
Community Resources
Because Community Means
Showing Up for Each Other
Local resources for housing, health, safety, and nourishment across Cape Ann.
"If you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness..." - Isaiah 58:10
🌱 Rooted in Care: Food, Shelter & Stability
Local resources offering nourishment, housing, and support.
🏠 Homelessness Prevention & Education
Wellspring House
📍 302 Essex Ave, Gloucester, MA 01930
📞 (978) 281-3221
🔗 wellspringhouse.org
Wellspring House empowers individuals and families on the North Shore to achieve employment and financial security through stable housing, education, job training, and career readiness. Their services include homelessness prevention, affordable housing, family shelter, adult education, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), and job training programs.(weconnectforgood.org)
📊 Local Insight: Wellspring has facilitated the development of over 100 units of affordable housing on Cape Ann, addressing the critical need for stable housing in the community. Wellspring House
🏠 Housing Assistance & Economic Security
Action Inc.
📍 180 Main St, Gloucester, MA 01930
📞 (978) 282-1000
🔗 actioninc.org
Action Inc. provides comprehensive support to individuals and families, including housing assistance, fuel aid, job training, adult education, and homelessness prevention programs. Their outreach team works to connect individuals with long-term support services to promote economic stability.
📊 Local Insight: In January 2025, Action Inc. reported that five individuals sought temporary shelter due to cold weather, while an additional ten individuals were transitioned into permanent housing as part of their ongoing housing efforts. Gloucester MA
🛡️ Day Shelter & Support Services
Grace Center
📍 264 Main St, Gloucester, MA 01930
📞 (978) 675-6240
🔗 lifebridgenorthshore.org/locations/grace-center
Grace Center offers a safe, supportive day shelter for individuals experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. Services include meals, case management, and spaces for reflection, art, and rest, fostering a community of dignity and respect.
📊 Local Insight: In response to social distancing requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic, Grace Center temporarily relocated to The Gloucester House restaurant to continue providing essential services to the homeless population. (Boston 25 News)

🥕 Food Assistance
The Open Door
📍 28 Emerson Ave, Gloucester, MA 01930
🔗 foodpantry.org
The Open Door provides food assistance, community meals, mobile markets, and nutrition education. They also help individuals apply for SNAP benefits and access healthy food with dignity.
📊 Local Insight: In 2022, The Open Door distributed over 1.6 million pounds of food, helping more than 8,500 people across Cape Ann and the North Shore.
👵 Aging Services & Senior Support
SeniorCare Inc.
📍 49 Blackburn Center, Gloucester, MA 01930
📞 (978) 281-1750
🔗 seniorcareinc.org
SeniorCare Inc. serves older adults and adults with disabilities across Cape Ann and the North Shore, offering services that support independence, safety, and dignity. Programs include Meals on Wheels, care coordination, in-home support, protective services, and Medicare counseling.
📊 Local Insight: As of 2023, more than 25% of Gloucester residents are over the age of 60, making access to senior services like nutrition, housing support, and caregiving assistance critical to aging in place. (Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative)

🕊️ Restoring Safety and Hope
Whether you're escaping harm or seeking healing, these programs walk with you.
🛡️ Domestic Violence Support
Healing Abuse Working for Change (HAWC)
📍 Gloucester Outreach Office
📞 1-800-547-1649 (24/7 Hotline)
📞 (978) 283-8642 (Local Office)
🔗 hawcdv.org
HAWC offers comprehensive services for individuals experiencing domestic abuse, including emergency shelter, advocacy, counseling, and assistance with restraining orders. Their 24/7 hotline provides immediate support and information. HAWC
Gloucester Police Department – Domestic Violence Resources
📍 197 Main Street, Gloucester, MA 01930
📞 (978) 325-5400
🔗 gloucester-ma.gov
The Gloucester Police Department recognizes domestic violence as a serious crime and offers resources for victims, including assistance with restraining orders and safety planning. They emphasize that domestic violence affects many families and is not tolerated in the community.
Domestic Violence Officer Ronald Piscitello,
Gloucester Police Department
(978) 283-1212

