In 2022, 1.8 million Massachusetts residents – 33% of the state’s population - reported experiencing household food insecurity. Greater Boston Food Bank
Library Director of the Holbrook Public Library in Holbrook, MA formed relationships with multiple community partners to address hunger and food disparity while in her former position at the Plymouth Public LIbrary in Plymouth, MA.
Library Director and Assistant Library Director of the Waltham Public Library in Waltham, MA share the story of how their summer meals program for teens and children evolved into a year-round meal program delivering sustenence and nutritional literacy to all ages.
Library Director of the Hyannis Public Library in Hyannis, MA discusses how they created NourishHub to support their community.
This resource guide is a companion to a panel discussion hosted by MLS in March, 2024. This resource guide gathers all the information related to the event. You will find a recording of the panel discussion, information about the speakers, links to resources mentioned by panelists, and examples of support materials.
Food insecurity is an official term from the USDA. It's when people don't have enough to eat and don't know where their next meal will come from. What is Food Insecurity? | Feeding America
Health literacy broadly refers to how people find, understand, and use health information and how organizations make it easier for people to do that. However, researchers continue to debate and define what it means to be nutritionally literate and food literate. While some researchers use nutritional literacy and food literacy synonymously, others distinguish the two and refer to nutrition literacy as going beyond understanding the origin of food, how it is cultivated and processed and its impact on health, to being able to act on nutritional information. Food Literacy | Health Literacy | CDC
Network of the National Libraries of Medicine, a reliable source of health information and support.
Massachusetts Department of Public Health
Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners