Roslindale’s Emily Abbott Hits the Pavement to Fight Food Insecurity

ROSLINDALE, Mass. – Growing up in rural upstate New York, Emily Abbott remembers taking the bus to school and seeing her peers in the cafeteria eating breakfast. While her family always had enough to eat, she was aware of the economic disparities in her township. However, it wasn’t until she was an adult that she understood just how many neighbors struggled to meet their basic needs, like food, and that not all students have access to free school meals. Today as Creative Director for Project Bread, the leading statewide anti-hunger organization in Massachusetts, the 36-year-old Roslindale resident is using her fundraising, branding, and communications skills to ensure no child must worry where their next meal is coming from. She will celebrate eight years working for the nonprofit at the organization’s 55th annual Walk for Hunger.

“I cannot believe how long it’s been but what a fulfilling job I have – not a day goes by where I don’t feel privileged to work for Project Bread,” says Abbott, who has kept her original offer letter from when she officially joined the team as a Communications Manager on April 21, 2015. “Hunger is one of those issues that even if you think you’re not personally impacted, the reality is that you are. Hunger exists in all communities. Solving food insecurity will benefit us all – when kids are fed, they can focus in school. When families are nourished, parents can focus on work. When citizens are productive, communities thrive. Our overall health as a society depends on everyone having enough to eat. At Project Bread, we are working not only to meet immediate needs but also to create long term solutions to end hunger once and for all.”

Abbott draws from her previous experience working in education and youth development to create messaging and create communication channels to reach individuals and families facing food insecurity. Her goal is to educate the public about the prevalence of hunger and generate awareness for and participation in nutrition assistance programs, ranging from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and school meals to Summer Eats. She manages the nonprofit’s website and overall brand, executes the organization’s communications strategy, and provides online coaching for participants of the nonprofit’s annual Walk for Hunger.

“Within my first few days, I was at The Walk for Hunger and I was just in awe of the camaraderie and feeling of everyone uniting to fight food insecurity,” says Abbott. “It’s a celebration and way for residents to take action to tackle a solvable problem in society. We have the food already. We need to fix our access.”

Set for Sunday, May 7, residents can join Abbott at Project Bread’s 55th annual Walk for Hunger. Back in person for the first time since 2019, more than 3,000 Massachusetts residents will gather on the Boston Common and hundreds of others will participate remotely for the one-day fundraising event to raise more than $1 million. New this year, there will be several family-friendly activations along the Boston Common three-mile route to raise awareness for food insecurity, nutrition resources available and other ways to get involved through the nonprofit to help neighbors in need.

Money raised through The Walk is funding Project Bread’s urgent mission to ensure kids have reliable access to food, to directly help individuals and families, and to advocate at the state and federal levels for expedited and efficient relief for those in need. Walk funds are also supporting community organizations that are helping people access food locally and ensuring communities have the resources necessary to respond to the hunger crisis now and over the long road to recovery ahead.

“Emily has been the cornerstone of our communications team for 8 incredible years, and her work has shaped some of our biggest initiatives to date, from our statewide SNAP awareness campaign to the rollout of The Walk for Hunger each year,” shares Erin McAleer, President and CEO of Project Bread. “Every day, she is helping get the word out to our Massachusetts community about the impactful work they are supporting when they fundraise, advocate, and walk with us to solve hunger. Our community is truly what drives this work and helps us all further the mission to end hunger statewide.”

To register for Project Bread’s Walk for Hunger, or make a donation, visit projectbread.org/walk or call (617) 723-5000. There is no registration fee or fundraising minimum to participate, although a $250 minimum goal is suggested. Participants who raise $500 or more are recognized as Heart & Sole walkers and receive access to personalized fundraising support, exclusive event gear, and invitations to events.

About Project Bread

Project Bread, the leading statewide anti-hunger nonprofit, connects people and communities in Massachusetts to reliable sources of food, while advocating for policies that make food more accessible—so that no one goes hungry. For more information, visit: www.projectbread.org.

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