Press release from the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, dated July 21, 2025

Media Contact: Deb Ondo, Communications and Engagement Manager, Food Bank of Western Massachusetts
debo@foodbankwma.org
413-419-0170

As federal lawmakers turn their backs on millions of Americans by gutting essential food, health, and other essential federal safety net programs, Massachusetts is taking decisive steps to protect our communities.

Last week, Governor Maura Healey announced the launch of a groundbreaking statewide Anti-Hunger Task Force—the first of its kind in the nation. The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts is proud to serve on this Task Force, representing the needs of our region and the people we serve every day.

The goal is clear: bring together public and private leaders, experts, and people who live with food insecurity to develop and carry out urgent, coordinated strategies that ensure no one in the Commonwealth is left behind. This moment is the result of sustained advocacy, and the public’s commitment played a crucial role in making it possible.

Over the past year, our collective voices have grown louder. As Congress advanced harmful cuts to SNAP and Medicaid, community members helped us push back. They have donated funds, reached out to their state and federal representatives and senators, and stood with us to protect vital food assistance benefits. Through our collective power, we have all helped lay the foundation for real, statewide change.

The Food Bank was also a founding and is a current Advisory Board member of the Make Hunger History Coalition—a bold initiative launched last year to defend food security in the coming months and years and, ultimately, to end hunger in Massachusetts.

“We are honored to bring the voice of Western Massachusetts to this state-wide effort,” said Food Bank of Western Massachusetts Executive Director Andrew Morehouse. “This new initiative isn’t just symbolic. It marks a serious commitment to building long-term food security to ensure that every person—regardless of zip code—can access the food they need to better access meaningful opportunities and economic stability if not mobility.”

About the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts: Since 1982, the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts has been a dedicated partner in the work to end hunger. We deliver nutritious food directly through our Mobile Food Bank and Brown Bag: Food for Elders programs, and we support our region’s food assistance network of 199 food pantries, meal programs, and shelters across Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire counties. We also provide holistic food assistance resources and engage in public education and advocacy to address the drivers of hunger because we believe everyone has the right to healthy food.