GREENFIELD — With the return of “Eat Up for Heat Up,” restaurants across Franklin and Hampshire counties will be donating a portion of their sales next week to support Community Action Pioneer Valley’s heating assistance program.
In Greenfield, Hope & Olive, Terrazza and The People’s Pint will donate a portion of their proceeds on Sunday, Jan. 25, Monday, Jan. 26, and Wednesday, Jan. 28, respectively.
Jim Zaccara, co-owner of Hope & Olive, said the restaurant is happy to do its part.
“We love what Community Action does, and we understand that heating and keeping warm can be expensive,” Zaccara said. “We want to do whatever we can to support what Community Action does. They do a lot to support people in the community.”
Hope & Olive is the first of the 17 restaurants scheduled to participate in the weeklong fundraiser. Zaccara said “Eat Up for Heat Up” was arranged so that different restaurants participate each night, allowing community members to eat at a variety of venues and still support Community Action.
Community Action will also be accepting donations from community members and has a goal of raising $15,000 with the “Eat Up for Heat Up” fundraiser. The money raised will be put toward the Clare Higgins Fund for Community Resilience, which was created last fall and named in honor of the organization’s longtime executive director, who retired at the end of July after 14 years at the helm. The money will be used to supplement the agency’s budget and provide assistance to more households.
“Winter can be incredibly stressful for families living with low incomes,” Community Action Pioneer Valley Executive Director Lev BenEzra said in a statement. “Eat Up for Heat Up helps bridge critical gaps by turning everyday community support — like dining out — into real assistance that keeps people warm, fed, supported and safe. It’s a reminder that small actions, taken together, make a big difference.”
This is the second year that Community Action has held an “Eat Up for Heat Up” fundraiser. According to Associate Director of Community Engagement Jessica Thompson, the effort collected $6,000 in its inaugural year. With more participating restaurants in 2026, as well as sponsors such as National Grid, Applied Mortgage, Keiter Builders and UMass Five College Federal Credit Union, the agency hopes to expand the fundraiser’s impact.
“This is the second year we’ve run Eat Up for Heat Up, and we’re excited to share that we’ve more than doubled restaurant participation this year,” Thompson explained. “That growth reflects how strongly the restaurant community and the broader Pioneer Valley are rallying around keeping neighbors warm and safe during the winter months. … We hope to triple last year’s participation.”
According to Community Action’s annual report for 2024, the agency provided $8.9 million of fuel assistance to 7,379 households that year. Funding recipients included 4,526 elders and 2,921 people with disabilities. Benefits received by each household vary based on multiple factors, such as heating source, housing type, and household size and income.
While Community Action was forced to operate its fuel assistance program on an emergency-only basis during November’s federal government shutdown, non-emergency fuel deliveries for the season were able to resume on Dec. 3 upon the release of $3.6 billion in funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
So far this heating season, Community Action has received 7,624 applications for fuel assistance and has approved 4,207 applications. Thompson said this number is down compared to last year, likely due to the agency not being able to process applications for a month during the government shutdown. She added that Community Action will continue to review and approve applications as the winter goes on.
“Demand for fuel assistance is very strong this winter, as it typically is during colder months when heating costs rise and household budgets are stretched, especially when temperatures become frigid, as we expect this week,” Thompson noted. “Community Action Pioneer Valley is actively assisting households across Franklin and Hampshire counties. What we know for certain is that winter fuel support remains one of the most urgent needs we see this time of year.”
In addition to Hope & Olive, Terrazza and The People’s Pint, other participating restaurants are as follows:
- Monday, Jan. 26: Notch 8 Grille, The Tunnel Bar, Protocol, Fitzwilly’s Restaurant & Bar and Miss Florence Diner.
- Tuesday, Jan. 27: Local Burger and Johnny’s Tavern.
- Wednesday, Jan. 28: Amherst Oyster Bar and HighBrow Wood Fired Kitchen + Bar.
- Thursday, Jan. 29: Progression Brewing Co.
- Friday, Jan. 30: Miss Flo’s Pizzeria and Paul & Elizabeth’s.
- Saturday, Jan. 31: India House and Eastside Grill.
For more information or to donate, visit communityaction.us.