Bread and Roses

Written By Anne Coburn

Campaign business

  • Inmanween Thank You – I saw so many people at Inmanween, and the kids’ costumes were so cute. Thank you for the extremely welcome delightfulness! 

  • The Coburn for Cambridge campaign is sponsoring the East Cambridge Halloween Party at Da Silva Park – join us on actual Halloween, there’s only 5% chance of rain!

  • Campaign signs are available – if you’d like one, reach out to info@coburnforcambridge.com.

News

In the last couple of weeks, the City of Cambridge raised commercial property taxes by 22%. There’s a projected Nov 10 joint City Council-School Committee round table to discuss broader macroeconomic trends and their effect on the upcoming budget.

At the same time, we’ve also collectively learned more about an inappropriate $40,000 contract award to The Equity Project, which participated in the now-concluded superintendent search.

Here’s my comment in response:

  1. Vote yes on charter reform so future mayors of Cambridge aren’t the automatic heads of the School Committee. 

  2. You’ve heard that SNAP benefits will most likely be terminated on Nov. 1? $40,000 could have bought a lot more breakfast for kids whose families are facing some very hard times.

As an FYI, this is CPSD’s (very welcome) response to the crisis:

Dear CPS Community,

As of November 1, there is a strong possibility that residents who are eligible for SNAP benefits will not receive these benefits. This is a result of the ongoing government shutdown. SNAP benefits are not expected to resume until the shutdown is over. 

We want to share some important reminders and action steps that we are preparing to support our students and families.

Free Breakfast and Lunch for ALL Students

  • All Cambridge Public Schools students are eligible for FREE breakfast and lunch, regardless of household income.

  • All schools serve freshly cooked, balanced meals with vegetables, fruit, and hot and cold entree options.

  • If your student has not previously eaten school breakfast or lunch, they are still able to use this option. Students do not need to sign up in advance. Any student may eat breakfast, lunch, or both each school day.

  • You can find school food menus for the month of November, here. 

Additional Community Support for Families Eligible for SNAP Benefits
We are working with the City of Cambridge and community partner organizations to find additional ways to support families who are eligible for SNAP benefits. We will share information as it becomes available.

Project Bread’s FoodSource Hotline has counselors available in 180 languages. Counselors can help you find food assistance through other sources. You can click this link or call 1 (800) 645-8333 to access the hotline.

The Cambridge Food Resource Guide (available in many languages) contains the times and locations for food pantries, community meals, farmers’ markets, and more.

You can still apply for SNAP benefits during the shutdown. The Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) will process applications, and benefits may be distributed once funding resumes.

State programs such as TAFDC, EAEDC, and WIC are not impacted by the federal shutdown and will continue to operate as usual unless otherwise noted.

We also want to update you that we are currently not able to provide many of our beef entrees as part of our school meals, due to a national beef shortage. This is not directly related to the government shutdown. Students will continue to receive free, balanced meals daily that include other available protein options.

If you have any questions about food services in CPS, please visit our webpage, email foodservices@cpsd.us, or call 617-349-6858.

Sincerely,
David Murphy (Superintendent)

Damon Smith (Interim Chief Operating Officer)

Anthony Grein (Food Service Director)

Context


Anne Coburn
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