Special to the Journal
On Sunday, Oct. 22, over 75 participants of different faiths united both in person and virtually for the annual Interfaith Mini Walk for Hunger. Together, they raised $15,000 to support Project Bread’s year-round efforts to prevent and combat food insecurity statewide and are continuing to accept donations in the coming weeks. The 3-mile family friendly walk started and ended at Temple Beth David in Westwood. As in previous years, Christians, Jews, Muslims, and Hindus from surrounding towns participated. However, the walkers did not need to be members of a house of worship to participate.
Project Bread is the leading statewide anti-hunger organization in Massachusetts. As 1 in 5 households through the state struggle with food insecurity, the nonprofit connects people and communities to reliable food sources and advocates for policies that make food more accessible for all.
“When people come together to fight for something, it unites them for a common purpose,” says Alexa Drolette, Senior Director of Development at Project Bread. “The fundraising efforts from this Walk will go toward ensuring that everyone in Massachusetts has reliable access to healthy food.”
During the event, remarks were shared by the clergy members, along with Dr. Jeffrey Greenwald for Temple Beth David, co-chair of the Walk, Alexa Drolette from Project Bread, and Trish Tucke from the Westwood Food Pantry. Walkers brought over 20 bags of non-perishable food items to donate to the food pantry and live music was played by Larry and Kyra Kramer of the Route 109 Band. The Interfaith Mini Walk for Hunger received major support from their Gold Sponsors: Wegmans and Dedham Savings Bank. Roche Bros donated snacks and drinks for the day, as well as pantry supplies.
“We were so pleased to be joined by the greatest number of houses of faith in the Walk’s history, all coming together in solidarity, showing that addressing hunger in our community is an issue that transcends all differences in faith, culture, background, and politics,” says Dr. Jeffrey Greenwald, one of the organizers from Temple Beth David.
Money raised from the annual Interfaith Mini Walk for Hunger will fund statewide hunger prevention efforts, advocacy for permanent policies that solve hunger, and local partnerships with organizations and people with lived experience with hunger to develop community-driven solutions.
People experiencing food insecurity should call into Project Bread’s toll-free FoodSource Hotline (1-800-645-8333), which provides confidential assistance to connect with food resources, including SNAP benefits, in 180 languages and for the hearing impaired. For more information, visit: www.projectbread.org/get-help.
Project Bread, the leading statewide anti-hunger nonprofit, connects people and communities in Massachusetts to reliable sources of food while advocating for policies that make food more accessible—so that no one goes hungry. For more information, visit: www.projectbread.org.
