Food For Free Hits the Pavement for Project Bread’s Walk for Hunger

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – On May 7, Food For Free will be among over 3,000 participants to lace up for Project Bread’s 55th annual Walk for Hunger. For the 5th consecutive year, the Cambridge-based nonprofit will raise money to fight hunger. They are participating in the Commonwealth Program, which gives organizations addressing food insecurity 60% of all funds they have raised to support their own hunger relief programs, with the remaining 40% applied to Project Bread’s statewide anti-hunger effort. To date, Project Bread has awarded over $23,000 to Food For Free.

Beginning in 1969, as the first pledge walk in the nation, Project Bread’s Walk for Hunger brings together a diverse community dedicated to creating change. On Sunday May 7th, the annual fundraiser returns to Boston Common after 3 years of being virtual due to COVID-19 safety precautions. This rite of passage for people in Massachusetts returns in its 55th year with a shorter route and a fresh look. The mission of the time-honored tradition will never change. The fundraising goal this year is over $1 million dollars.

“Right now, 1 in every 5 households with children in Massachusetts is struggling without enough to eat,” according to Erin McAleer, CEO of statewide anti-hunger organization Project Bread. She notes the number of families with children unable to afford food among Black, brown, and immigrant households, it’s disproportionately higher. “Hunger in Massachusetts is simply unacceptable,” McAleer says. “This is a solvable problem but every single one of us needs to do our part. We all must take action. The work Food For Free does reflects what The Walk is all about—stepping up to benefit our friends, neighbors, and family members in Massachusetts who cannot meet the most basic of human needs: food. The Food For Free walk team understands hunger is an injustice and they are doing something about it. That is powerful.”

Through a combination of program support and direct service offerings, Food For Free strengthens local food systems, working to improve access to healthy food. This is done through rescuing food that might otherwise go to waste and distributing it to emergency food programs, schools and colleges, and other programs that reach low-income individuals. A few of Food For Free's other programs include Just Eats, a boxed food program that distributes 1,800 boxes of food every week to food programs, Healthy Eats, serving 375 low-income Cambridge seniors and people with disabilities by bringing food right to their doorsteps, and Heat-n-Eats, where the nonprofit takes prepared food from corporate, university, and hospital dining services and turns it into balanced, single-serving meals that are distributed to food-insecure populations. Funds raised from the Walk for Hunger will help Food For Free fund its general operating and program costs, which includes food purchases, packaging, facilities, transportation, volunteer support, and more.

“The Food For Free team is delighted to participate in the Walk For Hunger!" says Marena Burnett, Food For Free’s Chief Development Officer. “It's a collaborative effort to fight food insecurity and each of us has an important role to play. Project Bread is committed to ensuring that all people in Massachusetts have enough to eat. This directly intersects with Food For Free’s mission to provide access to healthy and nutritious food across Eastern Massachusetts. We are grateful to our partner Project Bread, all the walkers, and everyone who is able to donate to help those who are facing food insecurity.”

Money raised through the Walk for Hunger is critical to Project Bread’s statewide work to ensure kids reliably have enough to eat, provide one-on-one support for individuals and families who need food assistance, and work to prevent hunger in the first place by eliminating barriers to resources and implementing policies that make food more accessible. In keeping with the community-spirit of the event, the Walk also provides a platform for organizations, like Food For Free, to fund the vital work they do fighting hunger locally. The Commonwealth, a joint fundraising program, Project Bread launched in 2019. In 2022, 36 nonprofits raised more than $123,000 to support their own programs.

This year’s event will include remarks by McAleer as well as family-friendly activations on the Boston Common, such as live music, photo booths, giveaways and raffle prizes, lawn games, and a Kids’ Zone with balloon animals and face painting. Families with kids, community groups, individuals, and teams of corporate employees are encouraged to find creative ways to fundraise and join us on Boston Common for the new 3-mile route and for an exciting day of celebration. Project Bread will continue to engage virtual participants this year, inviting anyone interested to register and walk their own way from wherever they are.

To register as a participant for Project Bread’s The Walk for Hunger, or to support a walker or team with a donation, visit projectbread.org/walk or call (617) 723-5000.There is no registration fee or fundraising minimum to participate. 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 into Project Bread’s toll-free FoodSource Hotline (1-800-645-8333), which provides confidential assistance to connect with food resources, including SNAP benefits, in 180 languages and for the hearing impaired. For more information, visit: www.projectbread.org/get-help.

About Project Bread

Project Bread is the leading statewide anti-hunger 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 Food For Free

Food For Free is a Cambridge and Somerville-based, non-profit organization dedicated to providing Eastern Massachusetts with reliable access to fresh and nutritious food. Food For Free accomplishes its mission through food rescue, partnerships with schools, colleges, and community food programs, and our own direct service programs. In the last year, Food For Free distributed 7.5 million pounds of nutritious food to over 20 communities throughout Eastern Massachusetts and was named the 2020 Org Impact Award winner in the Fighting Hunger and Poverty category for its work improving access to healthy food within the Boston community. To learn more, visit us at www.foodforfree.org, or follow Food For Free on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @foodforfreeorg. To become a part of Team Food For Free, visit http://support.projectbread.org/goto/FoodForFree