As Holidays Near, How To Help Hungry Families In Massachusetts

MASSACHUSETTS — Believe it or not, the holidays are just two short months away. As your kids make their Christmas lists, and you begin planning an elaborate holiday meal with all the trimmings, it’s also a perfect opportunity to seek out ways to help and give back to your Massachusetts neighbors.

One way is by ensuring everyone in Massachusetts has a holiday meal of their own and full bellies on Christmas Day.

For millions of families in Boston and other U.S. cities, a hearty holiday meal simply isn’t possible.

Massachusetts residents sometimes struggle with food insecurity, according to Feeding America, the nation’s largest network of food pantries and food banks.

Before the pandemic, 566,30 people in Massachusetts were considered to be food insecure, according to Feeding America. That's 8.2 percent of the population. In 2021, 13.2 percent of Suffolk County residents could be on the brink of hunger, Feeding America projected.

Last holiday season, 80 percent of Feeding America food banks reported serving more people than during the same time the previous year.

This year could be similar. Nationally, Feeding America estimates that as many as 42 million people — including 13 million children — could experience food insecurity in 2021. As a result, food banks nationwide have seen a nearly 55 percent increase in use.

There are many ways you can help ahead of the holidays. Here are a few ideas:

Donate To A Massachusetts Food Pantry

Food pantries and food banks have experienced a 55 percent spike in usage through the pandemic, according to the latest Feeding America data, erasing a decade’s worth of progress toward ending hunger in the United States.

Donating to a food pantry is simple. Food pantries accept any food that is “shelf-stable” or nonperishable — this means you can keep it in your pantry and it won’t go bad. It’s also a good rule of thumb to only donate food that hasn’t reached its “sell-by” date yet.

See a list of what to donate to food pantries and what to avoid.

Here are the nearest food pantries in Massachusetts:

The Greater Boston Food Bank
70 South Bay Ave, Boston, MA 02118
617.427.5200
https://www.gbfb.org/

The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts
97 North Hatfield Road, PO Box 160, Hatfield, MA 01038
413.247.9738
www.foodbankwma.org

Worcester County Food Bank, Inc.
474 Boston Turnpike, Shrewsbury, MA 01545
508.842.3663
foodbank.org/

Volunteer At A Food Bank Or Pantry

More than half of all food programs in the United States rely entirely on volunteers, according to Feeding America. While volunteering can look different depending on where you’re at, here’s a sampling of the jobs you might do:

• Keep pantry shelves stocked and assemble food boxes for pickup.
• Help with fundraising or raise awareness of food pantry services.
• Deliver meals or food boxes.
• Assist with distribution at drive-thru or mobile food pantries.

To volunteer in Massachusetts, check with any of the food pantries listed above, or with your local food bank.

Host A Fundraiser

You can take action against hunger in Massachusetts by hosting a fundraiser for Feeding America or any other local food bank or food pantry. Not only is it a great way to fight food insecurity, it’s also a fun way to interact with others while making a difference in your community.

Here are a few ways you can fundraise for Feeding America:

• Organize a fundraiser at work.
• Ask your friends to give meals instead of gifts for your birthday, wedding or any other special occasion.
• Use your talents to fundraise. Hold a bake sale. Sell your artwork. Set up a lemonade stand with the kids.
• Host a charity stream on Instagram, TikTok, Twitch, YouTube or Facebook and recruit your followers to give.

If you prefer to fundraise for another local food pantry or food bank, contact them to see how you can help.

Lobby Your Lawmakers

You can use your voice to advocate for those struggling with food insecurity. Federal food programs are a necessity in ending hunger — for every meal a food pantry provides, government food programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provide nine.

Organizations like Feeding America make it easy to reach out to your lawmakers using these contact forms.

Feeding America serves 200 member food banks that serve and supply 60,000 food pantries, kitchens and meal programs around the country.

FIND FOOD
Find your local food bank

DONATE
Make a donation to Feeding America*

READ
"The Impact of Coronavirus On Food Insecurity"

ACT
Take action against hunger

Patch has partnered with Feeding America to help raise awareness on behalf of the millions of Americans facing hunger. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks across the country, estimates that in 2021, more than 42 million Americans won’t have enough nutritious food to eat due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. This is a Patch social good project; Feeding America receives 100 percent of donations.* Find out how you can donate in your community or find a food pantry near you.