We are a coalition of organizations working to foster a healthy and just food system and active community environment in Worcester, Massachusetts. We do this through public education, policy advocacy, working to eliminate inequity and collaboration.
One of the most important things you can do in raising healthy kids is to educate yourself on the facts and research surrounding kids’ diets and health. A recent study published in Obesity had some pretty startling results. As reported in the Washington Post, researchers found that decreasing the amount of sugar in kids’ diets … Continue reading
Today’s focus in 31 Days of Giving is the Regional Environmental Council, one of the local organizations that are most involved at the intersection of food justice, youth and environmental accountability. Continue reading
Worcester faces many challenges with regards to hunger, food insecurity, childhood obesity, and the health of all citizens. At the same time, Worcester is blessed with dozens of organizations that step up to help those who need help. This month, we’re going to feature as many as we can and ask you to share your love, time and good fortune with the community. Continue reading
In late October, the Social Security Administration announced that there will be no Cost of Living Adjustment for Social Security benefits, a decision that marks just the third time since 1972 that SS checks (and a number of other benefit programs that use the SS benefit amount to determine their benefit amounts) will not see … Continue reading
It’s National School Lunch Week, and this year, the theme is School Lunch Snapshot. The National School Lunch Program is running a school lunch photo contest, so prepare yourself for an onslaught of school lunch tray photos in your Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds. While you’re checking out what your kids are eating at school … Continue reading
The average SNAP benefit amount for 2015 is $4.17 per person. Process that for a moment. Divide it among 3 meals and 2 snacks – the Institute of Medicine Committee on Nutrition Standards for Foods in Schools recommends that 9% of total calories for school age children be devoted to snacks – and $4.17 translates … Continue reading
Fact: The average SNAP benefit is $4.17 per person per day. That amount is based on the USDA’s Thrifty Food Plan, which was developed in 2006 to count the cost of the minimum amount of food needed to meet its recommended nutritional standards for people of different ages and needs. The “plan” creates a fictional … Continue reading
As we head into week three of Hunger Action Month, we wanted to focus on the practical aspects of fighting hunger on a very individual level. Hunger is a very real problem in Worcester and surrounding towns. According to statistics from the Worcester County Food Bank , Feeding America, and Project Bread 82,951: people in Worcester … Continue reading
It’s National Hunger Action Month – a month when organizations and individuals across the country are working to raise awareness of hunger, and talking about ways to make sure every person in our country (and our world!) has access to sufficient healthy, nutritious food. The problem of hunger sometimes seems almost insurmountable, but there are … Continue reading
It’s that time of year again. Farmers markets, backyard gardens, community gardens – wherever you get your fresh vegetables – are bursting with the bounty of … zucchini. If you have gardening neighbors, they’re probably trying to hand off their extra zucchini to you because zucchini is one of the most prolific producers in nearly … Continue reading
Worcester Food & Active Living Policy Council 