On Sept. 22 I'll be riding 50 miles in the Food Bank's 14th annual Will Bike 4 Food event to raise awareness about hunger in our region and raise money for this vital community resource. 

A recent statewide study revealed that in Hampden County a shocking 48% of people now face food insecurity, well above the already high Massachusetts average of 34%. For BIPOC and LGBTQ+ households, the figures are even worse. 

Over the past 12 months, the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts served an average of 114,000 people per month—an 18% increase over the previous year—through more than 180 partner food pantries and meal sites. Higher prices for food, housing, transportation, childcare, and other basic needs are forcing more people, including working families, to seek food assistance, surpassing even pandemic demand. 

Every dollar donated provides three meals to people in need and helps spread the word about this hunger crisis.