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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.

Final Gloucester Main Street Party of 2023

~ Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce

Join the Greater Cape Ann Chamber and the City of Gloucester for the last of the three summer block parties on Friday, September 1st from 6 to 10 PM to kick off Labor Day and Schooner Festival weekend!

Featured performer Cate Great will delight the young and old alike with her balancing and juggling skills. A “possible appearance” by Slyde, the NE Revolution mascot, face painting, Mary Poppins, Captain Jack and Cape Ann Vernal Pond will also be on hand to entertain the kids. Visit with non-profits, street vendors, and retailers. Enjoy the delicious offerings of numerous food trucks & restaurants, and dance the night away to music on three different stages. A great start to the “end of summer weekend!”

Visit https://bit.ly/MainStreetBlockParty for more details!

‘What Time is it, Mr. Fox?’ this Friday!!!

~ chasnaz

Alek Razdan Ensemble next Friday!!!

Music on Meetinghouse Green presents a free, outdoor concert at 6:00pm featuring ‘What Time is it, Mr. Fox?’on September 1 in front of the UU Church at the corner of Middle and Church Streets. Free-will donations from the audience will benefit the Northshore Health Project. The Lobster Roller is the food vendor. This concert was postponed from August 4 due to heavy rain.

Well known in Boston’s underground cabaret scene, ‘What Time Is It Mr. Fox?’ has earned a loyal following with frequent performances in New York City and tours across the United States. Their original songs feature rich lyrical imagery that explore love, spirituality, sexuality, and identity, and their performances are infused with energy, honesty, and emotional authenticity. Their unique brand of music and performance art has been adopted by popular singers, filmmakers, and repertory theaters. Band members include: 3rian King, voice, piano, and acoustic guitar; Nathan Cohen, violin, trumpet, voice; Dennis Monagle, drums; Renee Dupuis, voice, keys, and melodica; and Joe Cardoza, upright bass.

Next Friday, September 8 at 6:00pm, is our grand finale summer concert featuring the Alek Razdan Ensemble. In addition to Alek, the ensemble features his father Rikki Razdan on saxophone and clarinet, Jim Coyle on guitar and vocals, John Cameron on keyboard, Ken Steiner on bass, and Roger Brockelbank on drums. Free-will donations go to the Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation’s upcoming major restoration of Meetinghouse Green. The Causeway Restaurant is the food vendor.

CODA Film Screening at the Library on Thursday, August 31

~ Sawyer Free Library

Movie Screening at Sawyer Free Library at 21 Main Street in Downtown Gloucester – Free and open to the public, registration required.

The Sawyer Free Library is partnering with Cape Ann Community Cinema with a free screening of the award-winning movie, CODA (2021), at the Sawyer Free Library located at 21 Main Street on Thursday, August 31, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. The event is free and open to all, although registration is required.   

CODA, which stands for child of deaf adults, tells the story of Ruby Rossi and her family’s struggling fishing business. The only hearing person in her home, Ruby discovers a passion for singing that makes her choose between supporting her family and following her dreams.  

Attendance is free, but reservations are required. Any questions, call 978-325-5500 or visit sawyerfreelibrary.org.

You’re invited to The Great Gloucester GrowDown!

~ backyardgrowersgloucester

Join us for Backyard Growers‘ annual fall fundraiser, The Great Gloucester GrowDown. At this year’s GrowDown, Backyard Growers will share stories from our community’s 2023 growing season and toast the power of growing food together.

Enjoy a delicious farm-to-table dinner with ingredients sourced from local North Shore farms and prepared by the magicians at Short & Main, plus signature seasonal cocktails. Contribute to a live fund-a-need auction to support our work empowering people to grow their own food, and connect with your community over the joy of supporting each other and growing food together!

Tickets are selling out fast! Proceeds support Backyard Growers’ work building healthy, connected, resilient communities by empowering people to grow their own food in Gloucester and beyond.

Learn more & purchase tickets

Countdown to Kindergarten welcomes the Class of 2036!

Image ~ ~ gloucestereducationfoundation

Last night Pathways for Children, Gloucester Public Schools, Gloucester Education Foundation, and an incredible team of partners welcomed the Class of 2036 to the Gloucester Public Schools! Countdown to Kindergarten is Gloucester’s annual community celebration to welcome our newest students and their families to the Gloucester Schools. 132 new kindergarteners and more than 250 of their family members had a chance to:

Thank you to all of the partners, sponsors, and volunteers who made this event possible, to the school staff who took a break from their summer vacation to meet their new students, to Gloucester High School for stepping in to host the event this year, to the many elected officials who attended, and most of all, to the kindergarteners who were brave enough to come to this big, noisy space to launch their careers as Gloucester students! We’re so excited to watch you grow, learn, and thrive in our schools, and GEF is proud to support you on your K-12 journey.

A special thanks to Amy Larsen from Pathways for Children and Christine Castle from the Gloucester Schools for their leadership on this event.

Gloucester Main Street Block Party is on Saturday!

~ Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce

What a line up we have for the 2nd Gloucester Main Street Block Party on this Saturday evening August 12 from 6 to 10 PM! Our headline performer is Alazakam – The Human Knot, a world famous contortionist who will amaze you with his twisting and bending, while making you laugh at the same time! In addition, the NE Revolution will be present with games for the kids, a bucket drumming act from Berkley School of Music will be striking up a beat, and everyone’s favorite Cape Ann Dance will feature their talented young dancers. Please visit the Chamber Event Calendar for a full list of entertainment, non-profits, businesses and food vendors who will be on hand to delight the young and old alike! See you there! Please share to your friends & followers! The Gloucester Main Street Block Party is presented by the Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the City of Gloucester.