The Need

The Greater Boston area is home to great wealth, but it is also home to great need. A study conducted in 2005 by America’s Second Harvest – The Nation’s Food Bank Network shows a 14% increase in the need for food assistance in eastern Massachusetts since 2001. This compares to an 8% increase nationwide. Moreover, Project Bread’s Status Report on Hunger in Massachusetts 2005 states that “the root cause of hunger is poverty” and that “9.8 percent of Massachusetts’ population lives below the poverty line.”

Hunger is a two-pronged issue. There is the immediate need of the hungry person, and there is the overall systemic lack of food and other resources due to poverty. FNSP strives to respond to both sides of the hunger issue, alleviating immediate need while tackling the more complicated issues of systemic hunger and poverty.

Unfortunately, hunger is also a year-round issue. The FNSP and other area hunger-relief organizations, work to alleviate hunger 52-weeks a year. At FNSP we provide a meal every Friday because our guests arrive every Friday, through the cold of the winter and hot of the summer. Though most tend to think about those who are hungry as the weather turns cold, the need is persistent.

Our Guests

The FNSP is proud of its long history of serving anyone in need and we set no parameters around who we serve. Anyone in need of a meal is welcome. Most of the people served by FNSP rely on our services to stretch the limited resources available to them. There is no “typical” FNSP guest. Guests come from different backgrounds and may include those coping with AIDS, mental illness, or substance abuse; the elderly; the disabled; abused women; homeless individuals; and those who are jobless, minimally employed, or living below the poverty level. Many of our guests also suffer from the effects of inadequate clothing and exposure during the colder months and a lack of access to steady healthcare.