PLEASE NOTE:  Early Childhood Partners provides referrals NOT recommendations.  Responsibility for selecting a provider resides with each parent or guardian.  We urge parents/caregivers to call the child care program for an appointment and carefully review, evaluate, monitor, and check references before leaving a child in care.
GENERAL INFORMATION

​Great tools to heighten your Financial Literacy. 
www.FinancialLiteracyMonth.com

Economy 101
Practical Money Skills For Life! 

Department of Transitional Assistance
Provides basic education, job training, and job search skills.
Contact: 978-825-7300

MassHire North Shore Center
Employment Services for MA job seekers.
Contact: 978-283-4772
www.nscareers.org

North Shore Community College
Adult Learning Center
Contact: 978-762-4000/978-236-1227
www.northshore.edu/adult_learning


Free Diapers
Many companies will send you free samples and coupons simply for giving them your email address. Here is a list of them:


Financial Assistance 
 Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
 Home Energy Assistance Programs (LIHEAP)
 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program(SNAP)
 Child and Adult Care Food Program(CACFP)
 Medicaid & Massachusetts’ health insurance programs 
FOOD RESOURCES

Acord Food Pantry
P.O. Box 2203
69 Willow Street, S. Hamilton, 01982
http://acordfoodpantry.org/
Serving Hamilton, Wenham, Ipswich, Topsfield, Essex, and Manchester-by-the-Sea

Action, Inc.
978-282-1000
Offers Emergency SNAP (food stamp) assistance and help applying.
Serving Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea

Beverly Bootstraps
371 Cabot Street, Beverly, MA 01945
http://www.beverlybootstraps.org/#
Serving Beverly and Manchester-by-the-Sea

Essex County Hunger Relief
http://www.essexcountyhungerrelief.org/find_food 
A database to find all pantries and food support by area.

Ipswich Community Food Pantry
P.O. 316
31 N. Main Street, Ipswich, MA 01938
http://www.essexcountyhungerrelief.org/Ipswich-Community-Food-Pantry
Serving Hamilton, Wenham, Essex, Gloucester, Ipswich, Rowley, and Topsfield

The Open Door
28 Emerson Ave, Gloucester, MA
http://www.foodpantry.org/01_About_Us/Service_Area.html
Serving Manchester-by-the-Sea, Essex, Gloucester, Rockport, and Ipswich

Project Bread Food Source Hotline
Hotline to refer callers to emergency resources in their Community
800-645-8333
www.projectbread.org

SNAP Benefits (food stamps)
Department of Transitional Assistance
877-382-2363

Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
Beverly: 978-922-2110
Gloucester: 978-281-4540
Eligibility restrictions: low-income women with children up to age five

​Cooking Matters A resource for healthful meals on a budget. Great Recipes!  https://cookingmatters.org/recipes
FUEL ASSISTANCE

​MA 211. Call MA 211 or visit them on the web.
Link to Essex County Fuel Assistance on the MA 211 website. 

Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) 

Search for Fuel Assistance agencies by town 

Assistance for Wenham Residents
Wenham Issues of Social Service Help - WISSH
Wenham Issues of Social Services Help is a Committee approved by the Wenham Board of Selectman to assist them in serving Wenham residents in need of temporary financial or social service assistance. No town monies are used, WISSH functions on donations from both residents and businesses. The mission of WISSH is to identify the social-service needs of Wenham residents and to coordinate and implement appropriate immediate unmet financial assistance to those in need.

Fuel Assistance, Weatherization Services, Heating System Services
Action Inc. 
47 Washington Street, Gloucester, MA 01930
(978) 281-3900  
1-800-696-9276 - Toll Free

Good Neighbor Energy Fund
800-334-3047
www.magoodneighbor.org/assistance

Joe-4-Oil
1-877-563-4645
www.citizensenergy.com
LEGAL ASSISTANCE

Children's Law Center of Massachusetts
Provides information, referrals, and legal advice on matters that impact children.
888-543-5298
www.clcm.org

Essex County Bar Association
978-741-7888
www.essexcountybar.org

Essex County District Attorney's Office
978-745-6610
www.mass.gov/essexda

Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD)
617-426-1350
www.glad.org

Massachusetts Bar Association Legal Referral Service
617-654-0400
866-627-7577
www.masslawhelp.com

North Shore Community Mediation
978-232-1212
www.nsmediation.org
HOUSING RESOURCES

Action Inc
Advocates help with housing issues such as evictions, housing searches, landlord/tenant disputes, move-in costs, and applying for state/federal/subsidized housing.  Emergency Shelter.
978-282-1000

Family Promise North Shore Boston
Help for families experiencing homelessness on the North Shore.  Eligibility restrictions: must have a dependent child under 18yrs.
978-922-0787
www.familypromisensb.org

Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA)
Assists with emergency shelter.
800-249-2007
Salem Office: 978-825-7300

North Shore Community Development Coalition
Workshops on home buying and housing for low income families.
978-745-8071

Wellspring House, Inc
Housing search assistance, advocacy for affordable housing.  Serves Manchester and Essex.
978-281-3221

Essex Housing Authority
978-768-6821

Hamilton Housing Authority
978-468-3981

Manchester Housing Authority
978-526-1850

Wenham Housing Authority
978-468-1532

List of Emergency Shelters
Early Childhood Partners programs are funded by the Massachusetts Coordinated Family & Community Engagement (CFCE) grant awarded to Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) serving Hamilton, Wenham, Manchester, and Essex.  All educational and non-academic programs, activities and employment opportunities at Hamilton-Wenham RSD are offered without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, homelessness, age and/or, disability, and any other class or characteristic
​protected by law. ​​