Community

Much of this list was compiled by the Franklin Interfaith Council, an organization whose membership is composed of faith communities in the town of Franklin, Massachusetts. It addresses the various needs of its community by recognizing the power of faith as defined by the individual spiritual traditions.

Mental Health

INTERFACE Referral System

William James INTERFACE provides all members of the Franklin Community with free and confidential mental health referrals. This service helps to facilitate connections to work through barriers to access mental health and wellness care for children, families, and adults. This free and confidential service is available to any Franklin resident.
Helpline (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm): 888-244-6843 or 617-332-3666

Food Assistance

Neighbor Brigade

Neighbor Brigade is a community-specific network of volunteers that can be mobilized to help residents facing sudden crisis manage day-to-day tasks such as meal preparation and basic household chores.
Toll-Free Phone: 855-241-HELP(4357)
Email

St. Vincent de Paul

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul offers tangible assistance to those in need on a person-to-person basis. This aid may take the form of intervention, consultation, or often through direct dollar or in-kind service. An essential precept of the Society’s work is to provide help while conscientiously maintaining the confidentiality and dignity of those who are served. The Society recognizes that it must assume, also, a role of advocacy for those who are defenseless or voiceless. More than 5 million persons are helped annually by Vincentians in the United States.
Phone: 508-918-2291

Friends of Franklin

The Friends of Franklin have been hard at work for nearly 35 years supplying Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners to families in distress. Over 200 Franklin families currently receive holiday meals from the Friends.
Phone: 508-528-5658

Franklin Food Pantry

Residents of Franklin who include working families trying to make ends meet, people experiencing a temporary job loss, individuals whose SNAP (food stamps) benefits are reduced, and seniors are encouraged to take advantage of:

Walk-in Fridays where all clients are invited in for a full-shopping trip, no appointment necessary, to help ensure they have enough food to feed their families
The Mobile Pantry which delivers food monthly to select neighborhoods where people have difficulty getting to the Pantry
Weekend Backpack Program which provides weekend meals and snacks to children in need through a partnership with area schools
Carts for Clients which provides free, portable shopping carts to clients who need a little extra help in transporting their groceries
Cooking Matters classes that teach families how to shop smarter and cook delicious, affordable meals
Healthy Futures Market that offers fresh fruits and vegetables which are not affordable for many families.
Phone: 508-528-3115

Transportation

Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority (GATRA)

Contact: Chuck Curran, Kiessling Transit
800-698-7676
Curb-to-curb transportation for passengers who meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements and/or are age 60 and above
Rides will go up to a 15-mile radius. Service is offered Monday through Friday from 6 am – 6:30 pm and Saturday from 9 am – 5 pm. Reservations are taken Monday-Friday from 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Franklin Area Fixed Bus Route
Miles for Health/Dial-a-Ride
- GATRA’s Miles for Health program is shared long distance medical transportation serving seniors and people with disabilities in the towns of Franklin, Foxboro, Norfolk and Wrentham.
- Reservations are taken Monday through Friday from 8 am – 4 pm. 48 hours advanced notice is required
- Boston Schedule: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Appointments must be made between the hours of 9 am and 1 pm
- All Other Trips: All other long distance medical trips, such as Burlington, Framingham, Newton-Wellesley and Worcester, will be scheduled for Wednesdays. Appointments must be made between the hours of 9 am and 1 pm

FISH of Franklin, Inc.

508-528-2121
Rides for seniors to and from medical appointments
Monday-Friday, 9 am – 5 pm. Franklin residents only. Reservations needed 3-5 days in advance. Donations accepted, however, the rider pays gas

Neighbor Brigade

Neighbor Brigade is a community-specific network of volunteers that can be mobilized to help residents needing rides.
Toll-Free Phone: 855-241-HELP(4357)
Email

Fuel Assistance

Franklin Interfaith Council

The Franklin Interfaith Council is an organization whose membership is composed of faith communities in the town of Franklin, Massachusetts. It addresses the various needs of its community by recognizing the power of faith as defined by the individual spiritual traditions.
Raises funds annually to help families in need with home heating oil during the cold, Franklin winters. Homeowners and renters, including households whose cost of heat is included in the rent, are eligible.
Email

Substance Abuse

S.A.F.E. Coalition (Support for Addicts and Families through Empowerment)

508-488-8105

Drop-In Centers

Community Impact, 211 Main St., Milford, 5 – 9 pm; 1st & 3rd Thursdays

Learn to Cope

First Universalist Society of Franklin, 262 Chestnut St., 508-738-5148/774-893-3878, Kathy Getchell

Community of Hope

Milford Regional Medical Center, Hill Bldg, Woman’s Pavilion, 4th Floor, Katie Truitt, 774-248-4526, Wednesdays, 7:00 – 8:30 pm

Healing Hearts Community Support

Franklin YMCA, 2nd Floor, 45 Forge Hill Rd., 508-570-6996, Thursdays, 7:00 – 8:30 pm
Recovering Connections (Catholic Charities)
617-464-8569/617-268-9670
Family Support

Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery (MOAR)

877-423-6627

Moms Tell

Substance abuse treatment, recovery, education & prevention

Broken No More

Online forums, articles, and resources for those grieving substance deaths

Grief Recovery After Substance Passing (GRASP)

Support to those grieving an overdose death

What’s Your Grief?

