The Open Door

The mission of The Open Door is to alleviate the impact of hunger in our community. We use practical strategies to connect people to good food, to advocate on behalf of those in need, and to engage others in the work of building food security. Our Food Pantry provides a free, three to five day supply of emergency groceries once every seven days for income-qualified residents of our service area. Our service area includes Gloucester, Rockport, Ipswich, Manchester and Essex. Clients from outside this service area should look for a food pantry that serves their own city or town. Clients are asked to fill out a confidential form that helps the Food Pantry track its resources. They should be prepared to provide a name and birth date for each person receiving food in their household. The food pantry is designed to provide one food order per household or shared kitchen. Persons residing in the same household and sharing a kitchen will receive food as ONE household. Community Meals: The Open Door serves free dinners in a clean, pleasant, and friendly atmosphere. These meals are sponsored by church, civic, and school groups from Cape Ann, with the help of other volunteers. Anyone who is hungry or lonely is welcome. There are no eligibility requirements. Meals are served at every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The Sunday meal is served from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Doors open one hour before meal service, so feel free to arrive early and enjoy our company! If you live in Gloucester and need a ride to a Community Meal, we would be happy to pick you up in our van. Call 978-283-6776 ext. 204 to schedule a pick-up.