Hello Friends!

The start of summertime on the Outer Cape also means the finish of another SKIP season. But as we say good-bye to fellow volunteers and acquaintances made over the past several months, we also welcome the times with family and friends in the months ahead.

While the first full post-pandemic season was far less daunting than the one in the depths of Covid-19, it nonetheless had its own set of challenges. For one, we experienced a dramatic increase in our number of meals served: On some days, we had 70 eat-in guests and prepared 140 meals to go.

Our dedicated executive chef, Gina Larkin, worked tirelessly to ensure that nobody ever went without. Gina and SKIP’s terrific volunteers had to meet the increased demand in the same limited kitchen space in which they’ve always worked. They also had to turn out their nutritious meals within the few hours we’ve always had to get the job done. As always, they rose to the occasion and were even able to prepare meals that met our guests’ various dietary restrictions.

Despite this season’s challenges, Chef Gina was able to accommodate the increased traffic and be cost efficient. She did so while making teamwork a priority. The success of Gina’s handiwork can be measured by the satisfaction of volunteers and the many compliments she received on her menus.

When their hard work isn’t on display, SKIP board members—all serving without any compensation—are toiling behind the scenes to see that scheduling, accounting and adherence to health and safety protocols go smoothly. They also work with various Outer Cape individuals and groups on issues related to food insecurity.

I look forward to seeing you when SKIP reopens for its 32nd season on the first Monday of November. We’ll be there once again to serve you in our dining room and with to-go offerings, fulfilling our mission of providing a hearty meal with a sense of community during the Outer Cape’s off-season.

Have a safe and enjoyable summer!

Phil

Although this season’s weekday lunches and weekend to-go meals ended on April 28, SKIP will continue to serve you through these programs that it supports all year:

CROP SWAP. SKIP provides funds to stock this year-round dispenser of fresh produce at least once per week. You may take whatever fresh fruits and vegetables you need, free of charge. Crop Swap is located in the Ptown Library, 356 Commercial Street, to the left as you enter the front door. There is a refrigerator for perishable items and shelves with bins for non-perishables, such as potatoes and squash. The fresh produce goes fast so look for a posting on the Facebook Ptown Community Space page to know when produce is added and please bring your own bag.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH. We have built partnerships with Helping Our Woman (HOW), Homeless Prevention Council (HPC) and Pastor David Brown of the Chapel on the Pond. We provide them with food gift cards to distribute to those in need. Please contact them if you are food insecure. Since SKIP’s office hours are limited during the summer, contact with us by email is best. Contact info follows:

HOW, Victor, 508-487-4357 or victor@helpingourwomen.org

HPC, Mackenzie, 508-237-7042 or provincetown@hpccapecod.org

SKIP, Libby, 508-487-8331 or skipfood@gmail.com

LIST OF FOOD RESOURCES. A list of the many places to get free food is maintained by SKIP. The list includes food pantries at the Provincetown United Methodist Church, the Council on Aging, Helping Our Women, the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House, and others. If you’re unable to receive food from these sources, feel free to contact SKIP by email, skipfood@gmail.com, or by phone at (508) 437-8331. We will do our best to aid anyone in need of food assistance while we’re closed, May through October. Get the list of places to get free food at PROVINCETOWN FOOD RESOURCES or contact the SKIP office, contact info above. 

SKIP is so sorry that we cannot provide our lunch service year-round. Unfortunately, neither the dining space nor the staff are available. We sincerely hope that the info we have provided above will help those in need until we reopen on Monday, November 6. 

SKIP served a record-breaking total of 23,115 meals this season! That's over 5,000 more than last year!

We used nearly 8.5 tons of food donated by the Greater Boston Food Bank!

Drivers from Helping Our Women (HOW) picked up and delivered 484 meals each Friday.

Grilled cheese is definitely a crowd favorite and came in as the number 1 meal, followed by baked salmon, Chinese Dim Sum, Grilled Cheese (again), and Thanksgiving Turkey dinner!

The volunteer with the most hours, in his rookie year at SKIP, is Brett with 245.54 hours! Thanks for joining us at SKIP, Brett! Nearly tying our winner Brett, for the second consecutive time in the number 2 spot, is Terry with 245.51 hours! We are very happy that you came back to Provincetown, Terry! Last year's winner, Jackie came in third with 209.42 hours. Thanks for cooking up deliciousness each Friday, Jackie! Board members Eric and Roger came in fourth and fifth with 169.17 and 158.15 hours respectively.

On the Honorable Mention list, with 100+ hours are: Mary, Rick, Chris, and Rob. With 94 active volunteers this season, our cumulative hours of service was 4,725.

We'd also like to acknowledge Rick May, our "souper" soup chef who has been crafting delicious soups on Tuesdays and Thursdays this season.

SKIP thanks all of our hardworking volunteers for a record-breaking season!

6/2  5:00 - 7 PM   FIRST LOOK PROVINCETOWN FUNDRAISER

GINA LARKIN, Executive Chef| TBD, Office Coordinator |

DIDIER CORALLO, Dishwasher/Utility Person |