THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, May 15, 2020 Page 13 SOUNDS | from page 12 items they don’t want or need, but feel this is the best course of action to mitigate the potential spread of COVID-19. Those in need, even for short term or one-time assistance are encouraged to come.” The food pantry is located in the basement of the Cliftondale Congregational Church at 50 Essex St. in Saugus. Taking care of hungry students Julie Cicolini, a member of the Board of Directors for Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus (HS2), wants to make sure people in the community are aware of some recent program changes. “Please be aware that Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus bags are now available on Thursdays instead of Fridays 10 a.m. to Noon,” she advised us this week. “Whitsons food service, that has been managing the grab-ngo meals for students and HS2 weekend bag distribution during the school closure, will be moving to 2 days a week. This is to help reduce contact and limit residents from leaving their home to pick up food. “HS2 will provide weekly, no contact, delivery on Thursdays to ensure those we serve receive their HS2 weekend bags and keep everyone home. Please visit Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus Facebook page and send a message to be added to the delivery list. “Grab-n-go breakfast/lunch meals will be distributed every Monday (three days of meals) and Thursday (two days of meals) from 10am-12pm. Please wear a mask/face covering when picking up food. Again, these changes are to help reduce contact and limit how many times people are leaving their home. “Please visit Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus Facebook page for updates.” Food help for veterans This came in from Saugus Veteran Services Officer Jay Pinette: “We want to share a couple of opportunities with you for food assistance that are being offered to Veterans and/or their surviving spouses. First, the Melrose-Wakefield-Saugus Veterans’ Services Offices partner with the Greater Boston Food Bank to provide food to Veterans and their surviving spouses on the third Wednesday of each month. The food market is generally held at the Saugus Senior Center, but given the current COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently offering a contact-free, drive-thru food pantry at Memorial Hall on Main Street in Melrose. If you are unable to pick-up, some limited deliveries may be available. This offering is year round. Please call the Saugus Veterans’ Service Office at 781-231-4010 or e-mail VeteransServices@saugusma.gov in order to register. Proof of Veteran status is required. “In addition, there is now another offering for food assistance on the North Shore. Many of you may have heard about the food distribution for Veterans that was held recently at Gillette Stadium. In order to make this more accessible to Veterans on the North Shore, the Veterans Northeast Outreach Center and Massachusetts Military Support Foundation Food4Vets are bringing the food drive to the North Shore and Merrimack Valley! They have partnered together with local VSOs to offer assistance to Massachusetts Veterans experiencing limited access to food due to COVID 19. They will be holding drive-through food distribution events on Wednesdays beginning this week on April 22nd , 2020 in Haverhill. Distributions will be held on alternate weeks at Northern Essex Community College in Haverhill, and North Shore Community College in Danvers. The distribution will take place in the college parking lots. Veterans will need to pre-register using the respective Danvers and Haverhill links below “If you are a Melrose, Wakefield or Saugus Veteran and are unable to pick up food in either Haverhill or Danvers, please register and then contact Melrose Veterans’ Services at KBurke@ cityofmelrose.org or SCaffey@cityofmelrose.org to arrange delivery assistance.” To register: Danvers: https://clearpathnewsengland.formstack.com/forms/ food_supply_request_vneoc_danvers Haverhill: https://clearpathnewengland.formstack.com/forms/ food_supply_request_vneoc_haverhill Buy a brick to honor your vets The Saugus War Monument Committee once again, is sponsoring the Buy A Brick Program to honor all those who have served their country. If you would like to purchase one in the name of someone who is presently serving or has served, in the memory of a loved one, or just from your family, school, etc., the general pricing is $100 for a 4″ X 8″ brick (three lines), $200 for 8″ X 8″ brick (five lines), and $500 (five lines) for a corporate brick. Each line is a maximum of 15 characters. The improvement and upkeep of the monument on the corner of Winter and Central Streets rely on the generosity of donors through fundraising. The brick application must be in by Sept. 30 to ensure the bricks will be ready for Veterans Day. Please contact Frank Manning at 781-929-9723 for more information and applications. Helping the vets During these challenging times, your local Veterans’ Service Officers (VSOs) would like to share some information on a benefit program that is available to those who qualify. If you are a Veteran or the surviving spouse of a Veteran, the “Chapter 115 Benefits Program” is a Massachusetts state initiative that provides financial aid for Veterans and/or their surviving spouses who reside in Massachusetts and meet certain income and asset guidelines. Benefits may include monthly ordinary benefits and/or payment/reimbursement for medical expenses. Whether laid off, in transition or living on a fixed income, the program is designed to provide short-term or long-term assistance as needed to provide relief. The program is overseen by the Massachusetts Department of Veterans’ Services (DVS), which runs the program in partnership with local VSOs. Every town or district in Massachusetts has a VSO. VSOs assist Veterans and their dependents in learning about, applying for, and receiving Chapter 115 benefits. VSOs can also help you in applying for other benefits and connecting with local resources. Your local VSO handles applications, obtains program approval from DVS and provides local benefits. The program is funded by a combination of state and local funds. DVS pays for 75 percent and your city or town pays for 25 percent of the approved benefits. There are income and asset limits for the program. As a general rule, income and asset requirements are: Family of one – monthly income less than $2,081and an asset limit of $5,000. Family of two – monthly income less than $2,818 and an asset limit of $9,800. To determine if you may be eligible for financial assistance through the Chapter 115 program, visit the following link and GIANNELLI follow the instructions: https:// massvetben.org/. Or call your local VSO for more information. The VSOs are also able to help Veterans apply for Federal VA benefits, local benefits and provide food assistance monthly. For example, did you know that if you own a home and have a VA-service-connected disability, you are eligible for a partial or full exemption of your property taxes? Please contact your local VSO for more information on any of the services mentioned. We are all here to assist. We are regularly checking voicemails and emails as we continue to work remotely and in our offices throughout COVID-19. Melrose: Karen Burke, 781979-4186, kburke@cityofmelrose.org Wakefield: David Mangan, 781-246-6377, dmangan@ wakefield.ma.us Saugus: Jay Pinette, 781-2314010, jpinette@saugus-ma.gov Annual Town Meeting Warrant remains open Because of the Coronavirus, selectmen are unable to set a date for the Annual Town Meeting – which is usually scheduled for the first Monday in May. This year would SOUNDS | SEE PAGE 14 MANAGEMENT & DEVELOPMENT CORP 639 Broadway, Route 99, Malden, MA 02148 Office: 781-321-0640 Call Paul Direct: 617-590- 5366 Email: pgiannelli@aol.com • Residential & Commercial Listing and Sales • Land Locating and Zoning Analysis • Demolition • Land Development / Ledge Removal/ Utilities & Roadways • Modular & Site Built Residential & Commercial Properties NEW CONSTRUCTION NEARING COMPLETION! COMING SOON! (Photo is an artistic interpretation of the general appearance and not meant to be an exact rendition.) 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