Help The Greater Boston Food Bank

Help feed the hungry. Contact your State Senator for an additional $2,500,000 in funding for Massachusetts. Last week the Massachusetts Senate Ways and Means Committee proposed to level fund the Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance Program (MEFAP) core food line item at $11.5 million and its administrative line item at $1 million in FY13. The combined funding for the line items which provide food to 800 food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters across the Commonwealth is $500,000 less than the House budget.  Senator Hart and Senator Downing filed an amendment to increase funding for the MEFAP foods to $14 million.  Please ask your MA State Senator to support their amendment  (#158 Section 2 2511-0105) today.   Locate your state senator here. Urge your MA State Senator to support Senate Amendment #158 (Section 2 2511-0105) to increase funding for MEFAP foods before Wednesday, May 23, 2012. Use these talking points to support your request: In recent years, the number of people using emergency food assistance in eastern Massachusetts has increased by 23 percent, yet funding for MEFAP has remained flat. Level funding combined with increased food costs reduces the amount of food that can be purchased using MEFAP funds - resulting in one million fewer meals distributed to those in need in 2012 alone. MEFAP is a reliable source of food such as meat, eggs, milk, and fresh produce for vulnerable populations including seniors and children. In addition, MEFAP dollars go back into the Massachusetts economy - supporting local growers and manufacturers. More than 800,000 people across Massachusetts utilize the state's emergency food assistance network. The additional funding will help the food banks provide more nutritious food to those who need it most. Thank you for your support! Want to help spread the word? Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

The Greater Boston Food Bank 70 South Bay Ave. Boston, MA 02118 Phone: (617) 427-5200  |  Email: info@gbfb.org