hunger

A new effort from the Boston Foundation will attempt to close gaps in food access across eastern Massachusetts through $1.5 million in new grant funding.

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of residents in the state facing food insecurity shot up. Those numbers have yet to go down, according to a new report, released May 29, from the Greater Boston Food Bank.

My mother, a Sierra Leone native, worked hard to build a life in America, the land of opportunity, for myself and my three brothers. But the obstacles we faced to access nutrition in this country challenged us. With my own children, I hoped access to affordable healthy food would be better.

It’s all hands on deck as nonprofits around the state, even those that are not typically focused on distributing food, are pivoting to join the effort to reduce hunger during the pandemic.

Lines at food pantries and soup kitchens normally grow around this time of year, but the pandemic has doubled them, relief workers say. With an unprecedented amount of need, relief centers are pooling their resources to make sure everyone is fed, though it may not be enough.