LYNN — More than 100 community members joined My Brother’s Table in a 3-mile walk along the Lynn and Swampscott shoreline on Sunday.
Starting at The First Church in Swampscott, the 9 Million Meals Walk honored the number of meals the Table has served, and participants were asked to raise funds to fight against hunger.
Board member Jason Sidman spoke about the significance of the Walk, as the Table doesn’t take government funding and relies on donors.
“It’s really important to give back to the community. There’s this huge need that we’re trying to address, and this is one of the key events that we use for that,” Sidman said.
Local schools were involved in the 9 Million Meals Walk. Marblehead Community Charter Public School (MCCPS) has made the Walk part of its school tradition for five years.
“At MCCPS, we believe caring for our neighbors is a shared responsibility,” said Danette Russo, director of food services at MCCPS. “Through our Little Free Food Pantry on campus, our Community Food Pantry at MCCPS, and an 8th-grade community service project that built a Little Free Food Pantry for our neighbors at Farrell Court, our students and staff work together to help ensure access to food and basic necessities for those in need.”
Russo added that the “My Brother’s Table Walk is a natural extension of that mission. My Brother’s Table has long been a vital resource in our community, and we’re proud to support their work as part of our school’s ongoing commitment to community service and compassion in action.”
Lynn Classical teacher Laura Jenkins discussed her students’ enthusiasm for participating in the walk.
“Today is about getting the kids to fundraise and volunteer,” Jenkins said. “They’re very motivated and excited this year. There’s a lot of interest in getting volunteer hours. We don’t have a graduation requirement for volunteering when other schools in the vicinity do, so I think it’s important to them to stand out on their applications to college. They’re super interested in volunteering and giving back. The interest grows every year.”
