Healey Creates Statewide Task Force to Prevent Hunger

 As Trump Cuts Food Assistance, Governor Healey Creates Statewide Task Force to Prevent Hunger  

BOSTON – Today, Governor Maura Healey signed an Executive Order creating an Anti-Hunger Task Force that will work to prevent Massachusetts families from going hungry as President Trump cuts food assistance for children, seniors, veterans and people with disabilities. The task force is a public-private partnership that will bring together leaders from state and local government, food banks, non-profits and business leaders, as well as those who are directly impacted by federal cuts, such as SNAP recipients, farmers and small business owners. They will advise the Governor and produce recommendations for how Massachusetts can mitigate against President Trump’s cuts to SNAP and other food assistance programs and adopt long-term solutions to hunger. 

“President Trump’s cuts are going to force millions of people – children, seniors, veterans, people with disabilities – into hunger. They’re also going to hurt local farmers and retailers who rely on these programs to support their business and create jobs. In Massachusetts, we won’t accept that,” said Governor Healey. “That’s why I’m bringing together the incredible leaders who work every day to provide food to families in need as well as those who will be directly impacted by these cuts to advise on how we can prevent hunger in our communities.” 

“We know that Team Massachusetts is full of leaders across the public and private sectors who are committed to ending hunger and who have valuable insights for how we can work together to mitigate the negative impacts of President Trump’s cuts to food assistance,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “Their partnership will be invaluable as we navigate these challenges and do everything we can to support our residents, and we thank them for stepping up to join this task force.”   

Earlier this month, President Trump signed a law that cuts SNAP benefits, imposes new and burdensome eligibility requirements, and fundamentally alters its cost-sharing partnership with the states. As a result, thousands of Massachusetts residents who rely on SNAP to keep food on the table may lose this assistance. These cuts will also hurt farmers and small businesses by taking away business from them. President Trump has also previously cancelled $12 million in federal funding to provide local, healthy food to child care programs and schools, $3.4 million from a program that provided food to food banks, and another $6 million to a program that purchased food from local farmers to provide healthy local food to families in need. 

The task force will work in coordination with existing food security initiatives in Massachusetts, including Make Hunger History, a statewide, cross-sector initiative of 300+ organizations led by Project Bread to create a coordinated, community-informed roadmap to end hunger in Massachusetts. 

The Greater Boston Food Bank recently released their Cost of Hunger in Massachusetts 2025 report, which found that 1 in 3 Massachusetts households experienced food insecurity in 2024. Rates of hunger in Massachusetts have steadily risen over the past five years, growing from 19 percent in 2019 to 37 percent in 2024. Programs like SNAP and school meals, which President Trump has targeted for cuts, have been proven to be effective in reducing food insecurity. 

Anti-Hunger Task Force members include: 

• Co-Chair: Secretary of Health and Human Services Kiame Mahaniah, or his designee 
• Co-Chair: Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Rebecca Tepper, or her designee 
• Co-Chair: Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler, or his designee 
• Secretary of Administration and Finance Matthew J. Gorzkowicz, or his designee 
• Aging and Independence Secretary Robin Lipson, of her designee 
• Secretary of Economic Development Ashley Stolba, or her designee 
• Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Lauren Jones, or her designee 

• Secretary of Technology Services and Security Jason Synder, or his designee 
• Secretary of Transportation Monica Tibbits-Nutt, or her designee   
• The Commissioner of the Department of Agricultural Resources Ashley Randle, or her designee 
• The Commissioner of the Department of Early Education and Care Amy Kershaw, or her designee 
• Commissioner of Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Pedro Martinez, or his designee 
• Commissioner of the Department of Higher Education Noe Ortega, or his designee 
• Commissioner of the Department of Public Health Robbie Goldstein, or his designee 
• Commissioner of the Department of Transitional Assistance Jeff McCue, or his designee 
• Executive Director of the Office for Refugees and Immigrants Cristina Aguilera, or her designee 
• Treasurer and Receiver General Deborah B. Goldberg, or her designee 
• 2 members of the House of Representatives designated by the Speaker of the House 
• 2 members of the Senate designated by the Senate President 
• 1 designee from Project Bread 
• 1 designee from Greater Boston Food Bank 
• 1 designee from Worcester County Food Bank 
• 1 designee from Food Bank of Western Massachusetts 
• 1 designee from Merrimack Valley Food Bank 
• 1 designee from Massachusetts Law Reform Institute 
• 1 designee from Massachusetts Food System Collaborative 
• 1 designee from Massachusetts Association for Community Action 
• 1 designee from Massachusetts Municipal Association 

• 1 designee from the United Way 

And such additional members as the Governor may appoint from geographic areas across the state who represent interested constituencies, including but not limited to, SNAP recipients, farmers, fishers, food producers and growers, food manufacturers and retailers, statewide hunger relief organizations, legal services, faith communities, tribal organizations, veterans, philanthropy, municipal organizations, councils on aging, and business leaders.