Monte continues march for Western Mass. Food Bank

Date: 11/27/2023

SPRINGFIELD — For the 14th year, Monte Belmonte, host and executive producer of New England Public Media’s “The Fabulous 413,” participated in his annual pre-Thanksgiving march to benefit the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.

On Nov. 20 and 21, Belmonte pushed an empty shopping cart along a 43-mile trek from Springfield to Greenfield to raise awareness about hunger in Western Massachusetts.

Belmonte said the annual march did not start this way, as it used to go from Northampton to Greenfield for several years. “When I learned more about food security issues and hunger and where the greatest impact was in our region, it was clear that Hampden County and Springfield, Chicopee, Holyoke, those cities were experiencing it [at greater rates].” As a result, Belmonte decided to expand the march to a two-day affair that begins in Mason Square in Springfield, a designated food desert.

“Mason Square has more people that live in that one neighborhood than live in the whole city of Northampton and they have no mainstream supermarket,” such as Big Y or Stop & Shop, despite having implored these supermarkets to come there, he said. Therefore, this was something he wanted to bring awareness to.

Joining him on the march was Gov. Maura Healey who walked the last leg from Deerfield Academy to the Hawks and Reed Performing Arts Center in Greenfield. Belmonte noted that this was the first time a sitting governor took part in the march.

Belmonte said Healey’s participation shined an “even brighter spotlight” on the work of the Food Bank.
U.S. Rep. James McGovern (D-Worcester) marched the entire 43 miles.

In addition, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal (D-Springfield) showed up at the Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services in Springfield to wish the marchers well and usher them along, as he has also done in years past, Belmonte said.

Other officials in attendance included state Sen. Jake Oliveira (D-Ludlow), state Reps. Shirley Arriaga (D-Chicopee), Natalie Blais (D-Deerfield) and Mindy Domb (D-Amherst), to name a few.

Belmonte said the number of marchers fluctuates — sometimes there are a few dozen, and then two school groups will converge and there are 200 people.

The importance of these individuals showing up — specifically the elected officials — is that there can be change with how they deal with hunger structurally in the country.

He described the march as a “grassroots effort” for the Food Bank to make sure that its shelves are stocked.

Belmonte continued, “We want to enact some structural change legislatively, both on the state and federal level, so having those folks along and then having the governor along too, I think is important.”
Although it was cold, the marchers beat the snow that came on the evening of Nov. 21, and made it to Greenfield at 6 p.m. At that time, Belmonte said they had raised over $485,000 and counting, as money is always trickling in and the fundraising is left open until the end of the month.

Belmonte shared that he started this event trying to raise $5,000, 14 years ago, “The fact that it’s gone this far is beyond my wildest expectations [from] when I created this event all those years ago,” he said.
Belmonte explained that this is a “big piece of the puzzle” for the Food Bank as far its fundraising and exposure goes and the work that it does, both in supporting the 175 food pantries and feeding sites across the four counties of Western Massachusetts.

According to the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts Executive Director Andrew Morehouse, this annual march is the Food Bank’s largest fundraiser. “Equally important, it’s a very effective way to raise awareness about food insecurity and hunger in our region,” Morehouse said.

Prior to the walk, Morehouse told Reminder Publishing, “We’re humbled by the outpouring of support from the community in support of our cause. This two-day march leverages the power of community, which we are confident will help us reach our fundraising goal of $500,000 or the equivalent of 1.5 million healthy meals to give a hand up to households facing food insecurity.”

With all the media coverage that this march receives, Belmonte said it draws attention to the issue that hunger is a solvable issue in this country. “We even have great blueprints as to how to do it, but as McGovern likes to say, ‘We lack the political will,’” he shared.

Until that happens, Belmonte said, “We will continue to raise money from the grassroots to support the Food Bank.”

In addition to the funding and awareness raised, another important aspect of the march are the connections that are made — both human connections and friendships.

Belmonte shared that the theme of this year’s march was the power of community. “The connections that people make on this march are as important in some ways as the money that’s raised,” he said.
Belmonte explained that he always dresses up in some sort of costume, typically to match the theme. However, this year, he was seen as either Ken or Barbie, based on the successes of the Barbie movie this past summer.