OP-ED: Take Action Against Hunger

Note: The following was submitted by the officer of State Senator Katherine Clark:

September is National Hunger Action Month, a time to highlight the struggles of so many Americans facing hunger and food insecurity, and to come together to support efforts to end domestic hunger.

Over the past several years, as too many families have faced economic hardship, the number of people in need has grown, nationally and within the Commonwealth.  According to the USDA’s most recent data, about 1 in 9 households in Massachusetts face food insecurity, defined as lacking consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life.  That rate is even higher for children – about 18%, according to a recent study issued by the Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) and Feeding America.  That report found that more than 260,000 children in Massachusetts face hunger on a regular basis; in some parts of the state, the rate is as high as one in four children. 

The GBFB, which serves eastern Massachusetts, including our district, distributes more than 34 million pounds of food per year to approximately 550 member agencies throughout the state.  The food bank network has seen a 23% increase in need since 2005.  The state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (or SNAP, formerly the Food Stamp Program) has also seen an increase in the number of people seeking assistance.  The state’s SNAP caseload has nearly doubled since July 2007.  And many more households in Massachusetts who earn too much to qualify for assistance are still facing food insecurity.

These families who are fighting hunger – our friends, our neighbors, our seniors, and our co-workers – are ably served by many wonderful organizations within our district.  In Malden, Bread of Life is a volunteer organization that serves thousands, in collaboration with a network of religious and community organizations.  Bread of Life provides free meals four nights per week, operates two emergency food pantries, delivers free groceries to senior citizens in public housing in Malden, Everett, Melrose and Wakefield, and provides a weekly grocery delivery to homeless families sheltered in local motels.  Bread of Life has been one of the top 5 purchasers and distributors of free food in eastern Massachusetts since 2003, providing over 400,000 meals annually. 

According to Bread of Life’s Gabriella Snyder Stelmack, “the number of families in need is increasing, and we’re seeing more families utilizing all our services, especially the emergency food pantries and the evening meal service.”  These programs serve over 300 households per week, with a staff of 3 full-time employees, 2 part-time workers and a network of 500 dedicated volunteers.

In addition, many other religious and civic organizations in our district actively serve those who are hungry.  Hundreds of families in Melrose and surrounding communities are served by Melrose’s two food pantries:  Pantry of Hope, which recently commemorated its 10th year of service and is run by the First Baptist Church; and A Servant’s Heart, based at the Faith Evangelical Church with support from St. Mary’s Church and many community members.  The Stoneham Food Pantry at the First Congregational Church provides emergency food supplies to residents of Stoneham and surrounding towns.  The Reading Food Pantry operates in collaboration with the Reading Clergy Association and is located at Old South United Methodist Church.   EMARC, also in Reading, operates a food pantry for low income people with developmental disabilities.  And the Wakefield Interfaith Food Pantry, a volunteer organization, is located on the ground level of the Americal Civic Center.  In addition, so many of our school children have been involved in raising money for hunger-related charities and hosting food drives, including students at the Summer Street School in Lynnfield who raised $1,900 this year for Gathering Change, a Lynnfield-based organization that supports local food pantries and social programs in our district and beyond.

These organizations – and many others – deserve our thanks and our continued support, both during Hunger Action Month and throughout the year.