Sudbury Resident Raises Money for Statewide Hunger Relief

SUDBURY, Mass. – On May 4, Timothy Garvin, of Sudbury, will step up for Project Bread’s 57th Walk for Hunger. He will be among over 3,500 participants, both in-person and virtual, to walk the 3-mile loop around the Boston Common or in their own neighborhoods. The one-day community event will raise more than $1 million to support the leading statewide food security organization’s approach to ensure food access for all children and families in Massachusetts.

The Walk for Hunger, Project Bread’s flagship community fundraiser, brings together a diverse community dedicated to ensuring food security across the Commonwealth. The celebration is set for Sunday, May 4 at 9 a.m. and will feature family-friendly activities, food and entertainment. This year’s Walk will remain an accessible route on the fully paved sidewalks, allowing people with mobility devices, young children, and other needs to participate. ASL interpreters and multilingual staff will be present throughout the event. Beginning in 1969 as the first pledge walk in the nation, money raised from The Walk for Hunger is critical to fund Project Bread’s statewide work for systemic change for hunger relief.

“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. The people – our walkers, volunteers, and donors – 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.”

For the second year, Garvin will be lacing up on May 4 for Project Bread’s 57th Walk for Hunger. The Sudbury resident and current president and CEO of the United Way of Central Massachusetts is motivated to walk to bring awareness to food security. Garvin first understood in college how hunger is often a quiet, hidden issue that affects so many people. In the spring of 1977, he participated in an Oxfam effort where he forged meals, and the cost of that meal was donated. His wife Theresa and he later joined the Peace Corps in the early 1990’s in the Jamaica West Indies. In addition to being a youth program officer at the Montego Bay Boys and Girls Club, he started a secondary project – Street School. Street School was a program for the children who lived and worked in the market. The program provided a recreation component and academic support, as well as a healthy meal comprised of rice, beans, chicken and a daily vegetable. Though the children lived in the market and were around food the entire day, that was their primary meal of the day. Today and for the past 19 years as a nonprofit executive, Garvin is still involved in working for food security for all.

“Walk Day is a bit like Hemingway’s “A Moveable Feast”; ‘a movable community united in good,’” says Garvin. “I look forward to a beautiful walk in Boston with friends that join me and friends I meet along the way. That work and the successes of Project Bread are inspiring. I credit Project Bread with ensuring all children in Massachusetts have access to healthy meals. I hope to always walk.”

Donate directly to Garvin’s fundraiser at https://give.projectbread.org/fundraiser/6109008. To register as a participant for Project Bread’s Walk for Hunger, or to support a walker or team with a donation, visit give.projectbread.org/walk. All individual walkers are encouraged to fundraise a minimum of $25 and teams $250. Participants who raise $500 or more are recognized as Heart & Sole walkers and receive access to personalized fundraising support, exclusive event gear, free breakfast on Walk Day, and invitations to exclusive events.

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.