester City Council at their Tuesday, Sept. 12 meeting, Gloucester Police Department Community Impact Unit, CORE Peer Recovery & Resource Center, Beauport Hospitality Group staff, and Sudbay Automotive Group team members. 

    • See Gloucester City Hall and the Beauport Hotel lit up with orange lights. 

    • Commuters: keep an eye out on Rt. 128 for a special Hunger Action Month™ banner at Sudbay Automotive coming soon. 

Mayor Greg Verga will issue a proclamation naming September Hunger Action Month™ on Hunger Action Day Friday, Sept. 15. The Gloucester City Council will also issue a proclamation at its Tuesday, Sept. 12 meeting.

Learn more about Hunger Action Month™ at FOODPANTRY.org and THANK YOU!

About Hunger Action MonthHunger Action Month™ 

Hunger Action Month™ is an annual, nationwide campaign by the Feeding America network to raise awareness and encourage action to reduce food insecurity.