Betsy Swaim Laces Up for Project Bread’s Walk for Hunger

CONCORD, Mass. – On May 2, Betsy Swaim, of Concord, will lace up for Project Bread’s 53rd annual Walk for Hunger. She will be among thousands of virtual participants to walk in their own neighborhoods to raise more than $1 million to help get food to kids and families during the COVID-19 crisis.

Historically, the Walk for Hunger, the nation’s oldest continual pledge walk, takes place the first Sunday of May on the Boston Common. The 2021 fundraiser will be the second event to be done virtually.

“As the pandemic continues to take a financial toll on people and entire communities, we must do everything we can to help the 1 in 6 households struggling to afford food,” says Erin McAleer, CEO of Project Bread. “Participating in Project Bread’s Walk for Hunger is one way we can all do something real to make sure our neighbors can get food to meet their most basic need. Our community has shown we have the power to create meaningful change. This year it is especially important.”

For 35 consecutive years, Swaim has participated in the Walk for Hunger. After learning about Project Bread through a neighbor, she was inspired to get involved with the cause. Upon completion of her first Walk for Hunger, she was hooked. She loved the inclusivity of the event as she saw people of all ages, body types and abilities along the route around the historic Boston Common walking together for a unified mission. For the past 16 years, Swaim has walked as a team with her dear friend Cynthia LaMothe under the umbrella, CB Walkers, a combination of their first names Cynthia and Betsy. This year, the duo will tackle a modified version of the Walk route (still totally 20 miles each) in their neighborhoods and aim to raise $18,000. As longtime Heart & Solers, participants who raises $500 or more for the cause, they have consistently been one of the top fundraising teams who participate in the event.

“The Walk for Hunger inspires me,” says Swaim. “With what has been going on in our world, including job loss and lack of food, the need is so great. I feel fortunate to be able to both contribute and walk.”

Money raised through the virtual Walk is funding Project Bread’s urgent COVID-19 hunger-relief response 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 that are helping people access food during the crisis and ensuring communities have the resources necessary to respond to the hunger crisis now and over the long road to recovery ahead.

“Our walk community always inspires us. In the early days of the pandemic, we weren’t sure what would happen. The people of Massachusetts showed up for us in a big way –almost immediately. From sewing and selling face masks, to doing family fitness challenges, or even writing songs and walking their own routes, people found a way to raise money to help those who really needed it. I think Massachusetts is a state that takes care of its own and people just understood how important it was,” says Erin McAleer, CEO of Project Bread. “We were blown away that the event raised $1.3 million last year. We are working to beat that on May 2nd.”

This year’s event will include Facebook Live check-ins throughout the day 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 as a virtual participant for Project Bread’s Walk for Hunger, or to support a walker or team, visit projectbread.org/walk or call (617) 723-5000. There is no registration fee or fundraising minimum to participate, although a $250 minimum goal is suggested. 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 Project Bread’s FoodSource Hotline (1-800-645-8333), which provides confidential, free assistance getting connected to a variety of food resources in 180 languages and for the hearing impaired. Counselors can pre-screen families and help them to apply for SNAP, which would make them eligible for no charge or reduced-price school meals, and answer questions about eligibility for school meals through the National School Lunch Program. The most up to date meal site information is available through the FoodSource Hotline or at www.projectbread.org/covid19. Strict safety protocols and best practices for social distancing are being closely adhered to across distribution models and locations for maximum safety. No registration or ID is required to receive a meal. The nonprofit’s COVID-19 Resources pages in English and Spanish.

About Project Bread

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.

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