Our Research & Evaluations

Project Bread is committed to listening and learning from the communities we serve, aiming to reduce bias rather than replicate it. Understanding food insecurity — who it impacts, how it impacts, and how people access help — is critical to inform equitable policy priorities and our programmatic response.

We recognize and uphold the right of marginalized communities to have the resources they need to break down barriers and inform the best way to meet their own needs.

Through our research, we aim to better understand the barriers that individuals and communities face to access food and utilizing existing solutions, so we can better meet their needs.

Project Bread is the largest provider of nutrition services through the Flexible Services program with MassHealth. This program aims to increase food security for food insecure patients with qualifying medical conditions. A 2025 study by Hager and colleagues found participation was associated with:

• 23% decrease in hospitalizations

• 13% decrease in emergency department visits, compared to eligible individuals who did not participate

• saved $2,502 in health care costs per adult, exceeding its delivery cost and generating $1.8 million in net savings.

While these results highlight the overall impact of the Flex Program, we’re especially proud to contribute as its largest provider of nutrition services and being a central partner to this work since day one. It’s deeply encouraging to see that our efforts are making a tangible, immediate difference in reducing emergency and hospitalization-related health care use.