PHA Thrive Laces Up for Project Bread's Walk for Hunger

Somerville MA

30 March, 2022

1:10 PM

Description

SOMERVILLE, Mass. – On May 1, PHA Thrive will be among thousands of virtual participants to lace up for Project Bread's 54th annual Walk for Hunger. For the fourth consecutive year, the Somerville-based nonprofit will participate in the event through The Commonwealth Program which gives 60 percent of all funds raised by teams from likeminded organizations and agencies back to support their own hunger relief programs, with the remaining 40 percent applied to the statewide anti-hunger effort. To date, Project Bread has awarded $12,896 in grants to PHA Thrive. Historically, the Walk for Hunger, the nation's oldest continual pledge walk, takes place the first Sunday of May on the Boston Common. The 2022 fundraiser will be the third event to be done virtually and is expected to raise more than $1 million to support Project Bread's work to increase food access for people of all ages in Massachusetts. "Currently, 1 in 5 Massachusetts households with children is struggling without enough to eat and that number jumps dramatically for Black, brown, and immigrant households," says Erin McAleer, Project Bread CEO. "Participating in the Walk for Hunger is one way in which residents can take action to fund school and community meal sites and Massachusetts' only statewide hotline that connects residents with a range of food resources, including SNAP assistance. We can drive community change together." Money raised through the Walk is funding Project Bread's work to ensure kids have reliable access to food, directly helping individuals and families, and advocating at the state and federal levels for expedited and efficient relief for those in need. Walk funds are also supporting community organizations, like PHA Thrive, that are helping residents to access food now and grants to ensure communities have the resources necessary to sustain and grow local anti-hunger programs. In 2021, 28 nonprofits participated in The Commonwealth Program and raised more than $165,000 to support their own work. PHA Thrive is a volunteer-run food backpack program that serves students who attend Prospect Hill Academy Charter School, a K-12 college preparatory public charter school. Founded nearly seven years ago, the nonprofit works with school nurses, administrators and parents to distribute bags of food, including non-perishables purchased in bulk, and donated perishables, including fresh fruits and vegetables rescued by the Cambridge-based nonprofit Food For Free, also a participant in Project Bread's Walk for Hunger, for students to take home on weekends to nourish themselves and their siblings. During the pandemic, distribution was modified to a grab and go model in one of the campus parking lots. Now, food is back to being delivered directly to youth in their classrooms. The nonprofit's Walk for Hunger team of 10 virtual participants will walk around PHA Thrive's neighborhood to raise $5,000. One hundred percent of funds raised for the organization through the Commonwealth Program will go to purchase backpack supplies. "We have so much wealth in the Greater Boston area, it's unacceptable that so many people are still struggling to put food on the table," says Barbara Goguen, Co-Founder of PHA Thrive. "It can be depressing and overwhelming when you consider the larger issues going on in the world, like the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and global climate change. Participating in the Walk for Hunger is one small step, literally, you can take to make a difference in our local communities. No one should go hungry." This year's event will include virtual programming with McAleer, elected officials, as well as walkers and volunteers posting and sharing their experiences along their neighborhood routes and why they are walking to help end hunger. Families with kids, individuals and teams of corporate employees are encouraged to find creative ways to connect virtually and fundraise together. To register for the event and create a personal or team fundraising page for The Walk for Hunger or to make a donation, visit projectbread.org/walk or call (617) 723-5000.There is no registration fee or fundraising minimum to participate. Participants who raise $500 or more are recognized as Heart & Sole walkers, and receive access to personalized fundraising support, exclusive event gear, and invitations to events. 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. About Project Bread Project Bread is the leading statewide anti-hunger organization in Massachusetts. Beginning in 1969 with the first Walk for Hunger, the nonprofit focuses on driving systemic change to ensure people of all ages have reliable access to healthy food. Project Bread works collaboratively across sectors to create innovative solutions to end hunger and improve lives across the Commonwealth. For more information, visit: www.projectbread.org. About PHA Thrive PHA Thrive is a backpack food program which aims to eliminate food insecurity for students at Prospect Hill Academy who do not have regular access to food during weekends and school breaks. Organized by a network of parent and school staff volunteers, Thrive sends home weekend food packages to PHA students and their families. The program is entirely dependent on external fundraising efforts. Every $6 raised for the program provides one child two breakfasts, two lunches, and two snacks for one weekend. Learn more at phathrive.blog. ###