Good morning, Hopkinton! Welcome to the daily update we call Hopkinton Today — a quick recap of yesterday’s news, highlights of what’s on tap, and a photo of the day.

Community organizations pool resources for food assistance

A handful of town departments and local nonprofits are teaming up to address food insecurity in the community.

Although the federal government shutdown has ended and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is set to be reinstated, the loss of benefits at the beginning of this month impacted the ability of local charities to feed residents.

“Once we lost SNAP benefits, it put strain on our existing resources,” said Holly Morand, resource manager and case manager for Hopkinton Youth and Family Services (HYFS).

Health Director Shaun McAuliffe told the Board of Health on Monday that limited supply from the Greater Boston Food Bank and a possible increase in local need could force Project Just Because to turn away individuals from surrounding communities who rely on its food pantry.

HYFS, the Health Department and other town departments have responded to the need by putting together a program called SNAP2IT. The goal of the program is to direct resources to agencies and nonprofits that need them quickly and efficiently. Residents are encouraged to donate gift cards, money and/or food to PJB, The Friends of Hopkinton Seniors, Hopkinton Community Partnership, the Hopkinton Senior Center and HYFS directly.

Morand explained that food insecurity felt from events such as the shutdown and increasing inflation exacerbate need in other areas. She said that her office has seen a “four-fold increase” in financial aid requests beyond food.

“That’s going to be an ongoing crisis that we need to address,” said Morand. “All these changes we see around the community tend to hit the vulnerable the hardest.”

HYFS has a full list of food resources available on its website. To those Hopkinton residents that are struggling, Morand encouraged them to reach out to see how HYFS and other community organizations can meet their needs.

“There’s help available, and we’re always very happy to help people,” she said.

— NICK SCHOFIELD

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Photo of the Day

Members of the Hopkinton Women’s Club show off the holiday centerpieces they recently created under the direction of Jeff Doherty of Angel’s Garden Center.