Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services

11/06/2025

Due to the ongoing federal government shutdown, SNAP (EBT) benefits are not being dispersed at their full amount. This means many households could temporarily lose access to their regular monthly food assistance, though any remaining funds already on EBT cards will still work.

Anyone who needs food assistance in Massachusetts can utilize the FoodSource Hotline, offered by Project Bread, to learn more about available resources.

Call or text the toll-free, confidential FoodSource Hotline at 1-800-645-8333.

Hotline Hours:
Monday-Friday: 8am-7pm
Saturday: 9am-4pm
Sunday: 9am-1pm

Counselors can assist callers in 180 languages.

SCES is also here to help. Ensuring food security and nutrition access is vital to our mission. If you are an older adult in Somerville or Cambridge, you may be eligible for Home Delivered Meals or other nutrition assistance. Please call our main line at 617-628-2601 for more information.

People are hurting right now due to delays in SNAP benefits. Families are struggling to put food on the table, forcing them to make impossible choices between groceries, bills, and other essentials.

Food is not a luxury. It is a fundamental right. Project Bread is here to help. Our FoodSource Hotline connects Massachusetts residents to free food resources in their community—quickly and confidentially.

Call or text 1-800-645-8333 today.

You can also visit our food resources page: https://projectbread.org/get-help/government-shutdown-food-resources

11/03/2025

Congratulations to Central Boston Elder Services on their recent Care Unites Us Gala! SCES President & CEO Marta Corvêlo had a great time celebrating CBES’ impact and reflecting on this year’s gala theme, Aging Together with Love and Hope. This theme reflects CBES’ dedication to ensuring its community is treated with care and compassion at every stage of life.

Thank you for all you do, CBES!

10/31/2025

SCES staff had a frightfully good time during our Halloween celebration! We enjoyed some friendly competition with a chili cookoff, pie bakeoff, costume contest and an office decorating contest.

Thank you to our staff event planning committee for organizing the festivities! 🎃

10/29/2025

We’d like to extend a warm thank you to everyone who attended yesterday’s Future of Aging Forum! We were honored to welcome so many of our friends and partners to Boston University as we explored innovative – and achievable – ways to create Age Friendly Health Systems, ensure that Long Term Services and Supports are accessible and utilize technology to support our essential health care workforce.

We appreciate our speakers and moderators for offering their invaluable expertise and insight. A special thank you to keynote speaker Kedar Mate from Qualified Health, emcee Olivia Umoren Ezeuko from USAging and our introductory speaker, SCES Board Chair Judith Rosen.

The day’s thought-provoking first panel was moderated by Ellen Breslin of Health Management Associates and featured Lynn White from CareScout, Massachusetts Medicaid Policy Institute's Katherine Howitt, Marc Cohen of UMass Boston’s LeadingAge LTSS Center and Community Catalyst and Bree Bernat Shems from the Executive Office of Aging & Independence (AGE).

Our engaging second panel was moderated by Stephanie Giannetto from Gryphon Health and featured Boston University CADER’s Bronwyn Keefe, Lisa Gurgone from Mystic Valley Elder Services, MIT AgeLab’s Maryam "Shabnam" FakhrHosseini, Conor Walsh from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Elissa Sherman from LeadingAge Massachusetts.

Robin Lipson of AGE, Dr. Assaad Sayah from Cambridge Health Alliance and SCES’ own Marta Corvêlo capped off programming with a fireside chat to reflect on the day’s discussions.

Musician and Adult Family Care participant Santon helped us close out the day with a lovely piano performance.

Please keep an eye on our channels for more event photos and panel recordings!

📷: Leise Jones Photography

10/27/2025

Strong community partnerships and dedicated volunteers are key to SCES’ mission of helping older adults age in place with dignity and independence.

One such volunteer is Pfizer Senior Principal Scientist Caitlyn Dickinson, who has volunteered with our Money Management program since 2019. Supporting residents of Somerville and Cambridge, Dickinson helps to ensure bills are paid on time, avoiding risk of eviction or utility shut offs.

Her passion for this work, her community and SCES’ mission inspired Dickinson to explore ways for larger groups of Pfizer employees to volunteer their time and talents to the agency.

Click the link below to learn all about how SCES and Pfizer have joined forces to support caregivers and older adults right here in Somerville and Cambridge.

Pfizer offices may span the globe, but its Cambridge employees keep it local by giving back to their community. Staff at Pfizer’s Kendall Square site have generously donated their time to Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services (SCES) […]

10/24/2025

Thank you to East Cambridge Savings Bank (ECSB) for sponsoring the 2025 Future of Aging Forum!

