The 58th Walk for Hunger: A Celebration of Community Spirit
Olivia Deng
On May 3, thousands of people of all ages, backgrounds, and walks of life gathered on Boston Common, united in the mission to combat hunger and build a food-secure future for Massachusetts. Hundreds more joined in from around the globe. The event brought together families, local leaders, advocates, and longtime supporters to raise awareness and defend programs that help people put food on the table. The Walk for Hunger demonstrated the strength and impact of a united community.
“I did my first Walk for Hunger last year, and it was just such a beautiful experience of people from different walks of life coming together for this giant mission and just fighting for good policy for everybody to have access to food, which is the basic thing that everyone needs,” said Divya, a volunteer for this year’s Walk.
What Is The Walk for Hunger?
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.
Jean McMurray Receives the Patrick Hughes Award for Social Justice
We honored Jean McMurray with the Patrick Hughes Award for Social Justice on stage. For three decades, Jean has demonstrated unwavering leadership at the Worcester County Food Bank and has been a tireless advocate in the fight against hunger in Massachusetts.
“I am so humbled because Project Bread means so much to me, personally and professionally,” she shared. “This award recognizes 30 years of partnership in pursuit of our shared mission to end hunger. Project Bread has always focused on real, systemic solutions aimed at preventing hunger in the first place."
Jean has also served on Project Bread’s Board of Directors since January 2007, becoming Board Emeritus in 2023. She played a key role in launching the Make Hunger History Coalition, a collective dedicated to ending hunger in the state for good. We are deeply grateful for Jean’s vision and contributions.
Highlights From This Year’s Walk
Commonwealth Teams Showed Up in Record Numbers
Now in its eighth year, the Commonwealth Program — Project Bread’s joint fundraising initiative — welcomed 65 community-based organizations, who together have already raised $359,813 to support their own anti-hunger work while contributing to the Walk’s statewide goal.
Commonwealth Teams have done incredible work with the funds they’ve raised. For example, Samuel Adams Elementary School in East Boston opened a community pantry.
Walkers Pledged to Make Hunger History
The event provided a family-friendly opportunity for thousands in Massachusetts to get involved in this fight. The Make Hunger History campaign, launched in 2024, had a strong presence at the Policy Station. Attendees showed enthusiasm for the cause, with walkers adding their names to the pledge board, pledging to Make Hunger History.
Council of Experts Ambassadors Made a Splash
This year, our Council of Experts Ambassadors had their own station, where walkers could draw their portraits on a sheet of paper to represent faces of The Walk for Hunger. Council of Experts Ambassadors shared the impact of their work with curious walkers.
Launched in 2023, the Council of Experts centers people with lived experience of food insecurity as leaders in Project Bread’s work. Council members share their expertise, inform decisions, and help shape solutions rooted in community realities, while building a shared understanding of the transformational power they hold when working together and gaining tools to strengthen their roles as community and civic leaders.
Last year, we awarded the Council of Experts the Patrick Hughes Award for their work in addressing the root causes of hunger and bravely sharing their personal experiences to advocate for sustainable solutions for statewide food security.
People Got Crafty
Whether it’s getting fun caricatures, colorful face painting, or cute balloons, people had the chance to express themselves creatively at The Walk.
Thanks to Our Sponsors and Partners
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! A big thank you 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 Company, Odysseys Unlimited, Channel 7 WHDH-TV, Modern Luxury Boston Common, Dr. Hauschka Skin Care, Red Sox Foundation, HFA, State Street Corporation, Cambridge Savings Bank, The TJX Foundation, Inc., Wonder, Eastern Bank Foundation, eCratchit Nonprofit, and Wegmans Food Markets!
Join Us in Our Mission to Make Hunger History
Reflecting on the vibrant spirit and incredible energy of the 58th Walk for Hunger, we invite you to continue standing with us in the mission to make hunger history. Your support is essential in the fight against food insecurity in Massachusetts. Thank you to everyone who participated! Your advocacy truly made a difference.
While we look forward to next year’s event, the journey doesn’t pause here. Fundraising continues into the summer, and every donation—whether to our Walk page or your own fundraiser—pushes us closer to a hunger-free future.