Photo: Chaiel Schaffel/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — More than 3,000 people went around and around and around Boston Common for the 56th annual Walk for Hunger on Sunday.
Walkers strolled three times in a loop around the park—a three-mile trek in total—to raise money for Project Bread, which helps fight food insecurity statewide. According to the non-profit, one in five families with kids in Massachusetts struggle to put enough food on the table.
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This year's goal was to raise $1.3 million, but Project Bread President and CEO Erin McAleer said it was about more than just the money.
"Certainly raising money is a major goal, but it’s also about raising awareness," McAleer said.
Kathleen Chiong was one of the walkers taking part. She told WBZ NewsRadio part of the event was about solidarity.
"Sometimes when we’re talking about things like food insecurity, it can be hard to not feel like we’re just doing it by ourselves, but there are so many people here that show us that we really are in it together," Chiong said.
9-year-old Sylvia, one of Chiong's campers, felt the same way.
"There’s so many people that also are food insecure, and we have to do something about it," Sylvia said.
The walk came on the heels of a major political win for the organization; last year, they successfully lobbied state lawmakers to adopt free school meals for all Massachusetts students permanently.
WBZ’s Chaiel Schaffel (@CSchaffelWBZ) reports.
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