ORDER-2020-26 : A Resolution Recognizing Hunger Action Month - September 2019

Transcript (~11 min @ 3:25)

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▶ 3:22 Speaker 7: February 2021 moving on to new business order 2020-26 a resolution recognizing hunger action month September 2019 Alderman Medeiros thank you I'd like to

▶ 3:31 Monica C. Medeiros: move for immediate consideration of this order we have a motion by Alderman

▶ 3:33 Jennifer L. Lemmerman: Medeiros for immediate consideration is there an objection seeing none the order

▶ 3:41 Monica C. Medeiros: before you I'd like to move to suspend the rules to approach the podium and with members from and to read and present the resolution the motion to

▶ 3:51 Jennifer L. Lemmerman: suspend we have a motion to suspend the rules made by Alderman Medeiros seconded by Alderman Mortimer all in favor aye any opposed we are under thank you I'm

▶ 4:31 Monica C. Medeiros: I'm joined this evening with Cindy Robillard from the Bread of Life, Pat Fish from the Pantry of Hope at the Baptist Church, and Joan Dean from a Servant's Heart Pantry at Faith Evangelical Church. I just want to take a quick moment to say I'm really pleased to have the opportunity to offer this resolution on behalf of the Board of Aldermen and the City of Melrose. it's definitely an honor and a privilege that I feel to be from this position as an alderman to be able to bring some awareness to this issue and how many people are among us our neighbors who are facing housing and in food insecurity and to bring some awareness to it to let them know about the resources that are available to them and to let our community know how they can take action to support our neighbors so with that I will read the resolution whereas September is hunger action month when the feeding America nationwide network of food banks unite to urge businesses and individuals to take action in their communities and whereas chronic malnutrition weakens the immune system and can lead to stunted growth poor cognitive ability fetal defects mental retardation and even death and whereas approximately 3.1 million children die from undernutrition each year and whereas 1 in 11 people in Massachusetts and 1 in 9 children in Massachusetts are at risk for hunger and whereas a recent study shows that 34% of those at risk for hunger in eastern Massachusetts earn too much to qualify for government provided emergency food assistance and whereas Massachusetts has economic obstacles that contribute to hunger including food transportation costs from the west coast to the east coast and higher housing costs relative to other areas of the country in cold winters that create higher heating costs whereas the Greater Boston Food Bank serves residents of a hundred and ninety communities cities and towns in eastern Massachusetts distributing enough food to serve more than one hundred forty two thousand nine hundred people monthly and whereas locally the bread of life is in the top ten percent of the member agencies of the Greater Boston food bank distributing over 1.5 million pounds of food and whereas the bread of Life provides 1 million free meals through its food pantries, evening community meals, and food delivery services to residents of 10 communities including Melrose, Malden, Medford, Everett, Saugus, Stoneham, Wakefield, Redding, North Redding, and Winchester. And whereas the Pantry of Hope at the First Baptist Church of Melrose provides free groceries neighbors in need and whereas a servant's heart food pantry at the faith evangelical church provides melrose residents free groceries and a monthly community meal for neighbors in need therefore be it resolved that the board of aldermen hereby proclaims the month of september 2019 as hunger action month within the city of melrose and urges every citizen to be sensitive to the problem of hunger and attentive as to how he or she may help provide assistance to those lacking in food within the city of Melrose the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and throughout the world and this is signed by each member of the Board of Aldermen and I would like to present thank you

▶ 8:43 Speaker 7: the city of Melrose for acknowledging bread of life's commitment to helping our neighbors I'm honored to accept this on behalf of bread of life bread of life serves 260 Merrill's individuals through our malden food pantry six percent of our total and 140 Merrill's senior citizens living in subsidized housing with our senior out nutrition outreach bread of life will continue our mission mission until we win the battle to end hunger please think of us for volunteering opportunities in donations of food and resources thank you very

▶ 9:34 Speaker 8: much first of all I just want to thank our wonderful city of Melrose for all of their support I have been the coordinator for 23 years here we are open to Melrose residents only now when we first started out we did 17 communities we're up to 160 around 160 families and that's about our limit right now that's the only reason we're saying Melrose residents only we have a community dinner each month the third Friday of the month at 6 o'clock and that's free and that's open to any anyone from this community or any other community we do know fundraising just so you people wouldn't know that the third Sunday in September the servants hot food pantry does an ice cream sundae over at the park across the street this is just to thank the folks from Melrose for all their donations we do have a shed in the back of our church which is on Albion Street so if anybody needs to make a donation there they can leave it or they can call the church we only have basically one problem with donations expired food so that's that's that's our biggest quest because we really don't have enough people to volunteer to be doing everything that's expired so I just thank the the the churches and the scouts and the schools they do a wonderful job thank you not

▶ 11:14 Monica C. Medeiros: least Pat fish from the pantry of hope I also would like to thank everybody for

▶ 11:18 Speaker 1: the generosity this the city of Melrose is a most generous area I will tell you we are supported we do use the Greater Boston Food Bank and we do serve people from outside of Melrose about 24% I believe of the people that we serve are from this city the rest are from surrounding communities fifth we have been having around 55 people each Tuesday we're open from 3 to 5 on Tuesdays and they can come every other week so that's 55 and then the next week it's a different 55 that's a lot of food and when you think about how much food is going out it is we have 24 volunteers and that includes people who go into the Greater Boston Food Bank who stock the shelves who shop for extra things that we don't get from the food bank etc it's quite an operation and as Joan just said it's just an amazing thing to work with the public in this we do not fundraise but we are having a fundraiser for the first time and it is October 5th and along with many other things as we were saying earlier it's a busy time and that will be at the church and that will be all the money will be going to the to the food bank but it is quite a group we hear so many stories from different people and it's not only just giving food it is welcoming people with a big smile and listening to their stories many times and just being there for people so we thank you and thank you for this resolution it is a wonderful thing to do so thank you for your support

▶ 13:13 Monica C. Medeiros: I'd like to also point out that to the public that at the front door once you come into the front doors of City Hall from the Essex Street side on the left hand side are two bins where you can leave food for both a servant's heart and for Pantry of Hope so people can make donations here at City Hall and I believe it's some other areas that throughout the community so I just want to thank everyone tonight and I'd like to move for a just a two-minute recess

▶ 13:45 Jennifer L. Lemmerman: to take a photo call this meeting back to order we could proceed to the next item under new business