Project Bread understands that hunger can't be solved through stop-gap measures. Instead, our work seeks to provide sustainable, scalable solutions that permanently move the needle on ending hunger.
We recognize that communities and people of color are disproportionately impacted by hunger because systemic racism leads to economic inequity and health disparities. As part of our efforts to eradicate hunger, we advocate for both state and federal policy change to expand food access and program eligibility, clarify misconceptions about receiving support.
Launched in 2017, the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) allows SNAP recipients to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables directly from farmers. While the program has been a tremendous success, to date it has only been authorized through the state budget. An Act Relative to an Agricultural Healthy Incentives Program (H.145/S.108) would create a permanent program to ensure the program’s long-term sustainability.
Learn MoreAccording to the most recent data, 37% of public university students in Massachusetts experience food insecurity. Project Bread has joined the Hunger-Free College Campus Coalition to support An Act Establishing the Massachusetts Hunger-Free Campus Initiative (H.1368/S.822) which would provide capacity, guidance, and funding to public colleges and not-for-profit institutions of higher education take steps to alleviate food insecurity on campus.
Learn MoreOver 700,000 residents of Massachusetts are estimated to be eligible for SNAP, but are not currently enrolled. An additional 22,000 families receive SNAP benefits, but have zero income even for cash assistance. An Act to Streamline Access to Critical Public Health and Safety-Net Programs Through Common Applications (H.1290/S.761) would ease the process for Massachusetts families in need of healthcare, food assistance, cash assistance, and other basic needs.
Learn MoreProject Bread is leading the Feed Kids Campaign to end childhood hunger, by starting with what happens in schools. By passing An Act Relative to Universal School Meals (H.714/S.314) we can ensure that, while at school, every child is fed and ready to learn without worrying about cost or stigma.
Learn MoreIn October 2021, An Act to Promote Student Nutrition (H.715/S.298) was signed into law! This bill prohibits schools from certain meal debt collection practices that involves or penalizes the student.
Learn moreA full update on where all 15 bills in our 2021 legislative agenda are in the process of becoming law, and how far we’ve come this past year.
Action Center
Your legislators need to hear from you — let them know you want them to support these key bills or urgent policy actions to ensure equitable food access in Massachusetts by completing the action alerts below.
House includes 1-year extension of School Meals for All in their budget proposal. Our next step is to make sure the State Senate’s proposal in May matches what the House has already offered. But for now, let’s celebrate this important milestone by thanking the House for their leadership in supporting food insecure children across the state.
Congress has failed to extend USDA waivers that enabled MA to serve universal school meals, this vital resource will expire at the end of this school year unless Massachusetts takes action.
**We need your help again to put the pressure on the legislature to enact School Meals for All—this time, with a short call.**
The state budget is one of the most powerful opportunities to shape the priorities of the Commonwealth. Each year, we identify ways the state can invest in reducing food insecurity and address the root causes of hunger - and advocate throughout the spring to ensure many of these priorities are included in the budget when it hits the Governors desk to be signed.
We've joined forces with some of our most influential and dedicated anti-hunger partners and allies to launch the Feed Kids Campaign! A state-level legislative campaign in support of School Meals for All Massachusetts students.
The Feed Kids Coalition—led by Project Bread—and bill sponsors Senator Sal DiDomenico and Representative Andy Vargas have filed legislation for School Meals for All.
Our success comes from our engaged supporters. Sign up to receive action alerts to impact change and hunger policy updates to stay informed, including our biweekly news round-up, The Hunger Advocate.
Sign upExplore the timeline below to see our how our research and advocacy has led to enduring change across the state to permenantly remove barriers to food access and reduce food insecurity in Massachusetts.
Patrick Hughes led the first Walk for Hunger from the Paulist Center in downtown Boston. An estimated 2,000 people walked 29.6 miles, raising $26,000 to help fund two hunger projects. The first pledge walk in the country, the Walk had two purposes: raise funds to help people experiencing hunger and stand together for social justice and social change that would eventually eliminate hunger. This is still true today and continues to be an annual force for change.
Conducted the first evidence-based study of hunger among low-income families in the state in 1991 with the MA Department of Public Health and the MA Anti-Hunger Coalition, called the Childhood Community Hunger Identification Project (CCHIP). The findings of this study led to the creation of the Child Nutrition Outreach Program —a parternship between Project Bread and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to support school meal programs and help children access healthy meals during the school year and summers.
Project Bread sponsored a study, conducted by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital, that proved that children who ate breakfast at school were more likely to do well in math, have fewer absences, and require fewer trips to the school nurse. This work led to the bipartisan adoption Universal Breakfast in low-income schools throughout the state, which provides breakfast free of charge to all students regardless of household income.
Piloted a collaboration between state agencies, called the Child Nutrition Access Project, that automatically enrolled children receiving SNAP into the free and reduced-price school meals program, reducing the need for multiple applications. This program is now statewide and enrolls hundreds of thousands of children for free school meals each year.
Teamed up with the MA Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) to launch the state-wide Healthy Incentives Program, which helps low-income housholds use their SNAP benefits to shop at farmer's markets and local vendors to purchase more fresh fruits and vegetables.
Project Bread played a critical role in ensuring that the Rise and Shine Coalition’s Breakfast After the Bell legislation — An Act Regarding Breakfast After the Bell — was successfully passed. Beginning in school year 2022-2023, all students who attend a school in which 60% or more of their students are eligible for free or reduced price school meals will be required to offer breakfast after the bell to all students.
Project Bread was instrumental in the passage of An Act Promoting Student Nutrition, a bill that addresses both the root causes of unpaid meal debt as well as the impact unpaid meal debt has on students — prohibiting schools from certain meal debt collection practices that involves or penalizes the student. Alongside our partners at the MA Law Reform Institute, Project Bread was a champion of this bill, helping draft legislative language, providing data and research, and mobilizing advocates leading to this bill becoming law.