💊 Substance Use Support & Recovery
Gloucester ANGEL Program
📍 197 Main St, Gloucester, MA 01930
📞 (978) 283-1212
🔗 gloucester-ma.gov/angel-program
The Gloucester Police Department's ANGEL Program helps individuals struggling with substance use access treatment without fear of arrest. Anyone seeking help can walk into the police station or meet with a Community Navigator to be connected with detox, rehab, or recovery support services—no questions asked.
Community Health Navigator: Tito Rodriguez
📍 186 Main St (Brown’s Mall), Suite 23, Gloucester, MA 01930
📊 Local Insight: Gloucester's ANGEL Program became a national model for police-led addiction support when it launched in 2015. In its first year, over 400 people were placed into treatment without being arrested. The program has since inspired similar efforts across the country. (Harvard Kennedy School)
"The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." - Psalm 34:18
🎣 From Dock to Dinner Table: Justice, Food, and the Future
Where fishing families, food equity, and sustainability meet.
🎣 Fishing Industry Support
Gloucester Fishermen's Wives Association (GFWA)
📍 2 Blackburn Center, Gloucester, MA 01930
📞 978-821-1590
📧 [email protected]
🔗 gfwa.org
GFWA supports active and retired fishermen and their families while advocating for the sustainability of the New England fishing industry. They work to preserve the Atlantic Ocean as a vital food supply and uphold the economic and cultural importance of fishing in Gloucester.
📊 Local Insight: Commercial fishing remains one of Gloucester’s cornerstone industries. As of 2023, Gloucester ranked among the top 20 U.S. fishing ports by volume, landing over 14 million pounds of seafood. (NOAA Fisheries)
🐟 Local Food System Innovation
Cape Ann Fresh Catch (a GFWA initiative)
📍 1 Blackburn Center, Suite 1, Gloucester, MA 01930
📞 978-865-3169
📧 [email protected]
🔗 capeannfreshcatch.org
Cape Ann Fresh Catch is a community-supported fishery (CSF) program that connects consumers directly with fresh, sustainably sourced seafood from local boats. Members can subscribe to weekly seafood shares, strengthening the local food system and supporting working fishermen.
📊 Local Insight: CSFs like Cape Ann Fresh Catch have helped create economic resilience for small-scale fishermen in the face of global seafood market volatility. (Woods Hole Sea Grant)

🌊 Marine Conservation & Food Justice
North American Marine Alliance (NAMA)
📍 222 Main St, Gloucester, MA 01930
📞 (978) 865-3178
🔗 namanet.org
NAMA is a national network based in Gloucester that works to build a just, healthy, and equitable seafood system. They advocate for small- and medium-scale fishermen, community-based fishing practices, marine conservation, and food justice policies that prioritize people over profit.
📊 Local Insight: NAMA has played a key role in shifting seafood policy toward equity and sustainability, championing values-based seafood supply chains and supporting over 300 community-focused fishing operations across North America. (National Family Farm Coalition & NAMA Impact Reports)

❤️🩹 Health Care is a Human Right
From harm reduction to chronic care, these services meet people where they are—with dignity, compassion, and no one turned away.
🧬 Chronic Illness Support & Advocacy
North Shore Health Project
📍 33 Commercial St, Gloucester, MA 01930
📞 (978) 283-0101
🔗 healthproject.org
North Shore Health Project provides compassionate case management and health services for individuals living with or at risk for HIV, Hepatitis C, and other chronic illnesses. Their support includes medical referrals, harm reduction services, and specialized care for vulnerable populations, including LGBTQ+ individuals and those impacted by substance use.
💉 Harm Reduction & Health Access
One Stop Harm Reduction
📍 9 Center St, Gloucester, MA 01930
📞 (978) 381-3170
🔗 healthproject.org/one-stop.html
ONE STOP stands for Outreach, Needle Exchange, Sexual Health, Testing, and Overdose Prevention. This program offers essential harm reduction services to reduce risk and save lives—providing free Narcan, clean supplies, STI testing, and compassionate support without judgment.

🏥 Community Health & Dental Care
Gloucester Family Health Center
📍 302 Washington St, Gloucester, MA 01930
📞 (978) 282-8899
🔗 gloucesterfamilyhealth.org
Gloucester Family Health Center provides comprehensive medical and dental services to all, regardless of insurance or income. Services are offered on a sliding fee scale based on family size and income. No one is turned away for inability to pay. The center also offers 24/7/365 after-hours phone coverage to ensure continuous care.
