Harvard Square Churches Meal Program Takes Steps to Fight Hunger at Project Bread’s 58th Walk for Hunger

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – On May 3, Harvard Square Churches Meal Program will step up for Project Bread’s 58th Walk for Hunger. For the fourth consecutive year, the Cambridge-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. Harvard Square Churches Meal Program’s commitment to ending food insecurity, along with the dedication of walkers and supporters, makes Massachusetts healthier and stronger for all of us..”

For more than 40 years, the Harvard Square Churches Meal Program (HSCMP) has been a steady source of nourishment and community for unhoused and underserved individuals across greater Cambridge, serving a home-cooked, sit-down meal every Thursday evening in a welcoming, dignified setting. What began as a grant-funded partnership with Project Bread has evolved into a thriving Walk for Hunger Commonwealth team, with HSCMP raising more than $10,000 last year—far surpassing its pre-pandemic funding—and continuing to rely on this community-driven support to sustain its wide range of services, from weekly meals and food distribution to clothing, health care access, and housing support. This year, TEAM Harvard Square Churches Meal Program hopes to again raise $10,000 to support its mission of providing not just food, but comfort, connection, and care to those who need it most.

“The Walk for Hunger has become an essential part of how we sustain and grow our program,” says Judith Siemen, HSCMP Co-Director. “It’s not just about fundraising—it’s about building relationships, raising awareness, and ensuring we can continue to offer a place where every guest is welcomed with dignity, nourishment, and 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 Harvard Square Churches Meal Program’s Commonwealth fundraiser at give.projectbread.org/hscmp2026. 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 Harvard Square Churches Meal Program

Since 1982, the Harvard Square Churches Meal Program (HSCMP) has served a free evening meal every Thursday at Christ Church in Cambridge. Founded by 10 local churches, HSCMP is a nondenominational nonprofit that provides guests with a hot meal, fresh produce, non-perishable groceries, toiletries, and clothing. Monthly, guests can also access a Housing Navigator, Harvard Medical School students, and the MGH CARE van. Doors open at 5 p.m., with the meal served at 5:30 p.m. For more information or to volunteer, contact co-directors Judy Siemen or Laurie Howell at hscmpinc@gmail.com, 617-966-6217, or 617-733-5099.

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