‘We don’t want our neighbors to go hungry’: March for the Food Bank sees broad support in 16th year

Leading more than 150 people, including Gov. Maura Healey, along a 43-mile trek from Springfield to Greenfield on Tuesday, NEPM radio host Christopher “Monte” Belmonte’s 16th annual March for the Food Bank had the largest turnout Congressman Jim McGovern said he has seen in 13 years.

Just weeks after the end of a government shutdown in which more than 42 million Americans, including roughly 12,000 Franklin County residents, lost their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, Belmonte said food insecurity hit particularly close to home for numerous people who marched this year.

“Because of what happened with SNAP and the government shutdown, with it not going out as scheduled at the beginning of November, people were really much more conscious about how big an issue hunger is in their communities and in the whole country. I think that made a lot more people want to get involved,” Belmonte said, crossing the Sunderland Bridge into Deerfield. “When the SNAP benefits didn’t go out as scheduled, it caused chaos, and the community needed to figure out what to do to fill that void, because we don’t want our neighbors to go hungry, and that’s what the food bank is there to provide for.”

Belmonte, who on Monday dressed as Ernie from Sesame Street, dressed on Tuesday as Mr. Rogers, another PBS character, in recognition of the federal cuts to public broadcasting. He said the character, to him, represented the “epitome of a good neighbor,” and that the wool sweater he wore was sourced from a sheep in Ashfield.

By the time marchers reached Greenfield at 6 p.m., donations had reached roughly $793,000 — already exceeding the March for the Food Bank’s $650,000 goal, according to Andrew Morehouse, executive director of the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. However, Belmonte said donations will remain open until the end of the year.

Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources Commissioners Ashley Randle echoed Belmonte’s remarks, saying she was moved by this year’s particularly large turnout.

“Having participated many, many years in the march, it’s great to see the attendance this year. The SNAP cuts and what’s happened has brought more people together, and if we can continue the momentum around that awareness, recognizing that our neighbors, our friends, our families, are food insecure and facing food insecurity,” she said. “This really speaks to the community in western Mass, and when you see schoolchildren coming out, and their families, teachers, nonprofits, legislators, community coming together, that really speaks to the impact.”

While stopped for a break at All States Materials Group at 112 Amherst Road, the marchers played soundtracks to classic PBS television programs, such as “Sesame Street” or “Barney & Friends,” McGovern spoke to the heightened importance of supporting food security, this year especially.

McGovern said federal funding under the Trump administration simply does not prioritize feeding Americans. He added that President Donald Trump was the first to cut food benefits during a government shutdown, adding that he felt proud to contribute to Belmonte’s march.

“I’ve been doing this for 13 years and it makes me proud of this community, because all these people represented in this march represent the best of our community. … Hunger is a political condition. We have the food, we have the money, we have everything to end it — we lack the political will. This is what political will looks like,” McGovern said. “We have money to build bombs, we have money to renovate the East Wing of the White House, but we don’t seem to have the funds to be able to end hunger in this country, and we should be ashamed of that.”

McGovern’s sentiments were echoed by Healey, who referred to Trump’s cuts as “callous and cruel,” adding that if the federal government does not do its part to help combat hunger, Massachusetts will step up to the plate.

The governor credited the food banks and pantries of western Massachusetts and their volunteers for their efforts to feed the state’s rural regions.

“We’ve got so many people who are struggling with hunger in our country and in Massachusetts. We’ve been trying to raise as much awareness about the issue as we can, particularly following President Trump’s cruel and callous cuts to SNAP and denial of benefits, which fortunately are restored,” Healey said. “Even with SNAP benefits restored, we still have major issues with hunger in this country, and we’ve got to make sure we’re doing all we can in Massachusetts to take care of and feed our people.”

State Rep. Natalie Blais and state Sen. Jo Comerford, both pushing shopping carts along the marching route, discussed the importance of food security, especially in rural areas such as western Massachusetts.

“People understand that our farmers are so central to our way of life in western Mass and there’s such a connection between the Healthy Incentives Program, which was so important during this SNAP crisis, and our farms,” Comerford said. “In the wake of the SNAP crisis and the spiking food prices, it’s obvious that there’s a greater awareness around hunger and food insecurity, and it’s driven so many people to turn out and raise money and join the march.”

Conway Grammar School students join in

On Monday morning, Conway Grammar School students filed out of their classrooms to march with their teachers, the Frontier Regional School band and Rep. Blais to the end of the driveway. Through donations to sponsor a teacher who participated in the march and flat donations collected in a jug at the school, the school raised more than $3,800 for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, according to kindergarten teacher Jeremy Brunaccioni, who has helped organize the “mini march” since its beginnings about 10 years ago. Students and staff also filled two car trunks with food for a food pantry in Ashfield.

“We’re trying to make it as tangible as possible,” Brunaccioni said. Students even pushed shopping carts full of donated canned goods along the driveway.

Along with the mini march, the students also attended an assembly on Friday about food insecurity. Belmonte and food pantry volunteers are slated to speak to students in the coming months to spread education on food insecurity beyond the march.

“This is a concrete way that we can teach the kids how to be kind and help one another,” Brunaccioni said.

Staff Writer Aalianna Marietta contributed reporting.