Xiarhos: Memorials not enough to support police
May 20, 2026
I am honored to have an op-ed published in today’s Boston Herald. Sadly, the subject is the tragic deaths of so many members of law enforcement and other heroic first responders here in Massachusetts.
These brave men and women perform jobs that are dangerous by nature, but their service becomes even more dangerous when violent criminals are allowed to roam our streets with impunity.
It is time for the Legislature to act on proposals that hold dangerous offenders accountable and help protect not only our police officers and first responders, but the public as well.
The victims of crime are not anonymous. They are sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, friends, and neighbors — real people taken from us far too soon.
Fixing the failures that contribute to these tragedies is a choice. We must choose to act. We cannot allow more lives to be lost on our watch.
The Pledge
January 22, 2026
I was especially honored to represent my son, Nicholas, and stand shoulder to shoulder with Massachusetts Gold Star Families as we led the Pledge of Allegiance tonight at the State of the State address in the People’s House. A moment I will carry with me forever. May God Bless America, our Commonwealth, and our fallen heroes.
Happy Thankful Thursday
January 22, 2026
I am filled with gratitude for Habitat for Humanity of Cape Cod and the incredible work they do making dreams come true for people right here in our community.
This is also a joyful follow-up to the story of my wonderful friend Lisa. I first met Lisa two years ago when she was working full-time on Cape Cod, born and raised here, yet without a home of her own. At the time, she was living in a tent in the state forest in Sandwich. She asked me to come and visit, and that visit began a friendship that has lasted through the years.
Lisa’s strength, kindness, and perseverance deeply inspired me. Her story is one of the reasons I chose to join Executive Director Wendy Cullinan and serve on the board of directors for Habitat for Humanity of Cape Cod. I saw firsthand how working people can fall through the cracks—and how compassion, community, and commitment can change lives.
I am beyond happy to share that yesterday Lisa and her friend signed the papers for their brand new home in Wellfleet. They moved in, and this morning Lisa sent me a photo of her very first cup of tea in her new home. From living in a tent in the woods to sitting at her own table in a safe, beautiful, energy-efficient home that she and her housemate will enjoy for the rest of their lives.
This is what Habitat for Humanity does. This is what happens when donors, sponsors, volunteers, and believers in people come together to lift someone up.
Happy Thankful Thursday, Lisa—and happy Thankful Thursday to everyone who makes stories like this possible.
God bless!
Wind Turbine Failure in Bourne / Plymouth Area
November 8, 2025
State Representative Steve Xiarhos (R – 5th Barnstable) has issued the following statement:
While I was in Boston yesterday, I was informed of a serious incident involving one of the wind turbines on the town line between Bourne and Plymouth near Head of the Bay Road.
According to Plymouth Fire Chief Neil Foley, a neighbor called in the early afternoon after noticing one of the three blades on the 300 foot turbine was missing. Firefighters found the detached blade, about 75 to 100 feet long, several hundred feet away in a cranberry bog. Thankfully no one was hurt and the turbine shut itself down as designed.
We were fortunate this happened in an open area and not near homes, but it raises real concerns for nearby families and the environment. These turbines sit close to working cranberry bogs and wetlands. If a blade filled with contaminants breaks loose, it can affect water quality, farmland, and wildlife. Offshore, similar failures threaten marine life, fishing, and tourism. Cape Cod’s natural beauty and economy depend on strong environmental protection.
I have filed or co-sponsored several bills addressing these concerns, including safety, local input, emergency planning, siting near neighborhoods, and recycling turbines when they are no longer in use:
- H.3579 – An Act Providing for a Wind Farm Study
- H.D.4318 – An Act Establishing an Extended Producer Responsibility Program for Offshore Wind Energy Equipment
- H.3479 – An Act Relative to the Onshore Siting of Infrastructure Associated with Offshore Wind Projects
- H.3585 – An Act Establishing a Special Commission to Study the Potential Risks to Cities and Towns from the Onshore Electrical Infrastructure Supporting Offshore Wind Energy Projects
Public safety and environmental protection must always come first. I will be working closely with my colleague State Representative Michelle Badger, who represents the district bordering this area of Bourne and Plymouth, to make sure residents get answers and that this site is cleaned up promptly and safely.
###
FOOD PANTRIES AND NUTRITION SERVICES ON CAPE COD
November 3, 2025
Cape Cod is a community that looks out for one another. Across every town, there are dedicated volunteers and organizations making sure that no one goes hungry. Below is a list of local food pantries and programs by town. Please share this information with anyone who may need a helping hand.
