Your Help Feeds Three Generations at Risk of Hunger The rising cost of living in Eastern Massachusetts makes it hard for many low-income families to put food on the table. It’s even harder with three genera- tions under the same roof. Joan, 67, and her retired husband, both disabled, welcomed their son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren into their South Shore home. How- ever it proved a tight fit, and the multi-generational family moved to a larger apartment in Plymouth. With a bigger household, the family’s food budget became overstretched. “Being disabled and not work- ing put a real big strain on us financially and we needed some help,” Joan said. Shortly after moving to Plymouth, Joan started supplementing the family’s weekly food budget with trips to the Plymouth Salvation Stories of Hope “The food pantry’s been a lifesaver for our family.” Joan, 67, grandmother of two 3 Army food pantry. One of 10 local member agencies, the pantry receives roughly 85 percent of the food it distributes from The Great- er Boston Food Bank (see story page 2). “The food pantry has been a godsend,” Joan said. “It’s been a huge help to us.” Joan takes home six bags of food every month for her and her family, which helps them get through the month on the family’s limited income. “We get meat, vegetables, milk, all nutritious stuff,” she said. Dalma Mejia (left) of the Plymouth Salvation Army food pantry provides Joan (right) with a box of nutritious food for her family. Her grandchildren especially love the fresh fruits and vege- tables. Her 12-year-old grandson’s favorite is beets, and her 10-year- old granddaughter’s is brussels sprouts. “It helps our family eat a well-balanced meal, which is especially important when you have little kids,” Joan said. “They need to eat right. The food pantry’s been a lifesaver for our family.” Catherine's Message Dear Friends, When you have to choose between paying for food and paying your rent, you probably can’t afford to eat fresh fruits and vegetables frequently, if at all. Unfortunately, this is the reality for 1 in 10 people struggling with hunger in Eastern Massachusetts. Medical research shows that those suffering from hunger and food insecurity are at high risk for diet-related conditions such as hypertension and diabetes. Because most of our clients rely on us for food on a regular basis—like Joan, who you’ll meet on page 3—we know the food we provide likely impacts their health. That’s why GBFB is committed to distributing high quality, nutritious food that helps those we serve maintain a healthy diet. This growing season, you can help ensure our coolers are fully stocked with fresh fruits and vegetables by donating to our inaugural Spring for Meals Campaign. To help us meet our $1 million goal, go to GBFB.org/springformeals. Inside you’ll learn about our free, produce Mobile Markets that serve some of our most vulnerable communi- ties. You’ll also read about an inspiring young boy named Shane, who founded a food pantry in his town. Your donation will help us keep our Mobile Markets and Shane’s pantry filled with healthy food. I thank you for your ongoing support. Together, we can end hunger here. Sincerely, Catherine D’Amato President and CEO GBFB.org/our-programs LEARN MORE AT Your Support Lifts a Community Roughly 1 in 12 people in Plymouth cannot be sure day to day where their next meal will come from. The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) partners with 10 agencies in town, ranging from food pantries and meal programs to shelters and day-care facilities. These agencies reach an average of 2,400 food-insecure people every month. In total, GBFB distributed over half a million pounds of food— equivalent to more than 400,000 healthy meals—to hunger-relief agencies in Plymouth last year. The Plymouth Salvation Army alone received 112,199 pounds of nutritious food—the equivalent of about 94,000 meals—from GBFB in 2017, more than any other agency in Plymouth. 2 “My sister and I live on social security, but sometimes that just doesn’t cut it. Everything we get, we put to use. The food pantry gets us through the month.” - Joanne, 81 (right), Plymouth Salvation Army food pantry client, with her sister Elaine, 78. The Salvation Army’s pantry and meal program serves a combined 475 people in need every month. “Since I first started [5 years ago] to now, I see a lot more families that are utilizing us to help them get by,” said Carolyn Melchionna, social services coordinator at the Plymouth Salvation Army. “We’re that little bit of extra something they need to get through the month.” Your donation helps us provide nutritious food to seniors like sisters Joanne and Elaine and to families like Joan’s, who you’ll read about on page 3.