Project Bread - The Walk for Hunger

Friend,

Last weekend, the federal government released a new proposed "public charge" rule that would increase food insecurity and poverty in MA and the US.

This proposed rule would make it easier to deny visas and green cards to immigrants. Applicants could be denied documentation for participating in or being "likely" to participate in basic needs programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Click here to read and share Project Bread's statement.

We will continue to share information with you on this proposed regulation, along with actions you can take to stand in solidarity with our immigrant neighbors.

Thank you,

Leran Minc
Manager of Public Policy, Project Bread

P.S. Stay informed so that you can speak up with knowledge and confidence. Learn more about the "public charge" rule in the article below.

Speak out on Public Charge

Share Project Bread's statement on the proposed "public charge" rule and encourage friends to join the Action Team. Hunger is often silent, but together we will speak up!

Immigration

Anti-immigrant plan threatens health care in Massachusetts (Boston Globe, September 26)

In addition to potentially worsening hunger, the proposed "public charge" rule has already caused documented immigrants to drop out of MassHealth for fear of not receiving a green card or a visa renewal.

SNAP, housing assistance, Medicaid, and parts of Medicare would all be added to the "public charge" test if this rule becomes official.

One piece of good news: the rule no longer includes WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) as part of the test. Earlier leaked drafts included this critical program for pregnant or nursing women and young children.

According to this Globe article, one in six residents and one in five workers in MA is an immigrant.

Food Deserts

The Hidden Resilience of 'Food Desert' Neighborhoods (Civil Eats, September 14)

The conversation around food deserts has become a fixture of anti-hunger efforts. While addressing food access is a piece of the puzzle, the conversation has obscured some of the causes and realities of food deserts, such as racism and economic policy.

Redlining, white flight, and gentrification have left low-income, predominantly minority neighborhoods without access to affordable, healthy food.

Efforts to open supermarkets are only partial solutions because they have ignored the challenges of communities with limited transportation, high unemployment, and low wages.

Project Bread supports programs like the Massachusetts Food Trust Program, which seeks to expand access to healthy food through supermarkets and other retailers.

Breakfast After the Bell

Lawmakers rally in rain for school breakfast bill (MetroWest Daily News, September 25)

Project Bread and several of our partners joined lawmakers on September 25 to highlight the ongoing need to address hunger in Massachusetts.

Legislators recognized the need to pass the Breakfast After the Bell bill this fall.

Project Bread is working closely with the Rise and Shine Coalition to move this bill out of the House Ways and Means Committee and onto the floor for a vote.

Rural Hunger

Food aid need shifts from cities to countryside (Marketplace, September 24)

In the 1970s, the Farm Bill was originally meant to bring together urban lawmakers—whose constituents relied on nutrition programs like SNAP—and rural officials, whose constituents were mostly farmers.

Today, however, the data show significant poverty in rural communities. According to the USDA, a higher percentage of rural residents utilize SNAP compared to urban residents.

16% of rural or small-town households are enrolled in SNAP, versus 13% in urban areas.

Farm Bill

Farm Law Expires As Negotiators Remain Divided on New Bill (Roll Call, October 1)

Lawmakers had until September 30 to pass a new Farm Bill before key agriculture-related provisions expired.

Disagreements continue over proposed work requirements for SNAP.

Nutrition programs like SNAP are not impacted and will continue to operate under rules set by the 2014 Farm Bill.

However, 39 programs have lost authorization and funding as of October 1—including aid for military veterans entering farming, trade promotion, and small rural business. Lawmakers may pursue an extension for these programs or for the entire Farm Bill.

Stay informed, stay vocal—and thank you for being a member of Project Bread's Action Team!