Jen Lemmerman Steps Up for Project Bread’s 56th Annual Walk for Hunger

ANDOVER, Mass. – From her childhood growing up in Wilmington, food has always been central to Jen Lemmerman’s family gatherings. With five siblings and extended family living nearby, Lemmerman’s family would gather, celebrate, and mourn over shared meals throughout the year. She understood the power of food to unite and nourish people. Now, with kids of her own, Lemmerman understands the efforts her mother had to make, especially when she was raising six young children. Today, as Chief Policy Officer at Project Bread, the leading statewide food security organization, the Andover resident is working to ensure everyone in Massachusetts has access to healthy meals year-round.

Trained as a social worker, with an M.S.W. from Boston College and a focus on advocacy and social justice, Lemmerman joined the Project Bread team in 2019. She has since helped Project Bread advocate statewide for progressive policies that have made Massachusetts a leader in fighting hunger in the U.S. During her tenure, she has grown the nonprofit’s policy department from a team of one to a team of five and built out an internship curriculum for students pursuing their Masters in Social Work. Her team is now operating with a robust policy agenda, coauthoring legislation and supporting key bills for the state legislature that improve the accessibility and reach of programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP). Past successes under Lemmerman’s leadership include the passage of the Act Promoting Student Nutrition in October 2021, An Act Regarding Breakfast After the Bell in 2020, and permanent free School Meals for All in 2023. In spring 2023, Massachusetts was the only state to provide an off-ramp for residents enrolled in SNAP as emergency pandemic SNAP allotments were rolled back nationwide, and Project Bread was at the forefront of this advocacy effort, supporting the Healey administration’s commitment to meeting families where they are.

Most recently, Lemmerman helped to launch the Make Hunger History Coalition, a new statewide assembly of advocates, policymakers, businesses, service providers, and individuals with lived experiences of hunger, who have all convened to end hunger in Massachusetts – permanently. Project Bread’s work has always been community-led, from the first Walk for Hunger in 1969, and Lemmerman’s work to pair grassroots advocacy with strategic policy initiatives has already proved to be a pathway to success.

“Hunger is a solvable problem, and we just need the right people to make the right decisions, knowing they have the support of the people of the Commonwealth behind them,” says Lemmerman. “The growth of our advocacy team, the programs that Project Bread runs with partners each day, and the people who continue to fundraise and make their voices heard each year at The Walk for Hunger, all demonstrate this undeniable fact: we can end hunger in Massachusetts. And we will.”

On May 5, Lemmerman will be participating in Project Bread’s 56th annual Walk for Hunger. More than 3,500 in-person and virtual participants will walk the accessible three-mile loop around the Boston Common or in their own neighborhoods. The first pledge walk in the nation when it launched in 1969, this one-day event is set for Sunday, May 5 at 9 a.m. It will feature family-friendly activities, programming, and games, as the nonprofit invites people with mobility devices, strollers, young children and other needs to all participate in the mission to end hunger in Massachusetts. Project Bread works year-round across policy initiatives, programs, and hunger prevention measures to ensure food access for all children and families across the Commonwealth.

“Jen’s leadership of our policy work has made an immense difference for families statewide, from the advocacy efforts she’s spearheaded, to her strong relationships with policymakers, to the impact of the legislation passed and funding allocated through the state legislature,” says Erin McAleer, Project Bread’s CEO. “The funds our Walkers raise each year transform the lives of thousands of Massachusetts residents. Hunger is still a pervasive problem, with one in five MA households with children currently unable to afford enough to eat. Participating in Project Bread’s Walk for Hunger is one way we can all do something real to make sure our neighbors can access and afford the food they need.”

Money raised through the Walk for Hunger is critical to Project Bread’s statewide work for systemic change through policy, prevention, and partnerships to ensure people of all ages have reliable access to healthy food. In keeping with the community spirit of the event, the Walk also provides a platform for organizations to fund the vital work they do for food security locally. In 2019, Project Bread launched a joint fundraising program, The Commonwealth, to uplift the work of like-minded organizations. In 2023, 34 nonprofits raised more than $160,000 to support their own programs.

To register as a participant for Project Bread’s Walk for Hunger, or to support a walker or team with a donation, visit projectbread.org/walk. There is no registration fee or fundraising minimum to participate, although a $250 minimum goal is suggested. Participants who raise $500 or more are recognized as Heart & Sole walkers and receive access to personalized fundraising support, exclusive event gear and invitations to 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 www.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.

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