Harvard Sq. Churches Meal Program Laces Up for Walk for Hunger

CAMBRDIGE, Mass. – On May 1, Harvard Square Churches Meal Program will be among thousands of virtual participants to lace up for Project Bread’s 54th annual Walk for Hunger. For the third consecutive year, the Cambridge-based nonprofit will participate in the event through The Commonwealth Program which gives 60 percent of all funds raised by teams from likeminded organizations and agencies back to support their own hunger relief programs, with the remaining 40 percent applied to the statewide anti-hunger effort. Since 1983, Project Bread has provided Harvard Square Churches Meal Program through community grants. Through the Commonwealth Program, Harvard Square Churches Meal Program has raised more than $6,000 to support local anti-hunger efforts.

Historically, the Walk for Hunger, the nation’s oldest continual pledge walk, takes place the first Sunday of May on the Boston Common. The 2022 fundraiser will be the third event to be done virtually and is expected to raise more than $1 million to support Project Bread’s work to increase food access for people of all ages in Massachusetts.

“Currently, 1 in 5 Massachusetts households with children is struggling without enough to eat and that number jumps dramatically for Black, brown, and immigrant households,” says Erin McAleer, Project Bread CEO. “Participating in the Walk for Hunger is one way in which residents can take action to fund school and community meal sites and Massachusetts’ only statewide hotline that connects residents with a range of food resources, including SNAP assistance. We can drive community change together.”

Money raised through the Walk is funding Project Bread’s work to ensure kids have reliable access to food, directly helping individuals and families, and advocating at the state and federal levels for expedited and efficient relief for those in need. Walk funds are also supporting community organizations, like Harvard Square Churches Meal Program, that are helping residents to access food now and grants to ensure communities have the resources necessary to sustain and grow local anti-hunger programs. In 2021, 28 nonprofits participated in The Commonwealth Program and raised more than $165,000 to support their own work.

Founded in 1982, Harvard Square Churches Meal Program, an ecumenical project comprised of 10 Cambridge-based churches, works to provide outreach to underserved individuals, ranging in ages from 20 to 80, in the greater Boston/Cambridge area through financial support, community food donations, and volunteers. The nonprofit’s mission is to offer a nutritious meal, containing locally sourced fresh fruits and vegetables, once a week to community members in a supportive, hospitable atmosphere through its Market Place. Individuals facing homelessness are offered stipends to work for the program, alongside volunteers, including adults with intellectual disabilities, helping with food preparation and serving, management and arrangement of goods and more.

“For the last 12 years I have been a volunteer at Harvard Square Churches Meal Program,” says Ray Magliozzi, Harvard Square Churches Meal Program Board Member. “During that time, I have become aware of the vital role this organization plays in the underserved community in Cambridge. Week after week the meal program provides a nourishing dinner to upwards of a hundred people in need, while at the same time, providing much needed emotional support to some of our city’s most vulnerable citizens. I’m proud to be a small part of what this wonderful organization does and has been doing for the past 40 years. We look forward to this year’s Walk for Hunger!”

This year’s event will include virtual programming with McAleer, elected officials, as well as walkers and volunteers posting and sharing their experiences along their neighborhood routes and why they are walking to help end hunger. Families with kids, individuals and teams of corporate employees are encouraged to find creative ways to connect virtually and fundraise together.

To register for the event and create a personal or team fundraising page for The Walk for Hunger or to make 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.

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