In the News

AMHERST -- U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Worcester, traveled across Western and Central Massachusetts Monday to bring attention to hunger-related issues and to highlight Summer Eats -- a program that offers free meals to kids across Massachusetts.

With an estimated one in seven Massachusetts children facing uncertainty over where they will get their next meal, the congressman met with officials from Project Bread and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to tour summer feeding sites in Amherst, as well as other locations.

The Worcester Democrat also discussed successes and challenges facing such state-administered programs -- including proposed cuts to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program -- as part of his "Summer Food Rocks" tour.

McGovern, a vocal anti-hunger advocate, said his afternoon visits to Amherst Regional Middle School and Mill River Recreation Area sought to highlight the locations' summer feeding programs, which seek to provide a steady source of nutrition for children who rely on free or reduced lunch during the school year.

The congressman praised the state's efforts to combat summer hunger in Amherst by partnering with the University of Massachusetts to have the BabyBerk food truck serve free healthy meals to children and teens at seven apartment complexes and the Mill River Recreation Area.

Via MassLive.