Community Assistance Programs

Food Assistance

Food Pantries & Micro Pantries
Chelsea Food Resource Guide
December 2023

Organization Food Distribution Schedule 
The Salvation Army
258 Chestnut St.
617-884-0260    
  • Tuesdays, from 12:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
  • Thursdays, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
La Colaborativa
63 6th St.
617-889-6080

  • Wednesday, from 3:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. (Diapers and Food Distribution)
  • Fridays, from 09:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Revival International Chelsea
278 Broadway
  • Mondays, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
  • Tuesdays, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
La Luz de Cristo/ SELAH
738 Broadway
617-839-5306
  • Hot Breakfast: Monday thru Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. 
  • Hot Lunch: Monday thru Friday, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. 
  • Food pantry: Fridays, 07:30 a.m.
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
201 Washington Ave.
  • Hot Breakfast: Saturdays, 8:30 am – 9:30 am 
  • Hot Lunch: Saturdays, 10:30 am – 12:00 pm 
  • Food pantry: Saturdays, 8am – 11am by appointment only. Appointments are given in person at the church every Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Chelsea Senior Center
10 Riley Way
617-466-4370

For residents 62+. Monthly registration by calling
617-466-4250
 
Food Pantry for Veterans
Chelsea Senior Center, 10 Riley Way
617-466-4250
First Wednesday of each month. Register by calling call 617-466-4250 or email ftoro@chelseama.gov. 

Micro Pantries
Give what you can & take what you need. 
  • CAPIC HEAD START, 67 Crescent Ave
  • CHELSEA COMMUNITY GARDEN, Ellsworth St.
  • EARLY LEARNING CENTER (ELC) Shurtleff with Maverick
  • LUZ de CRISTO CHURCH, 738 Broadway
  • JORDAN BOYS & GIRLS CLUB, 30 Willow St.
  • SR. LIVING ON BELLINGHAM HILL, 100 Bellingham St
  • TEMPLE EMMANUEL, Gardner St., Cary Square
SNAP benefits
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides benefits to eligible low-income individuals and families.

ENROLL FOR SNAP AT CITY HALL ON TUESDAYS!
Every Tuesday, from 4 pm to 7 pm, a Connect Support Specialist will assist residents with SNAP applications and answer questions regarding this food assistance program. If you want to know more about SNAP or to apply for
the program, please visit room 101.

Residents can also contact the following organizations:

Apply online using DTA Connect website at https://dtaconnect.eohhs.mass.gov/apply

  • Seniors (60+), homeless individuals, and people with disabilities can now buy meals at Bella Isla using their SNAP EBT card! Bella Isla is the first restaurant in Chelsea to be part of the Massachusetts SNAP Restaurant Meals Program (RMP), a statewide program that allows select SNAP recipients to use their SNAP benefits to purchase restaurant meals. Check the complete list of authorized restaurants and food trucks at https://www.mass.gov/massachusetts-snap-restaurant-meals-program-rmp.

WIC
If you're a parent or legal guardian of a child under 5, you can apply for WIC for your child.

Chelsea WIC Program is at MGH-Chelsea Healthcare Center:
151 Everett Avenue, 3rd Floor.
617-887-4340 
Chelsea Public Schools
Other Food Resources Available in Chelsea

Utility Assistance

Utility Assistance
Fuel Assistance Program (CAPIC) 

The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) services homeowners and renters (including renters whose heating costs are included in their rent). Eligibility is determined on the combined gross income of all family members over 18 (most full-time students' incomes are exempt).

For help in determining their eligibility for these programs, and to learn more about how to apply, residents should contact CAPIC by calling 617-884-6130 or online at https://toapply.org/CAPIC

Services CAPIC provides include:

  • Aid with paying utility bills.
  • Free electrical assessments.
  • The opportunity to enact energy conservation measures in your home and more.
NEW: CAPIC's New Household Water Assistance Program.
If you are eligible for Fuel Assistance and you have terminated water service, impending termination, and/or in arrears -- you may be eligible for the water assistance program.  Please call CAPIC at 617-884-6130, EXT. 1123 for more information about the program and how to apply.

Enroll in a payment plan with your utility

Massachusetts utility companies offer several financial assistance programs for customers, including flexible payment plans – regardless of income – as well as balance forgiveness programs for those eligible.

Get an energy efficiency audit

Energy Programs are available in Chelsea. If you have any questions regarding these programs, call 311 or 617-466-4209

Housing

Chelsea Housing Legal Clinic

Know your rights as a tenant
A landlord cannot physically remove you from your home without a court order. In order to be evicted from your home, you must first receive a Notice to Quit, which only notifies you of the landlord's intent to pursue eviction. The Notice to Quit is only the first step in a legal process that must involve review by a Judge. Only a Judge can issue an Order for eviction from your home. A landlord may not remove your belongings or lock you out of your home without an order from a judge. 

