People in the communities of Brewster, Orleans, Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro, and Provincetown need our help. As we approach a year of living in a pandemic, many have lost jobs, income, or other forms of support, which can be hard on families. One of the best ways you can help is to support local nonprofit organizations that serve the community. At NRMS, collection drives throughout the year help some of these organizations with donations and funds. 

Ms. Fleischer recently organized a drive for donations of home goods and toiletries for Champ Homes, which is an organization in Hyannis that specialize in helping people transition out of homelessness. While people stay in the Champ Homes, they need all of the self-care items we take for granted: things that help them keep clean and rest comfortably. The drive started on January 11 and ran until February 12. Faculty and students helped to fill several boxes worth of donations. 

Ms. Fleischer addressed the challenge of  being homeless on Cape Cod right now, saying “Covid-19 is having a significant effect on the homeless population. The homeless are more likely to be older adults and to have underlying medical conditions that put them at risk for severe illness from Covid. They do not have regular healthcare providers. Also, it’s difficult for a homeless person to practice the precautions against Covid-19, such as avoiding crowded places like shelters or public transportation.”

Feeding the Hungry

Another organization, The Soup Kitchen in Provincetown, better known as SKIP, provides daily meals for anyone who needs them. They serve 165 meals a day using a drive-up service. Hilary McHugh, Office Coordinator at SKIP, said that the pandemic is having a big impact on the community and many people are in need. However, because of health restrictions, they had to limit their volunteer numbers. Also because of Covid, food insecurity is a big problem. 

These are two organizations out of the many here on Cape Cod that work around the clock to help people in need. If you want to volunteer or donate here are a couple additional organizations on Cape Cod. 

Lower Cape Outreach Council: The mission of Lower Cape Outreach Council is to provide comprehensive assistance to those in need of immediate support and to encourage long term self-sufficiency.

Homeless Prevention of Cape Cod: They help their clients maintain housing, or navigate the process of securing new housing when possible.

The Family Pantry of Cape Cod: The Family Pantry of Cape Cod is a non-profit, non-denominational activity dedicated to serving the needs of the less fortunate of Cape Cod.

Click here: http:// ChampHomesThankYou.MOV to see a video from Champ Homes thanking NRMS for the donations.