Massachusetts Policy Updates

More information about pending legislation can also be found at the Massachusetts Public Health Association.

Your voice makes a difference, call your State Senator and Representative and urge them to support MEFAP and SNAP funding.
State House Switch Board: (617) 722-2000

Senate Ways and Means members from Western Mass. (click links for contact info):

Stephen Brewer
Gale Candaras
Benjamin Downing
Michael Knapik

House Ways and Means members from Western Mass. (click links for contact info):
Cheryl Coakley-Rivera
Stephen Kulik
Thomas Petrolati
William Pignatelli

FY14 State Budget Process

Updated April 25th, 2013

Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance Program (MEFAP)

UPDATE: On April 22, 2013, The House debated an amendment that would have increased MEFAP $3 million to a total of $16 million. They decided on a $1 million increase to $14 million to be split between all food banks in the state. The State Senate will debate the budget in the near future.

Call to Action:

Contact your state senator and ask them to to increase MEFAP to $16 million.

If you do not know who your state senator is, you can find out here: http://www.malegislature.gov/People/Search

Please contact your state senator by calling his or her office. The talking points below can provide guidance for your call.

Tell the representative or his/her aide that you support increasing the Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance Programto $16 million in FY2014.

Talking points to support your request:

Looming cuts to federal entitlement programs, such as WIC and SNAP, threaten our most vulnerable citizens. MEFAP is a critical firewall to protect and provide for the most at risk members of our community.

MEFAP is a reliable source of staples such as meat, eggs, milk, and fresh produce for vulnerable populations including seniors and children.

MEFAP supports the Massachusetts economy by granting contracts to food distributors and farmers in the Commonwealth.

Explain how the need for emergency food assistance has increased in the community you serve, and include any increases in the number of clients seeking help from your agency.

End with a reminder that 100% of MEFAP food funding buys nutrient quality foods for the hungry.

The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts currently serves approximately 135,000 people per year through its emergency feeding programs.

According to the 2009 Feeding America Hunger Study, 571,600 people statewide are in need of emergency food assistance. The same study showed that over half of emergency feeding program clients must visit emergency programs more than 6 times per year.

Since FY2008, people served at pantries and visits to meal sites have risen 13% and 38%, respectively. (Nearly 4,500 more people per month at pantries, and 13,000 more visits per month at meal sites)
In FY2012, MEFAP provided 26% less food for each person at pantries, and 35% less food for each visit at meal sites than it did in the previous year.
The other emergency food mainstay for these programs, USDA/TEFAP, is also on the decline – down 46% in FY12 (a nearly 1 million pound loss of food for emergency programs in our region).

With declining federal resources, rising prices due to drought, and the economic impact of sequestration, MEFAP has never been more critical.

MEFAP meets core nutritional needs for struggling families (some of whom are not able to qualify for federal programs such as SNAP or WIC):

MEFAP is a reliable source of staples such as meat, eggs, milk, and fresh produce that are rarely donated in sufficient quantities.
MEFAP’s emphasis on nutritious foods helps ensure the health of particularly vulnerable segments of the population – such as children and the elderly.

MEFAP also supports the Massachusetts economy by granting contracts to Massachusetts food distributors and local farmers:

MEFAP vendors include: Pioneer Valley Growers Association in South Deerfield, Szawlowski Farms in Hatfield, and Long Plain Farm in Whately

Additional information:

Massachusetts residents pay 12 percent more for meals compared to the national average. (source: Map the Meal Gap Study by Feeding America, March 2011)
A meal gap of nearly 122 million meals exists in the Commonwealth. This is the number of additional meals required for everyone in need across the state to have three meals a day. (source: Map the Meal Gap study by Feeding America, March 2011)