Regional Food Bank warns 11.3% of Washington County residents are food insecure as board proclaims Hunger Action Month

Christy Milligan, vice president of institutional giving for the Regional Food Bank, accepted a board proclamation proclaiming Hunger Action Month and urged continued cooperation among municipalities and partner agencies. "11.3% of the population, that's about 6,800 people in this county, are food insecure," Milligan said, and added that the number includes about 1,840 children.

Milligan described local distribution and capacity efforts: last year the food bank distributed over 1,300,000 pounds of food within Washington County—equivalent to more than 1,100,000 meals—and cited the organization’s Food Forward initiative that helped local pantries procure equipment such as generators and commercial freezers to preserve food supplies. She warned that federal SNAP changes and rising costs of living may increase need and urged the board to work with partners to close the meal gap.

The board presented the proclamation during its business agenda; Chair (presiding) noted the county also declared Suicide Prevention Week and Recovery Month in the same packet. The presentation named local partners including the Cambridge Food Pantry and Comfort Food Community and thanked LEAP director Shelly Smith for attending. Milligan emphasized grant opportunities—state park/recreation grants, regional planning board funding and federal sources—that local nonprofits and municipalities might pursue to expand capacity and repair food-distribution infrastructure.

The board did not vote on a funding appropriation during the meeting; the proclamation and Milligan’s remarks were accepted as part of the scheduled presentations.