08-08-2025
‘We are going to feed the kids': McGovern, wary of GOP cuts, highlights summer food program in Greenfield
GREENFIELD – A hot dog on a bun, carton of milk and some fruit – including locally grown peaches – in a brown bag drew more than 100 families, a congressman and a state cabinet secretary to the parking lot of Greenfield High School Friday.
U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern, D-Worcester, visited this Greenfield Summer Eats pickup location where families were also grabbing food —in this case a nacho kit, peanut butter, jelly, more cartons of milk and more fruit — to tide them over for the weekend.
'Because without these programs, a lot of kids will go without. Look, you know, food insecurity and hunger are real problems in Massachusetts and throughout the country,' said McGovern, who's made hunger and nutrition a focus. 'And when kids don't get enough nutrition, they don't learn when they go to school. They're more likely to have health issues. It's the same for anybody of any age for that matter.'
McGovern's Central Massachusetts district stretches into Hampshire and Franklin counties, also included a stop at a program in Orange as part of his 11th annual hunger tour.
This year's tour comes weeks after the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress passed a new domestic budget and policy bill.
The bill spared school nutrition programs like Greenfield Eats, said Jennifer Lemmerman, chief policy officer for Project Bread, which advocates for and helps run summer food programs around the state including Greenfield.
Lemmerman said the bill does cut $200 billion from SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and has cuts for Medicaid. Both those programs promote school nutrition programs and help get the word out about summer nutrition.
Summer programs like this one helps strapped families that normally rely on free school breakfast and lunch programs meet needs over the summer.
McGovern said some changes to SNAP — like work requirements for parents of teens — start in just a few weeks despite the real cuts being delayed until after the 2026 elections.
'People are going to feel that in this community. Look, there's nothing more important, there's no job more important than being a parent,' McGovern said. 'And for Washington to try to make it more difficult for parents to be able to take care of their kids, especially when they're teenagers. I think it is kind of a rotten thing to do.'
The Trump administration has already eliminated the farm-to-school program that p[aid local farms to grow fresh foods for schools and summer nutrition programs.
Teri Poirier is the Summer Eats program manager for Greenfield Schools. She said 15 sites serve about 52,000 meals this summer from June through the end of August.
'The idea is to fill the gap,' Poirier said.
Grateful for McGovern's support, she said the program needs to keep going after what happens in Washington.
'We are going to feed the kids,' she said.
McGovern observed as families pulled up for dive-though service or walked to a few tables to get their food.
Massachusetts Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler was also there,
'These are the strategies to meet that need,' he said. ' You see the cars pulling up, you see the young people coming to grab meals for the day and into the weekend. '
Melinda Griffin of nearby Northfield walked up with her two children. It's hard to keep up with bills.
'Everything is getting more expensive,' she said.
McGovern said he's continuing to fight in Congress for food programs like this one, and for SNAP.
'I think at the end of the day, we're going to ultimately succeed because I think most people in this country are good,' he said. 'They understand the value of investing in nutrition. They get it.'
Read the original article on MassLive.
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