As cold weather approaches, the Cranston-based Comprehensive Community Action Program (CCAP) is gearing up to serve local families in need.

It is also reaching out to the community as it seeks support in that mission.

“We really are trying to reach out to the community,” said Joanne Gregory, CCAP’s social services director.

“Now is the time to come in and see us,” said Linda Reilly, the organization’s director of development.

CCAP’s food bank is a particular area of focus. Gregory said assistance from the community, such as that provided through food drives run by schools, churches, supermarkets and other groups and institutions, is vital in filling a need that exists year-round and becomes especially visible around the holiday season.

An added demand on the food bank, Gregory said, is the fact that people will be increasingly visiting CCAP regarding home heating assistance as temperatures drop in the weeks ahead.

“We’ll take any type of nonperishable food donation,” she said, while specifically requesting protein-rich items such as peanut butter, tuna, oatmeal and canned stew.

Starting Oct. 8, CCAP’s food bank will be open from 4 to 6 p.m. on Wednesdays. It will remain open daily from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., or by appointment. Those hours are for existing clients.

Reilly and Gregory noted that CCAP’s clients – those qualifying for a state or federal assistance program, or whose income is less than 135 percent of the poverty level – are eligible for a broad range of help.

That includes the food bank and home heating assistance, along with programs such as free tax preparation and the energy efficiency initiative run through a partnership with National Grid and the Department of Health and Human Services. Comprehensive assistance is also provided for veterans, many who are struggling with issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder.

The organization is also aiming to provide Thanksgiving baskets for 300 families – each costing roughly $30 – and will conduct a similar effort at Christmas. Reilly said food or gift card donations toward the special holiday assistance would be gratefully accepted.

CCAP provides the option to adopt a family in need, which Reilly said costs $300. Donors can either donate directly to CCAP or elect to purchase needed items from a wish list.

“We want them to be comfortable,” she said.

Most important, Gregory and Reilly said, are the steps taken to help families improve their situation – connecting them with appropriate services and resources, and conducting an overall review of each individual situation to determine the best approach moving forward.

“That’s the whole mission, is to get people back on their feet,” Reilly said.

For more information about CCAP, visit www.comcap.org or call 467-9610.