Photo: James Rojas/WBZ NewsRadio
CHELSEA, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Over two dozen restaurants in Mass. have joined a pilot program to help those in need get a hot meal.
27 restaurants across the state have kicked off the SNAP Restaurant Meals Program, allowing qualifying customers to purchase hot meals with an EBT card. To qualify, customers must be over 60 years old, experiencing homelessness, or have a disability.
A Puerto Rican restaurant in Chelsea, Mass., called Bella Isla Café, is one of the restaurants participating in the new program. Manager Rosiavette Baez said she is happy to see Mass. adopt the program.
“Currently [with] EBT, you are not allowed to purchase cooked food because of the tax, so this is an excellent program that’s being offered to them, so this way we can provide them a home-cooked meal,” said Baez.
Baez is working with social services organizations to help people who are eligible sign up for the program.
“We have a lot of elderly and people that are homeless and people that are disabled that are not able to cook for themselves, so this is another option for them to come here and enjoy a well-cooked meal,” said Baez.
WBZ's James Rojas (@JamesRojasMMJ) reports.
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