Charlestown Resident to Cycle in Support of Hunger Relief

A local Charlestown resident is set to help raise awareness and funds for a Cambridge based nonprofit organization, Food For Free, by riding 25 miles in the “Ride For Food.”

Phil Olivieri, 34, hopes to personally raise $1,000 to aid Food For Free’s food rescue and delivery programs and to provide healthy food for all.

Food For Free’s cycling team will send out 21 riders strong with the collective goal of raising $22,000 to feed hungry neighbors in need. Food For Free riders include a mix of long distance riders, casual cyclists, families, bike commuters, and bike delivery professionals.

The Ride For Food is set to take place on Sunday, Sept. 20.

Since 1981, Cambridge-based Food For Free has responded to local hunger by rescuing food that would otherwise go to waste, and distributing it to local emergency food programs including food pantries, youth programs, shelters, and more. Through a combination of food rescue, farming, and transportation programs, the organization’s year-round services give people access to fresh fruits and vegetables, which are typically lacking from the diets of low-income individuals and families.

As one of the nation’s first food rescue programs, Food For Free feeds more than 25,000 families annually in Boston and beyond distributing food to more than 100 programs in Arlington, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Lynn, Lowell, Malden, Medford, Peabody, Somerville, and Watertown.

Click here to make a financial contribution toward Olivieri’s fundraising campaign>>>