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Even as many buildings close down, residents isolate, and employees work from home, numerous Somerville community members are struggling.

With schools closed down, how will some children eat? If a parent can’t afford to stay home, who will take care of their child? If an immune-compromised person can’t leave the house, how will they get cleaning supplies?

Right now, though social distancing remains important, Somerville is coming together. In the last few days, residents and business owners have put together several resources for people in need. So, for those looking to volunteer or those needing support, check out the following resources:

Mutual Aid Medford and Somerville (MAMAS)

With MAMAS, you can get help and give help. MAMAS has put together a needs list and offerings list for anyone to fill out. Almost 250 people have already filled out the MAMAS “Offerings” list, offering assistance with everything from childcare to cooking and pet care to food delivery.

"Right now, the bulk of need requests are from people who need help with groceries and basic supplies, either because they're high-risk and cannot leave their house, or because they're low-income and cannot afford to stock up on two-weeks worth of food," said MAMAS organizer Sophia Belle. "We suspect that there will be a greater need for family-related aid since the public schools are shutting down and parents will have the added burden of feeding/watching their kids 24/7. As we expected, there are people in our communities who are falling through the nets and those are the individuals that we are trying to assess the needs of and reach out to."

MAMAS is also seeking people willing to take on “neighborhood point people” responsibilities to organize communication and support in their neighborhoods. Belle pointed out that not everyone has access to Facebook and Gmail, and door-to-door flyering (without actual contact) might be the only way to get support vulnerable neighbors.

"MAMAS operates under the optimistic presumption that, in key moments, people choose to do incredible things for each other," they said. "All of us co-organizers arrived with the similar goal of creating a communication system and infrastructure to encourage reallocation of resources and solidarity between residents– these are uncertain times, so it helps to have certainty in our community's ability to care for itself."

Anyone with questions or other ideas on how to help, email mutualaidmamas@gmail.com.

Simple meals from Daddy Jones

The owners of Daddy Jones Bar, in Somerville’s Magoun Square, shared an offer of meal assistance on their social media.

“It’s all about community. We have small children in the school system and we understand what it means if they cannot go to school for the next couple of weeks,” they wrote in a Facebook post. “We know that they cannot get morning breakfast or lunch and that someone needs to stay home from work. If you are in need of any meals we can arrange for some simple meals to help get through the next few days. If you are in need please DM us and we can see how we can help! We urge all our sister restaurants to also think about donating any food that could be wasted to help local pantries and neighbors.”

Reach out via social media to ask them for support.

Food for Free volunteer response



Food for Free is mobilizing a volunteer team to ensure vulnerable populations still get food. Food for Free are seeking volunteers willing to assist with picking up, carrying, driving, and delivering food in the area. Those interested in volunteering can fill out this form.

Tufts Mutual Aid for students affected by coronavirus

Several students have organized a form for members of the Tufts or local community to offer assistance to displaced students. Almost 700 students, alums, and community members have offered help, from housing to storage and transportation. Anyone able to offer financial assistance can donate online.

Food security resources

The Somerville Food Security Coalition has a list of food pantries in the area where residents can get free or reduced price groceries.

Medford’s Mystic Community Market also recently opened on Mystic Avenue. Those interested in volunteering there can email LSmythe@ymcamalden.org.