5K+ In Medford May Not Be Receiving Benefits Despite Qualifying

MEDFORD, MA — About 63 percent of Medford residents receiving MassHealth are not enrolled in federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, according to the Medford Food Security Taskforce's "SNAP Gap" report, released in August 2020. That means about 5,626 residents may not be receiving the full benefits for which they qualify.

The "SNAP Gap" measures the difference between the number of low-income Massachusetts

residents receiving MassHealth who may qualify for SNAP and the number of people actually
receiving SNAP. The statewide gap is over 660,000 residents, or 46 percent, putting Medford above the statewide average.

In response, the city recently released a Food Access Guide to help residents navigate food assistance programs.

Prior to the pandemic, 10.9 percent of Medford residents experienced food insecurity and 6.9 percent of households were enrolled in SNAP. According to Feeding America, Massachusetts, and Middlesex County in particular, were projected to have the greatest percent increases in food insecurity in 2020, resulting in 1 in 8 households and 1 in 6 children in eastern Massachusetts experiencing the uncertainty of not knowing where they will get their next meal.

With 44.6 percent of school-aged children in Medford enrolled in free or reduced-rate school meals in the 2018-2019 school year, the transition to remote learning for much of the 2019-2020 school year widened the gap in access to fresh, healthy foods for many families.

The city worked to expand food access by adding Grab n' Go food locations, more than tripling the amount of micro food pantries citywide and providing other options for residents in need during the pandemic.

"The City of Medford recognizes that business closures, increased unemployment, and the need to quarantine due to Covid-19 have exacerbated already existing food access and equity challenges in our community," Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn said in a statement. "It is our hope that this Food Access Guide will help inform community members of the available food resources for which they may be eligible and how they can access them."

In Medford alone, about 12 percent of Black families, 12 percent of Hispanic/Latinx families, 15 percent of Indigenous families, and 18 percent of Asian families are experiencing poverty, compared to 7 percent of white families, according to the U.S. Census American Community Survey.

While 63 percent of SNAP recipients in Medford are white families, only 22 percent are Black families, 10 percent are Hispanic/Latinx families, 0 percent are Indigenous families, and 5 percent are Asian families.

Officials said likely eligible residents of color are disproportionately under-reached by SNAP benefits, based on this data.

"This Food Access Guide will provide important connections to the families we serve to increase their access to helpful resources and nourishing, culturally appropriate food," Debbie Amaral, president & CEO of the Mystic Valley YMCA, which runs Medford's Mystic Community Market in partnership with The Greater Boston Food Bank, said in a statement. The market has served hundreds of Medford families per day during the pandemic.

In June 2020, Lungo-Koehn declared racism a public health crisis and released the city's Social Justice Roadmap, where community members identified equitable access to food as a key element to addressing this crisis. Officials say the impacts of both food insecurity and this pandemic are disproportionately experienced by residents of color and strives to ensure that all community members, regardless of race or economic or immigration status, have consistent access to safe, affordable and nutritious food throughout the pandemic and beyond.

Staff is also available to help community members connect to resources, support, and additional services, including but not limited to: SNAP and other food assistance programs, housing eviction prevention resources, educational supports, mental health services and more.

For questions, assistance, or to be connected to services, community members can call the Medford Multilingual Resource Line at 781-475-5644. Trained professionals in social work, mental health, and public health will return your call or correspond via email to ensure that you are being assisted. Operating hours are Monday-Friday 9am-7pm. Voicemails can be left 24 hours/7 days a week. Voicemails will be returned within 24 hours in the language the call is received (through the use of interpreter services). The Multilingual Resource Line offers interpreter services to assist community members in languages other than English.

Medford city services are available to all residents, regardless of economic situation, race, gender, immigration status, ability, benefit eligibility, or religious affiliation.

Click here for the Food Access Guide.