Lowell, MA – The Merrimack Valley Food Bank (MVFB) is thrilled to announce that the John E. Cox Memorial Bridge (Bridge Street) will be lit orange on Friday, September 15th in honor of Hunger Action Day. The lighting will take place at approximately 5:00pm, and the bridge will remain lit orange until midnight. The bridge lighting projects were completed with private funds managed by the Lowell Waterways Vitality Initiative, operating under the fiscal sponsorship of the Greater Lowell Community Foundation. No public dollars were used.
Hunger Action Day, a part of the national monthlong observation of Hunger Action Month, encourages everyone to think about what they can do to make a difference in the fight against food insecurity in our community. MVFB invites the community to share their pictures of the orange bridge with the hashtag #MVFBFightsHunger and the ways they commit to taking action for a chance to be featured on MVFB’s social media!
MVFB’s Executive Director, Debbie Callery, reminds everyone that food insecurity has remained a major issue in our state even after the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. “In July of 2023, 20.9% of Massachusetts households reported food insecurity – a rate as high as at any time during the pandemic, and substantially higher than before,” she notes, adding, “This means that if you didn’t have to worry last month about whether you’d have anything to eat, or anything to feed your children on a given day, you were luckier than 1 in 5 of your neighbors.”
The Merrimack Valley Food Bank serves more than 70,000 people a month through direct hunger relief programs and partnerships with more than 100 food pantries and meal programs that receive food from MVFB. Through these partnerships MVFB serves people in more than 30 communities in Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire.
“This work is only possible because of support from community members who are determined to take action against hunger, not only in September, but all year round,” Callery adds.
The organization encourages people to take action by donating food or funds, advocating for policies that will help relieve food insecurity, hosting food drives, and volunteering. For more information about ways to fight hunger, visit www.mvfb.org or follow MVFB on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
