BOSTON (September 29th) – In a follow up to the historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health, Senator DiDomenico joined a panel discussion hosted by The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB), the largest hunger-relief organization in New England, with local leaders to discuss the National Strategy announced by President Biden at the conference. The event provided those working to end hunger with a forum to review the key takeaways from the conference and discuss how those recommendations can be implemented here in the Commonwealth to aid the 1 in 3 residents who report experiencing food insecurity in the past year.

DiDomenico was joined by Mass. Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders, State Representative Andy Vargas, Stop & Shop President Gordon Reid, client advocate Donnette McManus, Roxbury Community College Interim President Dr. Jackie Jenkins-Scott, RCC’s Director of Project Access Lisa Carter, and GBFB President and CEO Catherine D’Amato.

“As a longtime advocate of expanding access to nutritious foods, I was honored to join The Greater Boston Food Bank’s event and be a part of this important discussion on food access and nutrition insecurity,” said Senator DiDomenico, Assistant Majority Leader of the Massachusetts Senate. “We have made big strides addressing these issues in Massachusetts but there is still a long way to go until hunger is eliminated and nutritious foods are accessible to all. The White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health and the federal government’s expanded support are great steps toward addressing food and nutrition insecurity in Massachusetts and across the United States.”

“This was the first White House Conference on hunger to be held since I joined The Greater Boston Food Bank 27 years ago, not to mention the first in 50 years,” said Catherine D’Amato. “After all this time, it was deeply rewarding to see the issue of hunger elevated to the national spotlight. We applaud the Biden Administration and the bipartisan coalition that made the conference possible. We look forward to continuing to engage with others in the hunger, nutrition, and health community around the resulting national hunger strategy in support of our mission, to end hunger here.”

The underpinning theme and goal of the conference was to elevate the voices of individuals with lived food insecurity experience. In valuing the importance of continued engagement with neighbors most directly impacted, Donnette McManus, a client advocate at GBFB’s partner agency Catholic Charities in Brockton, was invited to be one of the leading voices on the panel.

“Food is part of the cycle that fuels everything we do,” said Donnette McManus. “The Greater Boston Food Bank, its partners, and the front-line food pantry workers and volunteers give my family the fuel we need to not only consume nutritious foods, but also the desire to serve so that our legacy will be an example of breaking the chain of food insecurities in our community and beyond.”

The power of collaboration was also a theme during the conversation, and it was repeatedly stated that government cannot do it all – they will need bi-partisan and private partnerships to achieve their goals. 

Senator DiDomenico has been a longtime ally of The Greater Boston Food Bank, successfully working with the organization, along with other community organizations to secure anti-hunger funding. Some of his legislative achievements secured this year include universal free school meals throughout Massachusetts, increased funding for the Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance Program, creating a common application to increase access to SNAP benefits, and increased cash assistance for families living in poverty. DiDomenico will continue to work with all these partners to advance legislation until food and nutrition insecurity are eliminated in Massachusetts.

Those in need of food assistance are encouraged to visit GBFB.org/need food, where they can find a list of resources and search for a food program by zip code.

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BOSTON – On September 28th, Senator DiDomenico was invited to the first White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in over 50 years. During the summit, President Biden announced an ambitious goal of eliminating hunger and tackling diet-related and preventable diseases in the United States by 2030. Senator DiDomenico has prioritized expanding access to nutritious food and combatting food insecurity for the entirety of his Senate career and has helped create food and nutrition programs in Massachusetts that are now being pointed to as ideas the rest of the country should adopt.

“I was honored to be invited to join leaders from across the country for this historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health,” said Senator DiDomenico, Assistant Majority Leader of the Massachusetts Senate. “In a country so rich with resources we need to end hunger and expand access to nutritious foods throughout the nation. I am thrilled to hear that President Biden and his administration are now making it a priority to achieve these goals this decade. I look forward to building on the many cutting-edge anti-hunger programs we have launched in Massachusetts until we end hunger entirely."

During the conference, President Biden outlined his administration’s strategy for ending hunger and addressing diet-related diseases. The strategy calls for expanding access to nutrition assistance programs and launching new programs to cover tailored meals.

Many of the nutrition assistance program ideas in the federal government’s plan were piloted in Massachusetts first and championed by Senator DiDomenico. These include expanding school meals to all students, expanding access to SNAP benefits, and providing food to children in the summer months when school is not in session.

Over the past 12 years, Senator DiDomenico has successfully brought many other programs to the Commonwealth that have expanded access to nutritious foods for all families, regardless of income. After advocating for 8 years, Senator DiDomenico helped create a common application this year which allows Massachusetts residents to simultaneously apply for several public benefits, including SNAP benefits, with one common application. DiDomenico also secured increased funding for food banks across the state, increased cash assistance for low-income families with children, and for families in deep poverty.

The White House Conference made it clear that these programs have both helped countless residents in our state and demonstrated that Massachusetts is a national leader in tackling food and nutrition insecurity. Senator DiDomenico will continue to work with colleagues and advocates to advance legislation that will help meet President Biden’s goal.

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Senator DiDomenico took this time to highlight his firefighter PTSD legislation

BOSTON – On September 20th, Senator DiDomenico joined the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts (PFFM) Fire Ops event and got hands-on experience as a firefighter. With supervision from the experts, DiDomenico was able to wear the fire gear, cut apart a car, extinguish a fire, and learn about performing CPR.  His partner for the day was Everett Fire Union President and PFFM Legislative Agent, Lt. Craig Hardy. DiDomenico also supports firefighters through his legislative agenda, advocating to pass his legislation that would support their mental health.

“I have always been an unwavering supporter of Massachusetts firefighters and seeing what they do up close and personal has made me even more grateful for the heroic and dangerous work they do every single day,” said Senator DiDomenico, Assistant Majority Leader of the Massachusetts Senate. “I also want to thank my friend, Craig Hardy, for guiding me through all the steps during the Fire Ops training. Calling firefighters heroes is not enough, we need to put action behind our words and pass bills like my legislation, S.1691, which would support firefighters dealing with PTSD and reduce stigma around mental health."

Often, when there is a tragedy or trauma, firefighters are the first to arrive at the scene, and such continuous exposure to car accidents, house fires and other emergencies can lead to the deterioration of their mental health. In fact, research has shown that repeated and extended exposure to traumatic events triggers PTSD at a similar rate experienced by Military personnel who return from combat. Approximately 20% of firefighters and paramedics meet the criteria for PTSD, compared to the 6.8% lifetime risk of the general population, and tragically studies have shown that people who suffer from PTSD are six times more likely to commit suicide compared to those who do not suffer from PTSD.

DiDomenico’s proposed bill, S.1691, and Representative McGonagle's bill H.2726 would ensure that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder be treated like any other disability and help end the stigma associated with mental health assistance for firefighters. By defining PTSD as a disability and creating a presumption that PTSD was suffered in the line of duty, firefighters can receive the timely and adequate medical care they need to prevent chronic, disabling, and potentially life-threatening disorders from developing.

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