MANNA Laces Up for Project Bread’s 57th Walk for Hunger

BOSTON, Mass. – On Sunday, May 4, Many Angels Needed Now and Always (MANNA) joined thousands of walkers for Project Bread’s 57th Walk for Hunger. For the fourth consecutive year, the Boston-based nonprofit hit the pavement to raise money to support statewide food security through the Commonwealth Program. The Commonwealth gives organizations addressing food insecurity 60% of all funds they raise to support their own hunger relief programs, with the remaining 40% applied to Project Bread’s statewide food security efforts.

The Walk for Hunger, Project Bread’s flagship community fundraiser, brought together a diverse community dedicated to ensuring food security across the state. The event took place on Sunday, May 4 beginning at 9 a.m. and featured family-friendly activities, food and entertainment. This year’s Walk continued its commitment to accessibility with a fully paved route, accommodations for mobility devices, and the presence of ASL interpreters and multilingual staff.

“It is becoming more and more difficult for people to afford enough to eat,” says Erin McAleer, President & CEO of Project Bread. “One in 5 families with kids are worried about where their next meal will come from. The Walk for Hunger is our opportunity to make an immediate difference in the lives of thousands of our neighbors. Organizations like Many Angels Needed Now and Always, are what make The Walk for Hunger such a powerful event. Together, as a community, we’re making sure people can access food with dignity and choice each day.”

MANNA is a faith-based community in downtown Boston that supports people experiencing homelessness, mental illness, and substance use disorders through shared meals, spiritual support, and prayer. The community is diverse in culture, gender, sexual identity, and housing status, serving 35 to 75 people at each gathering. MANNA’s programs include resource-sharing meetings, light breakfasts, community lunches, worship, and meditation. As part of the Commonwealth Program, they receive vital support from Project Bread and The Walk for Hunger to fund their meal programs. Since 2015, MANNA has participated in the Walk for Hunger, with their team aiming to raise funds for food security and connect with the broader community.

“Participating in the Walk for Hunger is a meaningful part of our community’s life together,” says Christie Towers, Chaplain to MANNA. “It empowers us to stand up for ourselves and others facing hunger, provides a platform to discuss the injustices we face, and offers an opportunity for real, impactful action. And we have fun doing it!”

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 2024, 39 nonprofits raised more than $228,000 to support their own programs for statewide food security.

Fundraising through the Walk for Hunger will continue through the summer. Donate directly to MANNA’s Commonwealth fundraiser at https://give.projectbread.org/team/655066.

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 Many Angels Needed Now and Always
MANNA (Many Angels Needed Now and Always) is a ministry of and with the unhoused community in downtown Boston. Through MANNA, we seek not only to welcome folks across differences of class, wealth, culture, race and mental ability, but also to empower all people to claim their place as essential members of our community. We all have gifts to give and to receive. We need each other. And this is why we gather each week to serve, to pray, and to create together. For more information, visit: https://www.mannaboston.org.

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