LifePath recently partnered with the United Way of the Franklin and Hampshire Region and the United Way of North Central Massachusetts to support urgent, local food insecurity initiatives in the community. The recent SNAP crisis brought much-needed attention to pervasive food insecurity problems in our area. LifePath responded to the crisis at hand by donating $50,000 to the United Way Response Fund, allowing our two partner United Ways to quickly distribute those funds to food providers in LifePath’s area.
According to the Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB)’s 2025 food‐access report, about 50% of households in Franklin County report some level of food insecurity, compared to 37% of households state-wide. Franklin is among the counties with the highest food insecurity in Massachusetts, and this drastically higher rate as compared to average statewide and national rates highlights that this problem is serious, worsening, and far more acute than some may realize. The speed with which this already pressing problem is growing is very concerning for organizations in our area who have long been working in this space to raise awareness, raise funds, and do their best to feed people.
50% of households in Franklin County report some level of food insecurity . . .
Food insecurity is deeply tied to housing, income, health, and systemic inequality with a number of contributing factors and underlying causes. Economic stressors are many and varied, and increasing in severity. Low or fixed income is a primary contributor, affecting many of LifePath’s consumers. A large percentage of those we serve are retired, and a dynamic we are seeing more often is those who had planned on retiring or have already done so are working longer or reentering the workforce based upon need, not desire. We see this play out in our volunteer corps; some of our most dedicated volunteers, many of whom have been retired for years, have stopped volunteering because they are forced to take on paying jobs to make ends meet. Rising food prices and other living expenses like rent and utilities continue to increase in cost at unprecedented rates. Transportation issues are another pervasive factor in our rural areas, coupled with limited access to stores and nearby food resources. And, one in eight people in Massachusetts is burdened with medical debt. These factors and others make hard choices an everyday reality in our communities.
And just as the underlying causes of food insecurity are many and complex, so are the downstream effects. 89% of food-insecure households in Massachusetts report struggling to pay for at least one other basic need in addition to food, such as housing, utilities, medical care, and transportation. Food insecurity is particularly tied to healthcare tradeoffs: in Massachusetts, 40% of food-insecure households say they’ve had to forgo needed medical, dental, or prescription care, versus just 8% of food-secure households. LifePath resource consultants, case managers, SHINE employees and volunteers, and others hear this message every day as they interact with those we serve to coordinate care, resources, and other supports. Older adults with a disability are even more significantly impacted and have food insecurity rates over twice that of seniors without a disability, while older adults who care for a grandchild in their household experience food insecurity at higher rates than those without a grandchild present.
Food insecurity is not just a quantity problem, but also one of quality and nutrition value. Individuals are not just experiencing a lack of food, but have limited access to nutritious food, often referred to as low nutrition security. Poor nutrition drives poor health, which ultimately drives people to strained health systems. The GBFB report estimates up to $1.3 billion a year in Medicaid emergency room and hospitalization costs could be linked to food insecurity. Similarly, studies show that malnourished older adults experience more frequent and prolonged hospital stays, along with higher rates of complications. In the survey, 67% of adults in food-insecure households reported having at least one chronic health condition, such as a mental health disorder, disability, dental disease, diabetes, and others.
While full SNAP benefits have been issued for now, the temporary funding gap and the high demand during the delay severely strained local food security nonprofits, necessitating continued support from the United Response Fund to replenish resources and serve the most vulnerable. The recent SNAP crisis highlighted what many of us already knew; food insecurity is a problem, right here, right now. And reinstating SNAP didn’t solve the problem. Many of those we serve are struggling to make ends meet under the best of circumstances, and the recent federal chaos and dysfunction only created delays for our consumers to access food for themselves and those they care for.
As the Franklin County and North Quabbin Meals on Wheels provider, food security has been core to LifePath’s mission for over 50 years. Just last year, we provided over 186,000 meals and wellness checks, and even with the reach and impact of Meals on Wheels, we know those meals are not enough.
LifePath is on the front lines of community needs, and while there is much we can’t do, we remain focused on what we can do. Providing this significant financial infusion to food security agencies was something that we could do immediately to alleviate suffering for some of our community’s most vulnerable individuals. Thanks to careful financial oversight and a new investment strategy, we were able to move money earned from investments into the community. This in itself is a different kind of investment. It is an investment in well-being for those who need it most.
We were proud to partner with the United Way on this donation because they are a trusted community organization with the relationships and infrastructure to quickly get money where it is needed. In addition to this one-time donation, we are currently sponsoring a series of monthly pay-what-you-can Community Soup Nights at the Stone Soup Café. Please consider supporting LifePath, the United Way, Stone Soup Café, the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Franklin County Community Meals Program, Franklin Food Pantry, Community Action Pioneer Valley, The Brick House, and other community-based organizations who are working on food security. By working together across the community in ways big and small, we coordinate support, assess needs, and allocate resources to those in need. And we need your help to do it.
