Paula Andrea Tobon and Giovanny Zuniga holding the starting line ribbon as Project Bread CEO Erin McAleer cuts it to kick off the 57th Annual Walk for Hunger. Photo Credit: David Leifer.

On Sunday, May 4, thousands gathered on Boston Common and tuned in from around the world for Project Bread’s 57th Annual Walk for Hunger, a beloved Massachusetts tradition and the nation’s oldest continual pledge walk. This year, more than 4,500 participants, both in-person and virtual walkers across 20 states and 3 countries, united to raise $1,046,000 (and counting) to ensure everyone in Massachusetts can put food on the table.

“The Walk for Hunger is more than a fundraiser—it’s a movement born of the belief that every single person in Massachusetts should be able to feed themselves and their families,” says Erin McAleer, Project Bread’s President & CEO. “We are facing a crisis point. As food prices soar and federal support for critical programs hangs in the balance, The Walk is a vital call to action. Every single person walking, fundraising, donating, and taking action is raising their voice to stand against the injustice of hunger.”

This year’s Walk comes at an urgent time for Massachusetts families facing hunger. Nearly a fifth of people in Massachusetts are struggling to afford groceries, while the very programs that ensure families have enough to eat are under attack. Project Bread’s event brought together families, local leaders, advocates, and longtime supporters to sound the alarm and protect the programs that help people put food on the table. Project Bread Board of Directors Chair Pete Levangie and his wife Enid announced a $20,000 fundraising incentive on Sunday morning, matching each donation dollar for dollar made throughout the morning. Walkers rose to the challenge and met the match in less than three hours.

The event provided a family-friendly opportunity for thousands in Massachusetts to get involved in this fight. The Make Hunger History Coalition, launched last year, had a strong presence at the Policy Station hosted by Director Spencer Masterson. Attendees pledged to make hunger history, with over 200 walkers adding their name to the pledge board.

In addition, The Walk for Hunger featured a 3-mile loop on Boston Common, accessible for all ages and abilities. Walkers enjoyed family-friendly activities, including lawn games, face painting, arts and crafts, and live music. Project Bread’s Chef Educator Sherry Hughes kicked off the morning with a live Breakfast Quesadilla recipe demo, developed for Massachusetts schools. Performances and local food vendors added to the festive, community-centered atmosphere.

Now in its seventh year, the Commonwealth Program—Project Bread’s joint fundraising initiative—welcomed 51 community-based organizations, who together have already raised over $200,000 to support their own anti-hunger work while contributing to the Walk’s statewide goal.

During the Opening Ceremony, Project Bread CEO Erin McAleer presented the prestigious Patrick Hughes Award for Social Justice to the organization’s inaugural Council of Experts—a powerful group of ambassadors with lived experience of food insecurity in Massachusetts. Attending honorees Paula Andrea Tobon, Giovanny Zuniga, Levenia Furusa, Kelly Russell, and Elsa Flores were celebrated not only for their leadership in policy, research, communications, and community engagement, but for embodying the future of systemic change, ensuring that those who have experienced the injustice of hunger firsthand are actively shaping the policies and strategies meant to address it.

“The [Patrick Hughes Award for Social Justice] serves as proof that vulnerability is strength and not a weakness. It is proof that our voices have power,” shared Kelly Russell in live remarks during the event.  “Our experience living or working in the gap and overcoming those challenges has meaning and should be present and accounted for at

every phase of policy making. It is evidence that education is not only found in a book. I could not be more proud to be standing here and sharing this award with this amazing group of change makers that I am privileged to call my colleagues and friends!”

Immediately after the Walk, Council of Experts members flew down to Washington, D.C. where some of them joined an expert panel alongside Project Bread’s Director of Public Policy Leran Minc during the National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference. This moment underscored Massachusetts’ national leadership in food justice, with Project Bread modeling what it means to work in authentic partnership with people whose lived experience is their expertise. In a time when civic voices—particularly in policymaking and government affairs—are being silenced or sidelined, this is more than symbolic. It’s transformative. These Council members aren’t just part of the conversation—they’re bringing the realities of hunger to national platforms, including Capitol Hill, where they’ll advocate for change as part of the Food Research & Action Center’s annual conference. Their presence and power are a critical reminder that effective, equitable solutions must be informed by those who know the issue most intimately.

Fundraising for the Walk for Hunger will continue through the summer, already surpassing this year’s goal of $1 million. Visit www.projectbread.org/walk to donate or start a personal fundraiser to support this ongoing mission.

People experiencing food insecurity should call into Project Bread’s toll-free FoodSource Hotline (1-800-645-8333), which provides confidential assistance to connect with food resources, including SNAP benefits, in 180 languages and for the hearing impaired. For more information, visit: www.projectbread.org/get-help.

About Project Bread

Project Bread is the leading statewide food security organization in Massachusetts. Beginning in 1969 with the first Walk for Hunger, the nonprofit focuses on driving systemic change to ensure people of all ages have reliable access to healthy food. Project Bread works collaboratively across sectors to create innovative solutions to end hunger and improve lives across the Commonwealth. For more information, visit: www.projectbread.org.