Project Bread's FoodSource Hotline receives more calls than ever before
EAST BOSTON, Dec. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Project Bread's FoodSource Hotline, a
toll-free statewide service that connects people with food resources in their
town, received more calls this Thanksgiving than ever before, resulting in
2,715 holiday referrals to food distribution sites, an 11 percent increase
over last year.
So many people called for help that Project Bread's FoodSource Hotline had
to create a waiting list of 400 hungry adults, children, and seniors.
Counselors worked hard to find meals for those on the list and were able to
refer most of them to programs that set additional places for the busy
holiday.
"The fact that we're running out of food before Thanksgiving gives us all
pause," said Ellen Parker, executive director of Project Bread. "The emergency
food programs are working harder than ever to meet a need that is larger than
ever before. And we know that this will just get worse as it gets colder. Our
pantries need help."
Project Bread, along with Greater Boston Catholic Charities, also
distributes Thanksgiving dinners through four mobile holiday pantries -- vans
that bring food to low-income neighborhoods, saving cash-strapped residents
the expense of having to travel to get a meal. Recipients are coordinated
through the organization's FoodSource Hotline so that each recipient knows
when the van will arrive and in which parking lot it will be located.
"It was sad to see so many people in line, asking for food," said Gina
Maniscalco, Project Bread's director of corporate relations and The Walk for
Hunger, after helping to give away 1,100 holiday meals in Mattapan. "It makes
you feel good to be able to do something for them. But it's heartbreaking to
see elderly people, standing out in the cold, waiting for a holiday meal just
because they can't both heat and eat this season."
For the second year in a row, Project Bread-funded soup kitchens and food
pantries reported providing 40 million meals to people in need, representing a
29 percent increase since 2001. Of those served by these emergency food
programs, 33 percent are children (even though children make up only 24
percent of the population in Massachusetts), and 20 percent are over the age
of 65 (even though seniors make up only 14 percent of the population in
Massachusetts).
"Emergency food programs are no longer just serving the homeless or the
family that is suddenly out of work," said Ms. Parker. "They are setting
places for the working poor, for seniors, for teens, because they or their
families cannot manage the cost of living in Massachusetts. This has our
resources stretched to the limit."
If you know someone who is having a difficult time getting enough to eat
this holiday season, contact the FoodSource Hotline at 1-800-645-8333. The
counselors can give you advice on how to help them and are able to help hungry
people access emergency food as well as apply for food stamps and school
meals. If you'd like to contribute to feed a family this holiday season, call
617.723.5000 or visit http://www.projectbread.org.
About Project Bread's FoodSource Hotline:
Project Bread's toll-free FoodSource Hotline responds to more than 35,000
calls a year from people all over the state. The counselors provide callers
with appropriate information on public programs, meal sites for the elderly,
meals-on-wheels programs, food salvage distribution sites, and other programs
that supply free or low-cost food. The hotline can help hungry families in 140
languages -- from Arabic to Cambodian, Russian to Vietnamese. It also has a
TTY line to serve deaf callers. Both of these services are available to all
Massachusetts residents. To reach the TTY line, call 1-800-377-1292. To reach
the FoodSource Hotline, call 1-800-645-8333.
About Project Bread:
As the state's leading anti-hunger organization, Project Bread is
dedicated to alleviating, preventing, and ultimately ending hunger in
Massachusetts. Through The Walk for Hunger, the oldest continual pledge walk
in the country, Project Bread provides millions of dollars each year in
privately donated funds to 400 emergency food programs in 136 communities
statewide. Project Bread also advocates systemic solutions that prevent hunger
in children and that provide food to families in natural, everyday settings.
Over the past few years, the organization has invested $1.5 million in grants
to community organizations that feed children where they live, learn, and
play. For more information, visit http://www.projectbread.org.
SOURCE Project Bread
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Related links:
http://www.projectbread.org
CONTACT:
Celia Alicata of Project Bread,
+1-617-239-2524, celia_alicata@projectbread.org
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