Senate Candidates Seth Moulton, Joe Tache and John Deaton Join Project Bread Forum on Hunger and Federal SNAP Cuts
Nonpartisan Event Puts Positions on the Record Ahead of Sept. 1 Primary and November Election
EAST BOSTON, Mass. – On Wednesday, Aug. 12, Project Bread and the Make Hunger History Coalition hosted a nonpartisan forum at the nonprofit's East Boston office, inviting all announced candidates for U.S. Senate in Massachusetts to answer questions on food insecurity, federal nutrition programs and their policy plans for addressing hunger.
Participating candidates Seth Moulton (D), Joe Tache (PSL) and John Deaton (R) responded to a series of questions in a rotating order, with no direct debate format between them. The forum was intended to elevate food security as an electoral issue and put candidates' positions on record for voters.
Erin McAleer, President & CEO of Project Bread, speaks to the crowd before candidates, John Deaton (R), Seth Moulton (D), and Joe Tache (PSL) deliver closing remarks. Photo courtesy of Olivia Deng for Project Bread.
“Federal cuts to SNAP this past year have made it harder for eligible residents to access the program,” says Erin McAleer, CEO of Project Bread. “Project Bread and the Make Hunger History Coalition bring together partners from all walks of life across this state with one goal: permanently ending hunger in Massachusetts. To get there, we need the political will, and we need our leaders actively talking about and addressing hunger.”
Food insecurity in Massachusetts has reached 40% of households, according to the Greater Boston Food Bank, with roughly 1 in 2 Black and Latino/a households struggling to get enough to eat. Nearly 62,000 Massachusetts children have lost SNAP benefits since the One Big Beautiful Bill Act's passage last July, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
SNAP is a proven economic driver: every dollar in benefits generates up to $1.80 in local economic activity, and more than 1 million Massachusetts residents rely on it, most of them children, seniors or people with disabilities.
Project Bread's Make Hunger History Coalition unites more than 700 partners around one goal: making Massachusetts the first state to permanently end hunger. The forum aimed to build political accountability on that goal ahead of the Sept. 1 primary and November general election.
People experiencing food insecurity should call or text Project Bread's toll-free FoodSource Hotline (1-800-645-8333), which provides confidential assistance connecting callers to food resources, including SNAP benefits, in more than 180 languages and for the hearing impaired. For more information, visit: www.projectbread.org/get-help.
About Project Bread
Project Bread, the leading statewide food security nonprofit, connects people and communities in Massachusetts to reliable sources of food while advocating for policies that make food more accessible, so that no one goes hungry. For more information, visit: www.projectbread.org.
About The Make Hunger History Coalition
Make Hunger History is a statewide initiative led by Project Bread to end hunger in Massachusetts. Powered by a coalition of more than 700 nonprofits, businesses, policymakers, advocates, and people with lived experience of hunger, the initiative advances bold policies and cross-sector partnerships to ensure every Massachusetts resident has reliable access to nutritious food.
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