Project Bread’s Walk for Hunger raises $1 million asfood insecurity reaches crisis levels across Massachusetts

Special to the Gazette

On Sunday, May 3, nearly 4,000 participants gathered on Boston Common and joined vir­tually from across the country and around the world for Proj­ect Bread’s 58th Annual Walk for Hunger, the nation’s oldest continually running pledge walk. Walkers representing 216 towns across Massachusetts, along with participants from 23 U.S. states and five countries, united to take action for the 40% of Massachu­setts households experiencing food insecurity. Donations are still coming in but the event is well on its way to hitting the goal of raising $1 million in support of statewide efforts to end hunger in the Commonwealth.

“The Walk for Hunger has always been about the strength of community coming together to make a tangible difference— and this year, the urgency has never been greater,” says Erin McAleer, President & CEO of Project Bread. “Seeing thou­sands of people from every cor­ner of the state show up, not just to walk, but to say, loudly and clearly, that hunger is unaccept­able. Today we showed what this community can do when we work together, but we’re not done yet. The need is greater than ever, and all of us have a part to play in meeting this moment for our neighbors struggling across the Commonwealth.”

This year’s Walk comes at a critical inflection point for food security in Massachusetts. For­ty percent of state households are experiencing food insecurity, amid historic cuts to SNAP over the last year that are forcing more families to make impos­sible choices between food and other basic needs. Against that backdrop, The Walk served as both a fundraiser and a rallying cry, drawing first-time partici­pants alongside advocates who have walked for decades.

During the Opening Ceremo­ny on the Boston Common Main Stage, Project Bread CEO Erin McAleer presented the presti­gious Patrick Hughes Award for Social Justice to Jean McMur­ray, recently retired CEO of the Worcester County Food Bank. McMurray was honored for more than 30 years of advocacy and partnership advancing systemic solutions to hunger across Mas­sachusetts and her ongoing work as advisor to the Make Hunger History Coalition.

The Walk featured a fam­ily-friendly, fully accessible 3-mile loop on Boston Common, with live entertainment, local food vendors, a cooking demon­stration, and inclusive program­ming with ASL interpretation. Walkers were cheered on by fam­ily and friends throughout the festive route, which highlighted ways to get involved in the fight to end hunger.

Now in its eighth consecu­tive year, the Commonwealth Program welcomed 68 commu­nity-based organizations that fundraised as part of a joint initiative, retaining 60 percent of all funds they raised to sup­port their own anti-hunger work while contributing to The Walk’s statewide goal.

Funds raised through The Walk support Project Bread’s year-round work to connect families to food when there’s nothing left at home, make sure kids have enough to eat, and guides everyday people through moments of crisis. Funds also support long-term solutions to ending hunger permanently.

Fundraising for The Walk for Hunger continues. Visit www. projectbread.org/walk to donate or start a personal fundraiser.

People experiencing food insecurity should call Project Bread’s FoodSource Hotline (1- 800-645-8333), which provides confidential, free assistance get­ting connected to a variety of food resources in 180 languages and for the hearing impaired. Counselors can pre-screen fam­ilies and help them to apply for SNAP. Learn more at project­bread.org/get-help.

Project Bread is the leading statewide food security organi­zation in Massachusetts. Begin­ning in 1969 with the first Walk for Hunger, the nonprofit focuses on driving systemic change to ensure people of all ages have reliable access to healthy food. Project Bread works collabora­tively across sectors to create innovative solutions to end hun­ger and improve lives across the Commonwealth. For more infor­mation, visit: www.projectbread. org.