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| By Chloe Johnson Staff Intern SPRINGFIELD The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts announced on Jan. 20 that it is working on a new community project, "Target: Hunger." The project means to measurably reduce the number of people experiencing hunger by 10 percent in two local communities. According to Mistinguette Smith, director of programs at The Food Bank, the project aims to organize resources in the community to reduce the number of needy and hungry residents. "Our goal is not to just reduce hunger but to also come up with a document that will help reduce the number of people who are hungry in any community," Smith said. The project will take place over a four-year period and will focus on one urban and one rural community. "We chose communities where there was a greater need and a significant population who were hungry and using emergency food services," Smith said. The project began its urban pilot project in the summer of 2005 in the Mason Square area of Springfield. "Target: Hunger" hosted a series of community meetings about local hunger issues and residents who attended decided whether or not they wanted to partake in the project. The rural community where Target: Hunger is going to be is in northern Berkshire County. "We're launching the project for our rural community in Northern Berkshire County and the first meeting about how we can work together is going to be held sometime in February," Smith said. "Target: Hunger" will conduct a study to measure the amount of hunger at the beginning, middle and the end of the project. It is expected that there will be a 10 percent reduction in the number of people experiencing hunger in the two targeted communities. The organizers of "Target: Hunger" hope that, over the next four years, the results wielded from the project will help to provide a replicable model that can be used to reduce hunger all over the country. "I don't think there's another project out there trying to do what we're doing," Smith said. *** The Food Bank is also hosting "The Ski and Feast" on Feb. 12 at Stump Sprouts Cross Country Ski Center in Hawley. There will be reduced-priced skiing and rentals from 1-5 p.m. A homemade dinner will begin at 4:30 and space is limited. Volunteers are also needed by The Food Bank. If interested, contact Fern or Kate at 247-9738. |