Fitchburg woman feeds unhoused through Grace on the Go

FITCHBURG — A simple act of kindness done by a local woman has evolved into an ever-growing community outreach effort that has brought love, compassion and food to many.

After participating in a program through Life Church where she attends, city resident Evagelia Cuadrado was moved to help the homeless population in Fitchburg.

“I met a gentleman who had experienced recovery and homelessness, and he told me about a volunteer center on Main Street where he helped,” the 47-year-old recalled about the encounter that would launch the selfless trajectory she is now on. “That weekend the center was closed, but we drove by and he showed me where he volunteered. As we drove, he pointed to the people around us living on the streets, speaking their names and sharing pieces of their stories.

“In that moment, something shifted deep inside my heart,” Cuadrado continued. “These were no longer just strangers I passed every day — they were my neighbors. With the $40 I had in my pocket I went straight to Burger King, bought every meal I could, and began handing them out to our brothers and sisters. That afternoon was the birth of Grace on the Go.”

What began as  an investment into caring for unhoused people in the city has turned into so much more for Cuadrado.

She said that since she didn’t start the movement dubbed Grace on the Go for recognition, she wasn’t using her name. “When I first began serving, people would ask, ‘Who are you?’ and I would say, ‘I’m Grace On the Go,’” Cuadrado disclosed. “Somehow, Grace just stuck, and that’s what most people call me.”

At first, she and others who joined in to lend a hand were serving about 20 people a day. That was over three months ago and nowadays, they reach around 50 people on any given Sunday, the weekly distribution day, and on one recent Sunday “through the generosity and hard work of our community, we were able to prepare 100 sandwiches.”

Several weeks into Grace on the Go, Cuadrado said everything changed.

“What started as a one-woman act became an entire community coming together,” she said. “That community is what makes this possible. Volunteers give their time. Families donate food and supplies, businesses help spread the word, people pray, share our posts, and give whatever they can. Every sandwich, bottle of water, pair of socks, and care package represent someone choosing to make a difference.”

As the movement grew, the Brooklyn-born woman who was raised in Fitchburg realized she was going to need a lot more food to serve. She called Janet’s Chili Dogs owner Paul Iradi one day to ask him if there was any way she could get a discount on hot dogs and the result was nothing short of extraordinary.

“That simple call led to something I never expected — the hot dogs were donated,” Cuadrado said. “From there, donations started coming in, followers began finding us, and our Grace On the Go family started growing.”

She went on to say Iradi, who has donated a lot of food and fed many in the community since taking over Janet’s at 652 Water St. last November, “has become an incredibly important part of this journey.”

“He has helped promote Grace On the Go and spread the word and connect us with people we may never have reached,” Cuadrado said of the meaningful collaboration. “He has opened Janet’s Chili Dogs to us every Sunday at 1:30 p.m., giving our Grace On the Go family a place to meet, pack lunches, prepare the brown paper bags, and make our game plan before heading out around 2 p.m. to serve our brothers and sisters.”

But now, Grace on the Go will have a new “home base” of operations at Scars to Strength Counseling Center, 853 North Main Street, Unit 202, Leominster, where the meals will be made up.

Needed items include: bread, peanut butter and jelly, sandwich meat, cheese, individual chip bags, individual snacks, water and fruit. They ask for no premade food, as they prepare the lunches themselves.

She shared that she became a mother at a young age and was living on her own then, so she didn’t complete traditional high school. Cuadrado earned her GED and later spent 15 years pursuing a degree in human services through Mount Wachusett Community College and Fitchburg State University, making it as far as her junior year.

“Maybe one day I’ll finish it,” she said.

Cuadrado expressed that her three children, ages 22, 25, and 29, “are the biggest part of my life and have become part of Grace On the Go.”

“I am especially proud that my daughter recently graduated from UMass Boston, becoming the first-generation college graduate in our family,” she said.

She also has four “amazing grandchildren” who range in age from a baby to 6 years old and her family has supported and helped a lot with Grace on the Go.

“Being able to have my family involved in giving back means everything to me,” Cuadrado said.

She spoke about how all of her life experiences, even the challenging ones, have led her to where she is today — and that she wouldn’t change a thing.

“Growing up I made many choices that weren’t great,” Cuadrado said. “I became a mother young, married young, divorced young, and made mistakes along the way. At times, I have wondered why God would choose me, but I believe He has a reason.

“Maybe my journey taught me that people don’t need to be judged for where they are in life,” she continued. “They need someone willing to see them, hear their story and remind them that they matter. That is what Grace On the Go is about. We serve without questions or judgment — just food, kindness, conversation and love.”

The ever-growing Grace on the Go team also puts together care packages filled with necessities such as hygiene products, toiletries, socks, snacks and first-aid supplies. Cuadrado said she couldn’t do any of this alone and that she is grateful for each and every person who volunteers their time, donates and supports the effort.

Needed items include undergarments, women’s hygiene products, emergency blankets, ponchos, non-alcoholic wipes, deodorant, flashlights, first-aid supplies, lip balm, tissues and other small essential items.