Founded in 1854, ECSB is an independent mutual savings bank focused on personalized, exceptional customer experience and profitable growth. ECSB is committed to social responsibility and fostering a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion within the organization and the community at large.

ECSB is also a longtime supporter of our Money Management program and home to many of our client accounts. Their team’s exceptional patience and care enable us to deliver customized service that enhances client security and autonomy.

Thank you, ECSB, for your generosity and contributions to SCES!

Learn more about East Cambridge Savings Bank: www.ecsb.com.

10/23/2025

Do you have questions about aging, disability or caregiving? We can help! Staff from SCES and our Adult Family Care (AFC) program are hosting an information session at the Cambridge Public Library on Tuesday, October 28.

You’ll have a chance to meet our Community Support Services Manager and Senior Director of Caregiver & Family Support Programs to learn more about how SCES and AFC can help support you and your loved ones.

SCES and AFC services include:

✅ Free advice and information
✅ Home delivered meals and nutrition consultations
✅ In-home care and assistance
✅ Caregiver support and stipends

📅Tuesday, October 28, 10-11:30 am

📍Cambridge Public Library Main Branch Community Room, 449 Broadway, Cambridge

Registration is requested, but not required. Please follow this link to register: https://cambridgepl.libcal.com/event/15363610

10/22/2025

Happening tomorrow! Our Tech Access Program (TAP) is partnering with the Cambridge Council on Aging to host a free scams prevention workshop, presented in Haitian-Creole.

We'll cover the basics of avoiding scams, how to protect yourself online, and what to do if you are a victim of a scam. We’ll teach you the skills you need so you can recognize and avoid email, text, and phone scams.

📅Thursday, October 23, 10-11 am

📍The Arts & Crafts Room, Cambridge Senior Center, 800 Mass Ave., Cambridge

Please reach out to TAP Manager Colin Barr at 617-628-2601 ext. 1007 if you have any questions.

10/21/2025

We would like to extend our gratitude to Right at Home Boston and North for sponsoring our upcoming Future of Aging Forum!

Right at Home employs trusted and reliable caregivers who provide a range of in-home care options for older adults and adults with disabilities. The agency offers companion care, personal care, nursing services and more. Their caregivers are trained to assist with all types of needs and to deliver a high quality care experience in a variety of settings: at home, in an independent or assisted living community, or elsewhere.

Thanks, Right at Home, for your commitment to advancing health, equity, and independence!

Learn more about Right at Home Boston and North: www.rightathome.net/boston-north.

10/17/2025

Last week, SCES’ Communications and Public Affairs Manager Eliza Adams attended a legislative briefing event organized by the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless on House Bill 4015/Senate Bill 475, An Act promoting housing stability for older adults across the Commonwealth. If passed, this legislation would expand the bridge subsidy program for low-income older adults, allowing them to receive rental assistance and remain in place while they await approval for long-term subsidized housing. We're fortunate to have a pilot program already underway in Somerville, where we've seen firsthand the powerful impact it has in helping older adults remain stably housed.

Thank you to the day’s legislative hosts and lead sponsors, Senator Pat Jehlen and Representative Shirley Arriaga! Kudos to the team from the Somerville Office of Housing Stability for offering key data and insights from Somerville’s pilot program. We’re also deeply grateful for the older adults who shared their powerful stories with us.

Thanks so much to the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless for your strong advocacy on such an important issue!

10/15/2025

We were proud to celebrate Hispanic and Latine heritage this past month!

While we celebrate Hispanic and Latine communities year round, this is a special time to recognize the histories, cultures and contributions of people whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.

SCES is dedicated to providing culturally competent services to Hispanic and Latine older adults in our service area. One way we achieve this is through Caribbean home delivered meals, catered by City Fresh Foods. Meals are delivered each weekday and can include dishes like beef picadillo, pernil, Caribbean fish curry and much more!

View our latest menus and request home delivered meals here: www.eldercare.org/find-what-you-need/nutrition_and_meals/home-delivered-meals/.

10/10/2025

We were honored to welcome Secretary Kiame Mahaniah from the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, Secretary Robin Lipson from the Executive Office of Aging & Independence, and senior staff members to Cambridge Court, one of SCES’s Supportive Living sites. We discussed the importance of this model in enabling older adults to age with dignity and choice in the communities they call home.

We were also thrilled to be joined by Vincent McCarthy, Director of Client Services at the Cambridge Council on Aging, who led a calming meditation and mandala drawing session for attendees and building residents. The day was complete with a delicious lunch catered by the Greater Boston Chinese Golden Age Center, one of our Home Delivered Meals vendors.

Thank you to meeting attendees as well as the Cambridge Court team who provide person-centered care every day!