Food security programs in the city will be getting a financial boost of $975,000 to address their ongoing needs for funding.

By The Times Staff

A lot of people are going hungry, and that has city officials taking swift action to cope with the crisis. Following the government shutdown and food aid benefits lapse, the city is appropriating money to feed vulnerable neighbors in the community.

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne recently announced that the city will use $975,000 from the Community Benefits Stabilization Fund to address rising food insecurity across Somerville. The funding, approved by the City Council on November 13, will support a range of critical food access programs for individuals, families, children, and seniors.

The investment includes $875,000 for a range of food security initiatives and $100,000 to expand the Senior Taxi Program, which provides rides to seniors so they can attend congregate meals hosted by the Somerville Council on Aging.

“Investing in food and food security has been a top priority of my administration,” said Mayor Ballantyne.

The food security initiatives include “staple foods, community meals, grocery cards and ready-to-eat food for high-risk populations,” according to a memo from the Health and Human Services Department.

Mayor Ballantyne said the money is a critical investment for community well-being.

“The need we face here in Somerville is both immediate and growing,” said Mayor Ballantyne. “Even before the federal shutdown, the impending changes to SNAP benefits and prior cuts to federal food grants were already impacting people facing food insecurity and agencies that work to fight it.”

Many community members have already been affected by cuts in federal aid for anti-hunger programs. Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services lost federal funding that enables seniors to access community meals, and changes to SNAP eligibility criteria and ARPA funds will leave more families without support, said Mayor Ballantyne.

“These are not abstract policies and funding changes. They represent real hardships for real people in our community,” said Mayor Ballantyne.

Over 1 in 3 faced food insecurity in the Commonwealth last year, according to an annual statewide food access report by Mass General Brigham and The Greater Boston Food Bank.

Approximately $500,000 of these funds will go directly to organizations doing the daily essential work of feeding vulnerable community members. The remaining funds will go toward programs that span the full spectrum of food access.

Mayor Ballantyne recognized community partners who will work to combat food insecurity. Organizations mentioned include the Somerville Homeless Coalition, Shepherd’s Kitchen Food Pantry, Elizabeth Peabody House, Food4All Food Pantry, Connexion, Food For Free, Family Table at the Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church, and Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services.

“[They] get needed food to our neighbors when there’s nowhere else to turn,” said Mayor Ballantyne. “These organizations show up every single day, they serve meals with dignity, they build community around tables.”

The funding will support a range of initiatives, including:

• A half-million dollars in direct support to organizations providing daily food services to Somerville residents, including food pantries, community meals, and more
• Carrot cards for groceries and expanded funding for the School Free Food Markets that serve families and students
• Support for weekly community meals, ready-to-eat frozen meals, and restaurant meal voucher programs
• Funding for grocery assistance to senior and homebound residents, and supports to fill gaps caused by cuts to the Congregate Meal Transportation Program

Somerville residents can access food support in multiple ways:

• Visit the Food Coalition website at somervillefoodcoalition.org for a list of free local food resources, such as a local food pantry, community meal, food market, or other resources near you
• Visit somervillema.gov/SNAP for multilingual quick guides for food resources
• Children in Somerville Public Schools can always access free lunch and breakfast at school

Community members can support their neighbors:

• Donate money or gift cards to local organizations such as those listed at somervillefoodcoalition.org/donate
• Contribute to school PTAs to help distribute food gift cards to families
• Bring food to Community Fridges (guidance at somervillema.gov/SNAP)
• Share food resource information with those who may need it

City Councilor and Mayor-elect Jake Wilson offered his appreciation to the Ballantyne administration and community partners for their hard work in assisting with the needs of low-income residents who lack the financial resources to pay for adequate food.

“This is not about the SNAP situation. This is about a prior situation that existed before that,” said Councilor Wilson. “This was a dire situation before the government shutdown.”

Health and Human Services Director Karin Carroll said that the team is working with community partners to determine where to allocate the funds.

“We will continue to work with them and refine both the gaps and the needs, and try to make distributions based on what our partner agencies are telling us they need,” said Carroll.