Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley announced last week her decision to join an initiative that aims to eliminate hunger in Massachusetts.
Said to be a first-of-its-kind grouping of policymakers, business and healthcare organizations, and individuals who have experienced hunger, the Make Hunger History Coalition will work to enact policy changes to address hunger in the state.
“Food insecurity has impacted the Massachusetts 7th and our Commonwealth for far too long, and we must affirm food as the human right that it is. No child should go to bed hungry, and no senior or parent should have to choose between paying for medicine or putting food on the table,” Pressley said in a statement.
Pressley joins Congressman James P. McGovern and other elected officials in the effort to “make food insecurity a thing of the past. Another world is possible, and I believe Massachusetts can be the first state to end hunger — permanently. We can build that world through transformative legislation and sustainable movements like these,” she continued.
Created in April, the steering committee for the coalition comprises youth and parent advocates, food and agriculture organizations, and people who have experienced hunger. Elected officials such as state representatives Hannah Kane and Andy Vargas are also involved in the effort.
In the coming months, the committee will hold meetings and strategy sessions as it works to come up with solutions to address the state’s food insecurity crisis, Pressley said in an email to the Banner.
In Massachusetts, over 1 million people, about one in six residents, rely on federal food assistance. In 2023, 350,000 children were fed through the federal food fund.
A study from the Greater Boston Food Bank paints a much grimmer picture of the widespread nature of food insecurity in Massachusetts, which doubled during the pandemic. Published in May, the report found that 1.9 million adults in the state reported experiencing food insecurity in 2023, 100,000 adults more than in 2022.
The highest proportions of adults facing food insecurity were in Western Massachusetts and the Boston areas, with more than 45 percent of adults in select counties reporting having inadequate food supplies.
The study also highlighted racial disparities, with American Indian or Alaska Native, Hispanic, and Black households reporting the highest levels of food insecurity.
The Make Hunger History Coalition is supported by over 200 standalone organizations and led by Project Bread, a nonprofit organization whose goal is to connect “people and communities in Massachusetts to reliable sources of food” and advocate “for policies that make food more accessible,” according to its website.
Aiming to eradicate food insecurity in Massachusetts, Project Bread has worked to improve access to nutritious school meals in partnership with Mayor Michelle Wu. During the summer, the organization runs its Boston Summer Eats program, serving free meals to youth 18 and under.
Project Bread also works with community organizations statewide to remove barriers that lead to food insecurity such as lack of transportation, language inaccessibility, mobility challenges, and stigma.
“Massachusetts is at a critical juncture in advancing a plan to end hunger statewide, and we are proud to welcome Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, a tenacious social justice advocate, to join us in this effort,” said Erin McAleer, president and CEO of Project Bread, in a statement.
McAleer lauded Pressley for her work of “uplifting diverse voices for a healthier, stronger, hunger-free future,” saying her “expertise and commitment are tremendous assets as we collectively build the roadmap to ensure no one in our state has to live without enough to eat.”
McGovern echoed this sentiment.
“Massachusetts will be the first state in the nation to make hunger history, and I’m proud to build this movement alongside incredible partners like Ayanna as we work to deliver the hope and promise of food to every child, every senior, every parent, every student, and every person in America and around the world,” said McGovern in a statement.
Pressley and McGovern are among a network of officials who have committed to ending hunger nationwide with the backing of the Biden administration. In 2022, the administration held the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health where nonprofits, advocates and state legislators convened.
With a new president set to take office next year, Pressley said a Harris-Walz win would be an advantage for the fight against food insecurity, citing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s free school lunch policy as an indicator.
A spokesperson for Project Bread said the organization will soon begin finalizing its roadmap in collaboration with a consultant before announcing it to the public in early 2025.