For help stopping evictions or other housing issues, contact the Free Legal Help Clinic. Through the legal clinic, residents experiencing evictions, disputes, and code issues can seek assistance from Housing Families’ attorneys and housing specialists. Chelsea residents can receive assistance regardless of immigration status, income, or background. 

Staff are multilingual in Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, and Haitian Creole.

  • 781-214-6533
  • probonolegalteam@housingfamilies.org
  • In-person Hours (No appointment is necessary) 
    • Mondays
      10:00 am - 1:00 pm
      Chelsea City Hall (500 Broadway, Room 101)
    • First and third Tuesday of the month
      1:30pm - 3:30pm
      The Neighborhood Developers (4 Gerrish Ave.)
    • Thursdays
      10:00 am 1:00 pm
      La Colaborativa (318 Broadway)
Apply for money to cover housing costs today!

FOR RENTERS:  Get rent relief and utility assistance by contacting one of the following organizations in Chelsea:

FOR HOMEOWNERS: You can recuperate unpaid rent and receive assistance towards your mortgage, utilities, insurance expenses, and real estate taxes by applying to:

Chelsea Homeowner Stabilization
617-466-4209

Mass Homeowners Assistance Fund
833-270-2953
https://massmortgagehelp.org

Chelsea Eats

Chelsea Eats Program - Lottery Information

The City will hold the lottery on Wednesday, February 15, 2023 at 6:00pm and it will be shown at facebook.com/CityOfChelsea.

Recipients of the program will be chosen using a lottery system. City staff is reviewing applications and giving preferences to applicants with children under 18, disabled residents, veterans, seniors over 65, families who are ineligible for other forms of federal assistance, families with a female-identifying head of household, and families with a member with a marginalized gender identity.

Families will receive a card based on their household size to help them buy food and pay utility bills.

Household Size Monthly benefit
1 $200
2 $300
3 or more $400

Further information about the debit card delivery will be available to the selected applicants once the lottery has concluded. 

*All cards distributed on the program's first round are expired and will not be reloaded. 

Should you have any questions, please contact the City of Chelsea at 617-466-4209 or email lalvarez@chelseama.gov.

Attachment
Program Guidelines (PDF)
Guías del programa (PDF)

 

Chelsea Eats Lottery Winners (February 15, 2023)
Every eligible applicant has an applicant number. You can find your applicant number on the top of the letter you received from the City. Do not worry if you do not have your letter or do not know your applicant number. The City has all applicant numbers. If you want to know your applicant number, you can call 311 (or 617-466-4209).

If your number is a winner, the City will mail you a letter to notify you that you are a winner and let you know when to come to City Hall to pick up your Chelsea Eats card.

Even if you have a winning number, you still have to live in Chelsea and meet the program income requirements to receive the Chelsea Eats card. We will verify your information by phone and in-person when you come to pick up your card.

Attachments 
Chelsea Eats Lottery Winners (February 15, 2023) (PDF)

Direct financial assistance due to emergencies

Who is eligible?

The Department of Housing & Community Development offers a program to assist low and moderate income residents who have experienced an emergency which is impacting their housing and economic stability. 

The Chelsea Resilience Fund can provide direct financial assistance to replace lost items or income and recover economically.

Who is eligible?
Chelsea residents with incomes below 80% of the Area Median Income*, who have experienced housing or economic instability because of:

  • Fire, flood, or climate emergency
  • Medical or dental emergency 
  • Loss of a household income earner
  • Instance of violence

The emergency must have occurred no more than 90 days before the date of the application. 

Household Size Income Limits
1 $82,950
2 $94,800
3 $106,650
4 $118,450
5 $127,950

 

What can funding be used for?

The funding is flexible and depends on the needs of the household, but can be used for items such as: food, clothing, furniture, childcare, transportation, immediate home repairs, medical costs, and funeral expenses. 

How do I apply?
Applications
English Application
Spanish Application
Application Haitian Creole 

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Eligibility is restricted to Chelsea residents with incomes below 80% of the Area Median Income, who have experienced an unforeseen emergency. Please reference the Program Guidelines for the program’s official definition of unforeseen emergency. Additionally, residents may only receive assistance from the Resilience Fund once every two-years.

Completed applications should be dropped off at: City Hall, 500 Broadway, Room #101, Chelsea, MA 02150

What do I need to submit to apply?

  • A completed Chelsea Resilience Fund Application
  • A document, such as an ID, with your name and birth date
  • A utility bill, lease, or deed confirming your address
  • Documentation of the emergency 

If you need assistance to complete the application, staff from the Department of Housing & Community Development can provide support filling out application forms or obtaining necessary documentation. Applicants seeking support with the application process should contact the Department at (617-466-4187).