PHOTOS: McGovern Brings Mass. Leaders Together for First Food For Good Conference at UMass Amherst

McGovern Highlights State and Local Anti-Hunger Efforts in Massachusetts

AMHERST, MA, October 30, 2015

 

AMHERST, MA – Today, Congressman Jim McGovern (MA-02) brought state and local leaders and advocacy organizations together for the first Food For Good Conference at UMass Amherst. The conference highlighted state and local anti-hunger efforts and was organized by a steering committee of anti-hunger leaders and service providers across the state. The goal of the conference was to cultivate ideas and new approaches to strengthen ongoing state and local anti-hunger efforts.

“Hunger is something that touches so many families every day here in Massachusetts and across the country,” Congressman McGovern said. “Today’s conference was truly inspiring as we heard about all the incredible work people are doing across the Commonwealth and we challenged each other to think more creatively about new ways we can help families in each of our communities.

“The good news is that hunger is solvable. We have the resources. We just need to muster the political will. That’s what today was about,” McGovern added. “Harnessing the power of our collective voice and resources, I know we can find more ways we can work together and come up with new ideas to help families put food on the table. Like helping to connect restaurants and colleges with food pantries and food banks so that unused food can go to families in need. With the passion and the energy that all of our leaders and advocates bring to the work they do, I know that we can dramatically reduce hunger here in Massachusetts.”

Topics addressed today included food insecurity in Massachusetts and across the country as well as current statewide initiatives to address hunger and strengthen access to healthy food.

Joining Congressman McGovern will be more than 200 advocates and leaders from the New England Dairy & Food Council; Greater Boston Food Bank; Boston Public Schools, the Massachusetts Departments of Public Health and Agricultural Resources; Worcester County Food Bank, the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), Franklin Community Co-Op, Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG), Springfield Partners for Community Action, Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC), Project Bread, and other organizations.

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