Paul Collins Hits the Pavement Project Bread’s Walk for Hunger

WINCHESTER, Mass. – On May 2, Paul Collins, of Winchester, will lace up for Project Bread’s 53rd annual Walk for Hunger. He 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.”

An article in The Boston Globe about food insecurity in Massachusetts and his desire to expose his two young children to civic engagement inspired Collins to begin participating in the Walk for Hunger 25 years ago. That first year, he and his wife, Beth, gathered five families with children their kids’ ages and they completed the first five miles of the route along the historic Boston Common. Since then, he and Beth have recruited a rotation of friends and family members to lace up alongside them for the cause. Collins’ participation inspired him to expand his anti-hunger actions. For the past 10 years, he has volunteered as a cook at Women’s Lunch Place, a daytime shelter for women experiencing homelessness and poverty.

“I have always thought of hunger in the United States as a social justice issue,” says Collins, owner of LabNewEngland, a regional supplier of research products for the life science laboratories. “In a country with such wealth, abundance and resources, there should be no reason that a significant portion of it’s citizens are food insecure or hungry. I believe that healthy food and basic shelter are basic human rights. When our neighbors don’t have enough healthy food to eat and to feed their children, something has to be done. Project Bread fills a portion of that need.”

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 accessing 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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