The Village Food Hub Takes Steps to Fight Hunger at Project Bread’s 58th Walk for Hunger

ANDOVER, Mass. – On May 3, The Village Food Hub will step up for Project Bread’s 58th Walk for Hunger. For the first time, the Andover-based nonprofit will raise funds to support statewide food security through Project Bread’s Commonwealth Program. Participating organizations receive 60% of the funds they raise to support their own hunger relief programs, with the remaining 40% contributing to Project Bread’s broader statewide efforts to ensure access to nutritious food for all children and families.

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Now in its 58th year, The Walk for Hunger, Project Bread’s flagship community fundraiser, brings together a diverse community dedicated to ending hunger across Massachusetts. The event kicks off Sunday, May 3 at 9 a.m. on the Boston Common with food, entertainment, and family-friendly activities. The 3-mile route is fully accessible, accommodating walkers with mobility devices, young children, and others with special needs. ASL interpreters and multilingual staff will also be on hand to ensure everyone can participate.

“Every annual Walk, every dollar raised moves us closer to a Massachusetts where no family has to wonder where they will get their next meal,” says Erin McAleer, President & CEO of Project Bread. “Coming together as an anti-hunger community is at the heart of this effort. The Village Food Hub’s commitment to ending food insecurity, along with the dedication of walkers and supporters, makes Massachusetts healthier and stronger for all of us.”

The Village Food Hub is a nonprofit organization working to strengthen the community food system and increase access to healthy food while reducing waste and promoting sustainability. Founded three years ago, the organization serves residents of Andover, North Andover and Lawrence through a 24-hour self-serve Community Pantry and Fridge, an online grocery Locker Program, and a Food Rescue Program that collects and redistributes excess food from local farms, restaurants, grocery stores and other organizations. Funds raised through The Walk for Hunger will support the organization's ongoing service delivery and expansion efforts to better meet demand for its food rescue and distribution programs. This year, in their first Walk for Hunger, a team of 25 to 45 walkers will participate virtually along a local route in Andover with a goal of raising $5,000.

"We are committed to serving food-insecure individuals and populations in the region," said Shari McLeod, Executive Director of The Village Food Hub. "The Village Food Hub's Food Rescue Program works to eradicate hunger through partnerships and policy around food waste, a mission closely aligned with Project Bread's own work. Participating in The Walk brings community members together to raise awareness and funds to fight hunger in our community."

Beginning in 1969 as the first pledge walk in the nation, money raised from The Walk for Hunger is critical to fund systemic change for hunger relief. Project Bread launched the joint-fundraising Commonwealth Program in 2019. In 2025, 51 nonprofits raised more than $200,000 to support their own programs for statewide food security.

Donate directly to The Village Food Hub’s Commonwealth fundraiser at give.projectbread.org/villagefoodhub. To register as a participant for Project Bread’s Walk for Hunger, or to support a walker or team with a donation, visit give.projectbread.org/walk. All individual walkers are encouraged to fundraise a minimum of $25 and teams $250. Participants who raise $500 or more are recognized as Heart & Sole walkers and receive access to personalized fundraising support, exclusive event gear, free breakfast on Walk Day, and invitations to exclusive events.

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.

About Project Bread

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.

About The Village Food Hub

The Village Food Hub is a nonprofit organization founded to strengthen our community food system and make it more equitable by increasing access to healthy and nutritious food, while also reducing waste and promoting environmental sustainability. We believe in building people up, and helping them become the best version of themselves. The Village Food Hub offers a 24-hour locker program that allows registered households to place grocery orders and pick up at their convenience, a 24-hour, self-serve Community Pantry program, and Village Made Meals, repurposing rescued food to create single serve meals that can be reheated in a microwave. The Village Food Hub works with local organizations to ensure that the rescued food is distributed effectively and equitably by identifying areas or populations that are underserved by existing feeding programs, and providing these programs with access to additional food sources. It can also develop new targeted initiatives to address specific food access needs such as home delivery programs for seniors or after-school meal programs for children.

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