YMCA raises over $15,000 for food insecurity with annual Walk for Hunger
May 8, 2024
Dartmouth YMCA leads Walk for Hunger participants through Padanaram on Sunday, May 5. Photo by Leighah Beausoleil
Joan Dalton carries a sign for the YMCA Walk for Hunger.
Walk for Hunger participants pass over the Padanaram Bridge.
Despite the cold weather and a bit of rain, 35 people still came out to support the annual Walk for Hunger on Sunday, May 5.
This is the fifth year a walk has been held locally, with the larger event, run by Project Bread, celebrating its 56th annual walk on the same day in Boston.
The Dartmouth branch of the event is organized through the South Coast YMCA, who work with Sharing the Harvest Community Farm in Dartmouth, to provide fresh food to where it is needed most.
The organizations work together to provide agricultural education and alleviate hunger. Walk to End Hunger has a similar goal: To raise money and awareness for food insecurity in the community.
According to Ashley Brister, Sharing the Harvest Community Farm director, one in 10 families with children are experiencing food insecurity across the state.
As a Commonwealth partner hosting its own walk, the YMCA is able to keep 60% of the donations to then put toward its food security programs.
The YMCA’s goal of $15,000 was surpassed by $515 so far this year. Donations are accepted until July 30.
Brister said, “I just wanted to thank everybody for coming out in spite of the cold weather.”
Roseanne O’Connell was among the participants who faced the cold Sunday morning. Additionally, her husband, Joe O’Connell, who works for the farm, was helping lead walkers along the course.
Roseanne said she and her husband have been supporting the mission to combat food insecurity for years.
She said when writing to friends and family for support for the mission, she included the following as part of her message: “When you think of dinner, you might be thinking of what recipe you have — we don’t think about, do we have any food?”
For the O’Connells raising awareness is important.
Roseanne said she admires the quiet ones who volunteer and do the work in support of a “good mission.”
Joe said he’d like to see more people participating in the walk in the future.
In regard to the walk, he said, “It has a wonderful contribution to the insecurity of food that families deal with on a daily basis.”
