Fuel assistance and food bank referrals at Action for Boston Community Development’s (ABCD) offices, including the Parker Hill/Fenway Neighborhood Service Center, are at an “all-time high,” and the anti-poverty nonprofit has launched a “Winter Emergency Campaign” in response.
ABCD is seeking donations of all kinds, such as new winter clothing, blankets and non-perishable food, for an expected 10,000 additional families at risk this winter.
“Many people who never had to ask for help before are turning to ABCD for assistance this holiday season,” said ABCD President/CEO John Drew in a press statement.
As one example, for all of last winter, ABCD received 22,146 applications for fuel assistance for people who could not afford their home heating bills. By Nov. 16, ABCD had already received 14,000 applications for this winter.
Federal funding cuts to ABCD-administered programs already had big impacts last year. The cap on fuel assistance funding was slashed by 35 percent.
Item donations can be dropped off at the Parker Hill/Fenway Neighborhood Service Center at 714 Parker St. in Mission Hill. For more about ABCD’s programs and donations, see bostonabcd.org.