⸻
BARNSTABLE
Cape Cod Community College Family Pantry
Building #7 (Grossman Commons Cafeteria)
Tuesdays 12–2 PM, Wednesdays 11 AM–1 PM
Open to all students, faculty, and staff
774-330-4857
First Baptist Church Pantry
486 Main Street, Hyannis
Tuesdays 9 AM–12 PM
508-775-1846
St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry – St. Francis Xavier Church
21 Cross Street, Hyannis
Tuesdays and Fridays 10 AM–12 PM
508-775-3073
Salvation Army Pantry and Soup Kitchen
100 North Street, Hyannis
Pantry by appointment Monday through Thursday 10–11:15 AM
Breakfast 8:30–9:30 AM, Lunch 11:30–12:30 PM
508-775-0364
Faith Family Kitchen
154 Bearses Way, Hyannis
Monday, Wednesday, Friday 5:30–6:30 PM
508-775-5073
Cape and Islands Veterans Outreach Center Pantry
223 Stevens Street, Hyannis
Thursdays 9 AM–6 PM
508-778-1590
⸻
BOURNE
Friends Food Pantry
121 Main Street, Buzzards Bay
Tuesdays 9 AM–12 PM
508-759-3351
Empowerment Center (JBCC)
1015 South Inner Road, Buzzards Bay
Monday and Friday 10 AM–1 PM, Wednesday 1–4 PM
(For those with base access)
⸻
BREWSTER
Lower Cape Outreach Council Pantry
Brewster Baptist Church, 1848 Main Street
Mondays and Thursdays 10 AM–12 PM
508-240-0694
lcoutreach.org/pantry-hours
⸻
CHATHAM
Lower Cape Outreach Council Pantry
St. Christopher’s Church, 625 Main Street
Tuesdays 4–6 PM, Thursdays 3–5 PM
508-240-0694
First United Methodist Church Pantry
16 Cross Street, Chatham
Thursdays and Fridays 11 AM–2 PM
⸻
EASTHAM
Lower Cape Outreach Council Pantry
Eastham United Methodist Church, 3200 State Hwy (Route 6)
Monday 4–6 PM, Tuesday 10–12, Thursday 2–4 PM
508-240-0694
Community Fridge
2500 State Hwy, Eastham (between Town Hall and Police Dept.)
774-801-3229
Cape and Islands Veterans Outreach Mobile Pantry
Eastham Elks Club, 10 McKoy Road
2nd and 4th Tuesdays 10 AM–1 PM
⸻
FALMOUTH
Falmouth Service Center
611 Gifford Street
Tuesday 10–12, Wednesday 3:30–5:30, Thursday 10–12, Friday 10–12
508-548-2794
A Place at the Table – St. Barnabas’s Episcopal Church
91 Main Street
Hot lunches Tuesday and Thursday 11 AM–1 PM
508-548-3863
St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry – St. Patrick Church
511 Main Street
Tuesday and Friday 10 AM–12 PM and 1–3 PM
508-563-7775
Cape and Islands Veterans Outreach Mobile Pantry
Falmouth AmVets, 366 Palmer Ave
1st and 3rd Tuesdays 10 AM–1 PM
⸻
HARWICH
The Family Pantry of Cape Cod
133 Queen Anne Road
Tuesday 10–3:30, Wednesday 10–12, Thursday 10–7, Saturday 9–12
508-432-6519
Lower Cape Outreach Council Pantry
St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, 73 Main Street
Monday 1–3, Tuesday 3:30–5, Wednesday 12:30–2:30, Friday 10–12
508-240-0694
The People’s Fridge – Harwich Community Center
100 Oak Street
508-430-7509
⸻
MASHPEE
Christ the King Food Pantry
5 Job’s Fishing Road
Wednesdays 9 AM–12 PM
508-477-7700
Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Food Pantry
483 Great Neck Road South
Tuesday through Thursday 12–4 PM
508-477-0208 ext. 189
⸻
ORLEANS
Lower Cape Outreach Council Pantry
Orleans Methodist Church, 73 Main Street
Tuesdays 10 AM–12 PM
508-240-0694
⸻
PROVINCETOWN
Lower Cape Outreach Council Pantry
United Methodist Church, 20 Shank Painter Road
Wednesday and Thursday 10 AM–2 PM
Soup Kitchen in Provincetown (SKIP)
Same location
Monday through Friday 12:30–1:30 PM (November through April)
508-487-8331
Crop Swap – Provincetown Library
356 Commercial Street
Open during library hours
⸻
SANDWICH
Sandwich Food Pantry
331 Cotuit Road
Wednesday 10–12, Last Wednesday 6–7:30 PM, 3rd Saturday 10–12
508-888-3816
St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry
322 Quaker Meetinghouse Road
Thursdays 9:30–12 PM
508-833-1555
Empowerment Center (Non-Base Access)
117 Route 6A
Monday and Tuesday 10–1, Thursday and Friday 12:30–4
774-205-7232
⸻
SOUTH YARMOUTH
Cape Cod Community Food Pantry
845 Route 28, Unit 16 (Lighthouse Landing Plaza)
Tuesday and Thursday 5:30–6:30 PM
508-394-0880
St. David’s Episcopal Church
205 Old Main Street
3rd Wednesday each month
508-394-4222
⸻
WELLFLEET
Lower Cape Outreach Council Pantry
Our Lady of Lourdes Parking Lot, 2282 Route 6
Monday and Wednesday 3–6 PM, Thursday 10–12 PM
⸻
WEST YARMOUTH
Canaan Church Food Pantry and Community Garden
204 Route 28
508-266-1439
⸻
TRURO
Truro Community Kitchen
Christian Union Church, 27 Shore Road
Deliveries on Tuesdays
508-514-1833
Lower Cape Outreach Council Pantry
Community Center, 7 Standish Way
Tuesday and Wednesday 10–12:30 PM
⸻
Cape Cod’s food pantries are open and ready to help. If you or someone you know needs food assistance, please reach out to one of these local programs.
If you have any questions, please email my office at Steven.Xiarhos@mahouse.gov
