Special to the Independent
On May 3, Everett Community Growers will step up for Project Bread’s 58th Walk for Hunger. For the second consecutive year, the Everett-based nonprofit will raise funds to support statewide food security through Project Bread’s Commonwealth Program. Participating organizations receive 60% of the funds they raise to support their own hunger relief programs, with the remaining 40% contributing to Project Bread’s broader statewide efforts to ensure access to nutritious food for all children and families.
Now in its 58th year, The Walk for Hunger, Project Bread’s flagship community fundraiser, brings together a diverse community dedicated to ending hunger across Massachusetts. The event kicks off Sunday, May 3 at 9 a.m. on the Boston Common with food, entertainment, and family-friendly activities. The 3-mile route is fully accessible, accommodating walkers with mobility devices, young children, and others with special needs. ASL interpreters and multilingual staff will also be on hand to ensure everyone can participate.
“Every annual Walk, every dollar raised moves us closer to a Massachusetts where no family has to wonder where they will get their next meal,” says Erin McAleer, President & CEO of Project Bread. “Coming together as an anti-hunger community is at the heart of this effort. Everett Community Growers’ commitment to ending food insecurity, along with the dedication of walkers and supporters, makes Massachusetts healthier and stronger for all of us.”
Everett Community Growers is dedicated to advancing equity through urban agriculture, youth development, policy advocacy and community engagement. Founded by Everett residents seeking space to grow healthy food, the nonprofit operates Everett’s only community garden, community farm, and farmstand. Through urban agriculture, farmstands, its flagship Youth Crew and community-led advocacy, the organization provides fresh food, hands-on education and workforce opportunities while addressing food access, environmental justice and public health. A proud member of the Make Hunger History Coalition, led by Project Bread, Everett Community Growers works collaboratively to advance long-term solutions to end hunger statewide.
This year, a team of 10 walkers will participate in The Walk for Hunger with an in-person community walk in Everett. The team’s goal is to raise $1000 to support urban agriculture initiatives, food justice programming and youth food systems education through the Youth Crew.
“Our partnership with Project Bread has been both meaningful and impactful,” says Rebecca Kelley, Director of Programs at Everett Community Growers. “As a former Community Partnerships grantee and active member of the Community of Practice, we have had the opportunity not only to learn but to lead alongside peers across the Commonwealth. This year, we are especially proud to walk in celebration of 10 years of the Northern Strand Community Farm and our youth programs. For a decade, we’ve been growing more than food—we’ve been cultivating leadership, resilience and community-driven change. The Walk for Hunger is a powerful moment to honor that history while continuing to invest in a more just and food-secure future for Everett and beyond.”
Beginning in 1969 as the first pledge walk in the nation, money raised from The Walk for Hunger is critical to fund systemic change for hunger relief. Project Bread launched the joint-fundraising Commonwealth Program in 2019. In 2025, 51 nonprofits raised more than $200,000 to support their own programs for statewide food security.
Donate directly to Everett Community Growers’s Commonwealth fundraiser at give.projectbread.org/ecg. To register as a participant for Project Bread’s Walk for Hunger, or to support a walker or team with a donation, visit give.projectbread.org/walk. All individual walkers are encouraged to fundraise a minimum of $25 and teams $250. Participants who raise $500 or more are recognized as Heart & Sole walkers and receive access to personalized fundraising support, exclusive event gear, free breakfast on Walk Day, and invitations to exclusive events.
People experiencing food insecurity should call Project Bread’s FoodSource Hotline (1-800-645-8333), which provides confidential, free assistance getting connected to a variety of food resources in 180 languages and for the hearing impaired. Counselors can pre-screen families and help them to apply for SNAP. Learn more at projectbread.org/get-help.
Project Bread is the leading statewide food security organization in Massachusetts. Beginning in 1969 with the first Walk for Hunger, the nonprofit focuses on driving systemic change to ensure people of all ages have reliable access to healthy food. Project Bread works collaboratively across sectors to create innovative solutions to end hunger and improve lives across the Commonwealth. For more information, visit: www.projectbread.org.
Everett Community Growers, Inc. (ECG) works to build a more just and equitable environment through urban agriculture, youth development, policy advocacy, and community engagement.