The Food Access Guide is available in English, kreyòl, Português, Español and Arabic.
To assist residents with access to food and food resources, and to assist with navigating various food assistance programs, the City of Medford announces the release of its Food Access Guide. The Guide is available in English, French, Portuguese, and Arabic at www.medfordma.org/food-resources-in-medford.
Prior to the pandemic, 10.9% of Medford residents experienced food insecurity[1] and 6.9% of Medford households were enrolled in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)[2]. According to Feeding America, Massachusetts and Middlesex County were respectively projected to have the greatest percent increases in food insecurity in 2020, resulting in 1 in 8 households and 1 in 6 children in eastern Massachusetts experiencing the uncertainty of not knowing where they will get their next meal[3]. With 44.6% of school-aged children in Medford enrolled in free or reduced-rate school meals in the 2018-2019 school year[4], the transition to remote learning for much of the 2019-2020 school year widened the gap in access to fresh, healthy foods for many youth and families.
The City of Medford and the Medford Public Schools, with community partners and the Medford Food Security Task Force, worked to expand access by adding Grab n’ Go food locations, more than tripling the amount of micro food pantries citywide, and providing other options for residents in need throughout the pandemic.
“The City of Medford recognizes that business closures, increased unemployment, and the need to quarantine due to Covid-19 have exacerbated already existing food access and equity challenges in our community,” added Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn. “It is our hope that this Food Access Guide will help inform community members of the available food resources for which they may be eligible and how they can access them.”
“This Food Access Guide will provide important connections to the families we serve to increase their access to helpful resources and nourishing, culturally appropriate food,” says Debbie Amaral, President & CEO of the Mystic Valley YMCA which runs the Mystic Community Market in Medford in partnership with The Greater Boston Food Bank. The Y's Market is serving hundreds of local families per day during the pandemic.
Released in Fall 2020, Medford’s SNAP Gap Report demonstrates that the number of people likely eligible for SNAP benefits but not receiving benefits exceeds the number of people actually receiving SNAP benefits. This difference is called the ‘SNAP Gap,’ and Medford’s SNAP gap is at 63%, compared to 46% statewide. This means that more than 5,600 Medford households are not currently receiving the federal benefits for which they are likely eligible.
According to U.S. Census American Community Survey, in Medford alone, about 12% of Black families, 12% of Hispanic/Latinx families, 15% of Indigenous families, and 18% of Asian families are experiencing poverty, compared to 7% of White families[5]. While 63% of SNAP recipients in Medford are White families, only 22% are Black families, 10% are Hispanic/Latinx families, 0% are Indigenous families, and 5% are Asian families[6]. This data indicates that likely eligible Black, Indigenous, community members of color are disproportionately underreached by SNAP benefits.
In June 2020, Mayor Lungo-Koehn declared racism a public health crisis and subsequently released the city’s Social Justice Roadmap, where community members identified equitable access to food as a key element to addressing this crisis. The City of Medford acknowledges that the impacts of both food insecurity and this pandemic are disproportionately experienced by residents of color and strives to ensure that all community members, regardless of race or economic or immigration status, have consistent access to safe, affordable and nutritious food throughout this pandemic and beyond.
Additionally, we know that residents facing food insecurity are likely facing additional economic challenges. Staff is available to assist community members connect to resources, support, and additional services, including but not limited to: SNAP and other food assistance programs, housing eviction prevention resources, educational supports, mental health services, and more.
For questions, assistance, or to be connected to services, community members can call the Medford Multilingual Resource Line at 781-475-5644. Trained professionals in social work, mental health, and public health will return your call or correspond via email to ensure that you are being assisted. Operating hours are Monday-Friday 9am-7pm. Voicemails can be left 24 hours/7 days a week. Voicemails will be returned within 24 hours in the language the call is received (through the use of interpreter services). The Multilingual Resource Line offers interpreter services to assist community members in languages other than English.
Medford city services are available to all residents, regardless of economic situation, race, gender, immigration status, ability, benefit eligibility, or religious affiliation.
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[1] MAPC DataCommon (2015)
[2] U.S. Census, American Community Survey (2019) - Food Stamps/SNAP
[3] Feeding America (2020)
[4] Medford Public Schools (2019)
[5] U.S. Census, American Community Survey (2019) - Poverty
[6] U.S. Census, American Community Survey (2019) - Food Stamps/SNAP
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