Bereavement blog with articles related to substance-related losses

NORCAP Lodge

Norcap Lodge offers inpatient and outpatient treatment for individuals with alcohol and/or substance addiction. The program includes drug detox, motivational group therapy, family support, recovery skills education, aftercare support and more. Norcap Lodge is located at 71 Walnut St., Foxboro, MA.
508-543-1873

AL-ANON

St. John’s Episcopal Church, 237 Pleasant St., Franklin, 7:30 pm; Open/Discussion meeting (meeting remotely)
A Way of Life House, 176 Mechanic St. (Rt. 140), Bellingham, 10 am and 12 – 1:30 pm; Open/Discussion meeting
Dean College, 99 Main St., Ray Bldg., Rm. 01, downstairs, Franklin, 7:30 pm; Open/Discussion meeting

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)

Full listing of every AA meeting in Eastern Massachusetts
St. John’s Episcopal Church, 237 Pleasant St., Franklin, Friday, 8:00 pm; Open/Discussion/Speaker meeting
St. John’s Episcopal Church, 237 Pleasant St., Franklin, Saturday, 8:00 pm; Open meeting (meeting remotely)
St. John’s Episcopal Church, 237 Pleasant St., Franklin, Thursday, 7:30 pm; Open/Big Book meeting

Franklin Senior Center

10 Daniel McCahill St • Franklin • 508-520-4945

The mission of the Franklin Senior Center is to enhance the independence and quality of life for Franklin older adults by creating programs that meet their needs, offer the knowledge, tools and opportunities to promote their mental, social and physical well-being, advocate for relevant programs and services in the Franklin community, as well as serve as a community focal point for aging issues, and as liaison to local, state and federal resources for older adults and their families.

Programs

Health & Wellness Program offers screening clinics, support groups, fitness classes and equipment, health education and evidence-based programs, and Home Safety Evaluations to help prevent falls.
Nutrition Program is provided through the Common Grounds Café which offers delicious, affordable meals for older adults. We serve breakfast from 8:30 to 10:00 am and lunch at 11:30 am till 1:00 pm.
Supportive Day Program, The Sunshine Club, offers a supervised, supportive and stimulating environment for frail elders, or those with mild to moderate dementia or cognitive decline. The program is offered Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm; half days are also available.

Services

SHINE (Serving the Health Information Needs of Elders) Counselor assists with any health insurance issues or problems
Information, referral, and assistance with accessing public benefits programs; i.e., fuel assistance, food stamps, Mass Health, Veterans programs, etc.
Monthly Legal Clinics with an Elder Law Attorney, by appointment
Support Services include: Barber, Hairdresser, Manicurist, and Choir Massage.
Intergenerational & Volunteer Opportunities are available
The Franklin Connection, our newsletter, pro- vides updates on new activities and events and useful information for older adults. Subscriptions are free!
Telephone Reassurance & Friendly Visiting, a daily call or visit can be arranged
Medical Equipment Loans are offered for free
Tax Preparation Assistance is offered annually by trained preparers from AARP
TRIAD is a collaboration of the Council on Aging and low enforcement which offers Files of Life to document one’s prescription drug history to assist Emergency Medical Personnel
Handicapped Accessible Transportation is provided by GATRA, the Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority; call 800-698-7676

Activities

Recreational Activities include: Crafts, Quilting, Sewing, Knitting, Cords and Games, Painting, Book Discussion Group, Current Events Discussion Group, Italian Conversation Group, Woodcarving, Movies, Trips, and more.
Educational Classes include monthly health education classes, computer classes, driver safety classes, cooking classes, and more.
Outdoor Activities include Bocce, Horse- shoes, Gardening, and a Walking Club.
Socialization opportunities include our Café, monthly theme parties and annual events

Dementia Friendly Franklin

The Franklin Senior Center is committed to making Franklin a Dementia Friendly Community, where individuals living with dementia, and their care partners, can live as independently as possible, continue to be part of their communities by receiving support and understanding at local facilities such as churches, banks, shops, cafes and restaurants, and maintain their social networks.

The main goals of this program are to educate the community by increasing awareness and understanding of dementia type diseases, and to reduce social isolation by offering a Memory Café, a monthly social event for individuals living with dementia and their care partners so they can enjoy social interaction and engaging activities in a safe and welcoming environment.

For more information on how you can learn to make our community more dementia friendly, please contact Maggie Gundersen, at the Franklin Senior Center at (508) 520-4945.

Veterans’ Services

The Department of Veterans’ Services offers assistance to any person who has served the country in the United States Armed Forces and who may be entitled to receive benefits from either local, state or federal agencies. The Department of Veterans’ Services is a state-mandated office that provides information and services to veterans, their spouses and dependents.
8:30 am – 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday, Appointments are recommended
Veterans’ Services Officer: Dale Kurtz
Phone: (508) 613-1315