Jenny Pacillo
Rachel’s Table, a nonprofit focused on food insecurity, is hosting its first “Dine for Good Weekend” Thursday, Nov. 12 through Saturday, Nov. 14. This three-day event includes seven restaurants and two bakers across Worcester County, who will donate part of their sales to local hunger relief.
Rachel’s Table has been helping feed Worcester area families for 34 years, and the need continues to grow. State data shows 167,000 Massachusetts residents lost their SNAP benefits between November 2025 and July 2026. Worcester households with children are 2.2 times more likely to experience food insecurity than those without kids, and 1 in 3 seniors experience food insecurity as well.
Rachel’s Table has a volunteer network that rescues more than 500,000 pounds of surplus food each year from restaurants, grocers and other food businesses then delivers it to shelters, food pantries and meal programs throughout Worcester County. Its Children’s Milk Fund delivers more than 600 gallons of milk every week to programs that serve about 20,000 children. Among its partner agencies, 93% depend on Rachel’s Table for 90 to 100% of their weekly milk supply.
“Most people want to help with hunger but don’t know where to start. Dine for Good makes it as simple as choosing where to eat dinner,” says Michael Schiumo, Marketing & Outreach at Rachel’s Table. From Trackside Tavern in Worcester to Rushford & Sons in Upton, there is something for everybody to enjoy.
The weekend kicks off tonight, Tuesday, Nov. 10, with Community Buffet Night at Eller’s Restaurant in Leicester from 4-7 p.m.
From Thursday through Saturday, Armsby Abbey at 144 Main St. in Worcester will donate $3 from every order of its seasonal pasta to Rachel’s Table.
On Thursday, Nov. 12, stop by The Fix Worcester any time that day, or head to Gardner Ale House in Gardner from 4-9 p.m. (dine-in only).
Friday, Nov. 13, has the biggest lineup: American Flatbread Worcester from 4 p.m. to close, The Broadway in Worcester from 4-8 p.m., Trackside Tavern in Worcester all day and Rushford & Sons in Upton.
On Saturday, Nov. 14, American Flatbread Worcester is back from 4 p.m. to close, and Trackside Tavern is participating all day.
If you’d rather have something sweet, Bri’s Sweet Treats will be at the Worcester Public Market on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 13 and 14. Local Home Bakery is offering Mini Cake Boxes by preorder, with pickup in Webster on Nov. 13 or 14.
The full lineup is at rachelstable.org/dineforgood.
If you can’t get out, you can join Dine In for Good by donating what a night out would have cost at jewishcentralmass.org/rachels-table under “Children’s Milk Fund.” The goal is $3,800, which pays for one full week of the program. Cornerstone Bank will match Dine In for Good and table card gifts up to $1,000. Treat yourself and support a good cause!
