Ted Truscott
When people think about the North Shore, images of sail boats and dining by the harbor may come to mind. But for many of our neighbors, there is a very different reality. Across Essex County, nearly one-third of adults experienced food insecurity last year, according to the Greater Boston Food Bank’s recently published third annual statewide report on food equity and access in collaboration with Mass General Brigham. The statistics are grim. Food-insecurity statistics, that actually were much better than these alarming rates, originally engaged me in the mission of GBFB. Receiving a direct-mail piece about hunger, I knew very little. I soon became educated on the invisible endemic right as the world entered a pandemic. I volunteered at a local pantry, Citizens Inn in Peabody, a community partner that I learned relies on GBFB for the majority of the food it distributes. I learned about the challenges so many of my neighbors were experiencing.
Today, 10 years into my relationship with GBFB, now as board chair, I’m astounded at the current research showing that not only adults are food insecure, but even more alarming is the level of food insecurity among children — one in three children. This means that one out of every three children were hungry, skipped a meal, or did not eat for a whole day because there wasn’t enough money for food.
COVID created an increased need among the food insecure but a more insidious force has arisen in the post-pandemic era. The increase in the cost of food and overall cost of living in our state has become unmanageable.
GBFB distributes food to more than 81 locations in 22 communities in Essex County, in addition to serving a partner network across eastern Massachusetts. We are a fundraising and logistics operation that distributes healthy food to local food pantries, and demand for food is outpacing what we’re projecting to distribute this year — nearly 90 million meals, almost double from before the pandemic. About one-third of the money for food comes from the state, but we rely even more from private donors. Unfortunately, private donations have been declining as food insecurity has moved off the front page and national headlines.
Help us feed our neighbors in need. The North and South Shores are underrepresented versus west of Boston when we analyze our donor base. Food insecurity is the root cause of many issues in our society, as it immediately impacts health and wellbeing. I cannot imagine waking up in the morning not knowing how I would feed my children. The problem would be even worse if not for GBFB and the food pantries we serve. I humbly ask that you consider donating annually to GBFB. If we can raise the money, we can move the food that so many desperately rely on.
Ted Truscott is CEO of Columbia Threadneedle Investments and Chair of the Board of the Greater Boston Food Bank.
