Franklin County Community Meals Program (FCCMP), a United Way partner agency, has been working to alleviate hunger in across Franklin County and the North Quabbin region for 38 years.
Rural communities are especially vulnerable to food insecurity due to series of “lacks”: lack of transportation, lack of income, and lack of access to resources. This was the case before the pandemic and it has only intensified as a result of COVID. In short, food insecurity has increased tremendously in the past two years.
This is true across the state. All of the United Way funded agencies have seen the increase. According to Project Bread, "Prior to the pandemic, household food insecurity in MA was at 8.2%. The pandemic fueled a hunger crisis unlike any other in our lifetime, at it's peak rendering 19.6% of households food insecure."
But food insecurity isn’t a stand alone problem. It is tied to the barriers mentioned above, poverty, and isolation.
“As a community, it is our job to help break down these barriers and design new systems by building networks of connection,” says Executive Director Rachel Berggren.
That is why FCCMP serves a hub for engagement and impact, working with the broader community to build and provide more resources. In the past year, this has included:
Distributing 26,000+ meals across all 4 community meal sites
Expanding the Orange Pantry Outreach Program, including a home delivery program at the Orange Community Meal site
Establishing the Northfield Community Meal site
There is no doubt that FCCMP is at the forefront of taking on rural food insecurity in our region. They do this by leveraging all their resources. They do this by tackling systemic problems holistically. And they do this by uniting individuals and fostering community around food. Thanks to Rachel and all the FCCMP volunteers for providing so much for so many.