The Healey-Driscoll Administration recently announced a series of listening sessions across Massachusetts to inform Governor Maura Healey’s Anti-Hunger Task Force’s recommendations on how Massachusetts can mitigate against President Donald Trump’s long-term cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other food assistance programs and adopt long-term solutions to hunger.  

Governor Healey first created the Anti-Hunger Task Force after President Trump and Congressional Republicans passed a bill that makes severe changes to SNAP and will result in more than 150,000 Massachusetts residents having their SNAP benefits reduced or eliminated. This came after President Trump had already cut millions of dollars in food assistance grants to Massachusetts. Then in November, President Trump became the first President in United States history to withhold SNAP benefits during a federal government shutdown.

More than 1.1 million Massachusetts residents rely on SNAP to afford food – 32 percent are children, 26 percent are seniors, and 31 percent are people with disabilities. Local businesses and farmers also get business through the program. 21,000 SNAP recipients in Massachusetts are veterans. Additionally, over 5,500 farms and grocery stores take SNAP and depend on those revenues.

These listening sessions will engage local government, food banks, non-profits and business leaders, as well as those who are directly impacted by these federal decisions, such as SNAP recipients, farmers and small business owners, and larger communities. Feedback from the sessions focuses on the Task Force’s four key objectives, including mitigating the direct and indirect impacts of federal SNAP cuts and program changes to Massachusetts, initiating and deepening collaboration for alleviating food insecurity, and exploring long-term, sustainable solutions for mitigating hunger, preserving food systems, and bolstering local economies.

Community members can learn more about the task force and listening sessions at Mass.gov/governors-anti-hunger-task-force.

Schedule of Listening Sessions:

All listening sessions take place 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Additional session may be added.