People and businesses that want to help are encouraged to contact the Grace on the Go group.

“Grace On the Go belongs to the community, to every volunteer, donor, business, family member, follower and person who has prayed for us or helped us in any way,” she conveyed. “What began with $40 and a few hamburgers has become a growing family built on faith, compassion, and love. I may not know exactly why God chose me, but I know He did and I know He isn’t finished with Grace On the Go yet.”

Cuadrado spoke about moments that have happened over the last few months that she will never forget.

“One woman saw me coming and called out, ‘There’s the food lady.’ She was so hungry that she ate two sandwiches right away. My heart broke for her, I was still serving the people around her, but I couldn’t stop thinking about how hungry she must have been. It reminded me that these aren’t just people receiving food — they are our brothers and sisters with real needs, real struggles and real stories.”

She also shared stories of hope and redemption, such as a young man they hadn’t seen for a few weeks and had wondered what had happened to him.

“When we finally saw him again, he was off the streets and clean. Moments like that remind us that there is hope,” Cuadrado said. “Another gentleman we met has since turned his life toward God and is no longer living in the conditions he once was. One of the most beautiful moments was when he prayed over us. We went out wanting to be a blessing to others, and here was someone we had met along the way blessing us with his prayer.”

The connections are not limited to Sundays. One day she was out and about handing out ponchos and ran into “one of our regular brothers.”

“He looked at me and said, ‘You’re Grace, right? Thank you for everything.’ That moment meant so much to me because he recognized not just me, but what Grace On the Go represents.

“The heart of Grace On the Go has always been the people,” Cuadrado added. “The majority of the brothers and sisters we serve are living directly on the streets, and over these weeks, we have met so many people whose stories have touched our hearts. Some talk with us and can’t stop saying, ‘Thank you.’ Others don’t say much at all, but the gratitude in their eyes says everything.”

On different days before or after work, Cuadrado goes out into the community to hand out whatever she keeps stocked in her car, including water, snacks or leftover food from work.

“People aren’t hungry only on Sundays, and Grace on the Go is not going anywhere,” she said. “This is something I feel deeply and spiritually compelled to do for as long as I possibly can. What started with Sunday lunches has grown into care package drives and with God’s help and the support of others, we’ll keep doing whatever it takes for our neighbors who are living on the streets.”

Cuadrado has called Fitchburg home for over 30 years and for the last few years she has been living near the border of Lunenburg and Fitchburg, minutes away from downtown “and the very people we serve.”

“When our brothers and sisters see Grace On the Go, I hope they see more than a meal,” she said. “I hope they see hope, prayer, compassion, and people who care enough to show up. We may not be able to change someone’s entire life, but we can feed them, pray with them, listen to them, and remind them that they matter.

“Prayer is the foundation of our outreach,” Cuadrado went on to say. “We pray with people often while we are serving because we don’t want to just give someone a meal. We want them to know they are seen, loved, and not forgotten.”

They prepare and give out approximately 100 sandwiches in 50 lunches and 25 care packages each week. The brown paper bag lunches typically include two sandwiches, fruit, a snack, water and chips.

While their primary focus is those who are living on the streets, the Grace on the Go crew also does what they can to help struggling families.

“In addition to our regular Sunday outreach in downtown Fitchburg, there have been a few situations where Grace On the Go has been able to help people in our community who were facing difficult circumstances,” Cuadrado divulged.

They met a mother and her daughter who had been homeless and then secured an apartment. They helped them with several grocery runs along with household necessities and Cuadrado is happy to report that when she last checked on them, “they are doing well and getting back into a routine.”

She welcomes volunteers along with donations for the weekly Sunday lunches and care packages that are distributed the first Sunday of each month, “or simply someone to walk beside me on the streets.”

“Nothing is too small, and all acts of kindness matter,” Cuadrado conveyed. “What started as a simple effort has, by God’s grace, grown into a movement of hope. Every Sunday on the streets of Fitchburg, we go directly to where the need is. No set locations, no prerequisites, and no questions asked.”

A number of local businesses, organizations and people have stepped up to lend a hand, and anyone interested in helping in any way can contact her through the Grace on the Go Facebook page.

Sunday, Sept. 20, will mark 14 weeks of Grace on the Go and Cuadrado is showing no signs of slowing down. She revealed that people often ask her how she runs Grace on the Go while living paycheck to paycheck herself, and the answer for her is simple — “God provides.”

“When we surrender what we have, He multiplies it,” Cuadrado said. “There are days I wonder if I am making a difference, but the truth is, our neighbors are the ones changing my life through the gift of their friendship and faith.

“That is the core message of Grace on the Go that I want to share with everyone. If you see someone who is hungry, give them a meal. If you aren’t able to give them food, give them kindness,” she continued. “A warm smile, acknowledging them, and letting them know that they are loved by you and loved by God might be the very thing that makes their day on the street a little easier. Together we can make a difference — one meal, one snack, one smile, one heart at a time.”