The 57th Walk for Hunger: 3,000 Strong in the Fight Against Hunger

The force was with us on May the 4th for Project Bread's 57th Walk for Hunger. Upwards of 3,000 people of different ages, backgrounds, and walks of life gathered on Boston Common for a united mission to fight hunger and build a food-secure future in Massachusetts. Hundreds more participated from around the world. Our 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. The Walk for Hunger was a powerful reminder of the impact of community banding together.

“Today we came together. We showed what community looks like,” wrote participant Tim Garvin in a social media post about The Walk. 

Whether you walked, fundraised, volunteered, or cheered us on from afar, thank you for being part of this incredible movement. We’ve already raised over $1.1 million to feed kids and protect food access in Massachusetts, and that support goes far beyond one day!

By fundraising, you're helping families across Massachusetts afford groceries, ensuring kids eat nutritious school meals, and making it possible for our neighbors to access the food they need with dignity. 
 

The Walk for Hunger is the longest-running pledge walk in the US, founded in 1969 by a group of activists from the Paulist Center led by Patrick Hughes. Approximately 2,000 individuals embarked on a remarkable 29.6-mile journey through Quincy, raising an impressive $26,000 to support two vital hunger projects.

Today, The Walk for Hunger is a 3-mile walk on Boston Common drawing thousands of walkers, raising funds to combat food insecurity in Massachusetts.

“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.”
 

During The Walk's 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!”

The Walk for Hunger saw some familiar faces. Mary Walling, who helped found our first Walk for Hunger, returned this year to keep her nearly six-decade streak going.

This Walk was Wayne Zafft’s 42nd. He sported his impressive button collection on his hat. “I plan to do it as long as I can,” he said.

Andy Lange, who wears a vest decked out with buttons from his 33 years of participating in The Walk for Hunger, made his laps around Boston Common.

Ruth Goodman has been walking for 35 years. “I started walking with my 43-year-old daughter when she was 5, and we walked for many years together because no one should be hungry, and I can't stand the idea of people not having enough food,” she said.
 

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 programs that ensure families have enough to eat are under attack.

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.
 

The event provided a family-friendly opportunity for thousands in Massachusetts to get involved in this fight. The Make Hunger History Campaign, launched last year, had a strong presence at the Policy Station hosted by Spencer Masterson, Director of Make Hunger History. Attendees showed enthusiasm for the cause, with over 200 walkers adding their names to the pledge board, pledging to Make Hunger History.

Immediately following the walk, members of the Council of Experts traveled to Washington, D.C. Some of them participated in an expert panel alongside Leran Minc, Project Bread’s Director of Public Policy, during the National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference. This moment highlighted Massachusetts’ national leadership in food justice, with Project Bread exemplifying how to authentically partner with individuals whose lived experiences provide valuable expertise.

This advocacy is especially important in a time when civic voices, particularly those related to policymaking and government affairs, are often silenced or overlooked. The participation of Council members is transformative. They are more than just part of the conversation — they are bringing the realities of hunger to national platforms, including Capitol Hill, where they will advocate for change at the Food Research & Action Center’s annual conference. Their presence and influence are crucial reminders that effective and equitable solutions must be informed by those who understand hunger firsthand.

We had the pleasure of spotting some local celebrities in the crowd, including Jeremy Reiner doing a live broadcast for our partners at Channel 7 News, along with Bob Bronson from WROR! A big thank you to Spike Events for providing their fantastic digital photobooth, which helped us capture so many wonderful moments, and to Another Age Productions for managing the testimonial video booth, giving everyone a chance to share their thoughts on Walk Day!

Thanks to our corporate sponsors Bay State Milling, Instacart, BCG Connect, Cambridge Savings Bank, Odysseys Unlimited, TJX Companies, King Arthur Baking, Eastern Bank, State Street, Channel 7 News Foundation, Salem Five Bank, and Wegmans Food Markets.