People Helping People Takes Steps to Fight Hunger at Project Bread’s 58th Walk for Hunger

BURLINGTON, Mass. – On May 3, People Helping People will step up for Project Bread’s 58th Walk for Hunger. For the fifth consecutive year, the Burlington-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.

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. People Helping People’s commitment to ending food insecurity, along with the dedication of walkers and supporters, makes Massachusetts healthier and stronger for all of us..”

For six years, People Helping People—also known as the Burlington Food Pantry—has brought its community together through Project Bread’s Walk for Hunger to raise awareness and support for neighbors facing food insecurity right at home. Based in Burlington, the organization provides weekly food assistance, holiday meals and gifts, and financial support for basic needs, ensuring residents have access to essential resources during both short- and long-term hardship. This year, led by Pantry Manager Abby Hurd and Operations Manager Julianne Kelleher, the team will once again participate virtually, hosting their own local walk at the Burlington High School track to make it easier for community members to join. Together, they’re working toward a $2,000 fundraising goal to help purchase hard-to-source essentials like milk and keep pantry shelves stocked. With participation already growing beyond their initial team of eight, they continue to rally local schools, churches, and neighbors around a shared commitment to fighting hunger.

“The Walk for Hunger is about raising awareness of the very real problem of food insecurity in our own community and beyond,” says Kelleher. “It’s inspiring to see people come together locally to support one another and ensure our neighbors have access to the food they need.”

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 People Helping People’s Commonwealth fundraiser at give.projectbread.org/burlington. 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 People Helping People

People Helping People works to establish and sustain a community-wide effort to help meet the basic needs of residents of Burlington, Mass. For more information, visit: www.peoplehelpingpeopleinc.org.

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