As many as 1 in 3 children in Massachusetts experience food insecurity. Summer is a particularly difficult time for families facing hunger, as children and teens lose the free meals they receive when school is in session. Our Growing Healthy Futures campaign supports GBFB’s commitment to distributing nutritious food all summer long, so kids and families continue to grow, learn, and thrive.
BJ’s Charitable Foundation shares our commitment of taking care of children and families, and is supporting Growing Healthy Futures and is matching all donations dollar-for-dollar up to the first $250,000 received! Now every $1 donated doubles to provide 4 meals to children and families in need across Eastern Massachusetts.
That means your support today will DOUBLE in impact to help power our distribution network of 600 hunger-relief agency partners, helping to provide healthy food and some relief for families struggling to balance the loss of school meals during the summer amongst high grocery prices and cost of living.
In addition to raising the necessary funding to meet the critical need, Growing Healthy Futures also builds awareness around childhood, student, and family hunger across Eastern Massachusetts. Your support will boost several of GBFB’s programs and initiatives that prioritize children, students, and families, including:
- Childhood Hunger – In the past year, 1 in 3 households with children in Massachusetts experienced child-level food insecurity, and 60% of these households utilized food assistance programs like The Supplemental Nutrition Program for Woman, Infants, and Children (WIC) in 2023, an increase of approximately 8% since 2022. And with 74% of households relying on school meals, the summertime will be difficult for many of our food-insecure neighbors. Thankfully, our nearly 600 distribution partners across Eastern MA support children and families with ongoing local distributions of accessible, healthy food.
- College Hunger – An astounding 44% of public and community college students in Massachusetts experience food insecurity. This percentage is even higher among students of color and students who are parents.
GBFB co-leads the Massachusetts Hunger Free Campus Coalition (HFCC), which is working to leverage and expand existing resources and services to improve food access for low-income college students. - Family Meal Boxes – Family Meal Boxes reduce stress on agencies impacted by unexpected volunteer shortages and provide an uncomplicated solution for immediate and low-contact grab-and-go or drive-through distributions. Each box contains enough shelf-stable healthy food for approximately 26 meals.
Additional Resources
Food Access and Equity in Massachusetts: Voices and Solutions from Lived Experience
Need Food Partner Agency Locator Map
