DONOR SPOTLIGHT HEBA'S STORY (Continued from p. 1) After chemotherapy and all the hospital bills, we couldn’t afford our mortgage, and my husband left me. My parents had come to the U.S. [from Egypt] to help with the children. We were evicted from my home in 2013. We were about to go into a shelter when I found a job and could afford to rent a small apartment. I received SNAP [Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly food stamps] and WIC [Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children], but a few hundred dollars a month wasn’t enough to feed my family. It was hard going to the grocery store. I was crying from the pressure and didn’t know what to do. Two years ago, I began working as a para- professional at the Paul Revere Innovation School. The pantry here is so helpful. I look forward to it every month. I get carrots, on- ions, milk, celery, pasta, hummus—many dif- ferent things. When I bring the food home, my kids’ eyes light up as they open the bags. The pantry helps so that whenever the food stamps run out for that month, I still have food. I’m not just waiting to get the next month’s food stamps. It also helps me save money. Pheras is no longer taking any medication, although he still goes to the doctor three times a month. His doctor told me Pheras must maintain a wholesome diet, so I get him apples, bread, fish, vegetables and other healthy food from the pantry. Everyone in my family loves the pantry. I just want to help my kids and keep them healthy.” CATHERINE'S MESSAGE FACES OF HUNGER 3 Dear Friends, Kids may look forward to school letting out for the summer, but school vacation puts them at higher risk for hunger. Low-income families whose children qualify for free and reduced-price school breakfast and lunches during the school year may find it difficult to make up those meals in the summer. The Greater Boston Food Bank’s (GBFB) member agencies across Eastern Massachusetts experience an increase in demand during the summer. Sadly, medical studies show that an inadequate amount of food impedes a child’s growth and development and increases the likelihood a child will suffer from asthma, anemia and mental health and behavioral disorders. At GBFB, we’re always working to meet the need throughout the year by distributing more healthy food to our agen- cies and by expanding our direct service programs. In the summer, however, we redouble our efforts. Our School-based Pantries in Billerica and Lawrence remain open during the summer to help families struggling with hunger in those communities. And this year, I’m happy to report the Paul Revere Innovation School in Revere, which during the school year hosts a School-based Pantry serving more than 200 families a month, will—for the first time—continue to provide each of those families with 40 pounds of fresh food each month throughout the summer. Your generous donations are making it possible for us to expand our summer School-based Pantries in order to help even more kids have the full stomachs they need to do what kids should be doing all summer—having fun. Thank you for your support all year round. Together, we can end hunger here. Sincerely, Catherine D’Amato President and CEO Closing the Summer Meal Gap Thanks to You GBFB.org/our-programs LEARN MORE AT Lending a Helping Handstand Eleven-year-old Max Finn proved this spring that if you have a big idea and a big heart you can make a big impact on ending hunger here. Max, a nationally-ranked gym- nast from Georgetown, Massa- chusetts, created a fundraiser this spring called Handstands for Hunger, convincing gym- nasts across New England to perform handstands in return for donations to The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB). Max said he came up with the idea because he wanted to help people at risk of hunger. GBFB operates nine School- based Pantries in areas of high need across Eastern Massachu- setts. These free distributions provide healthy food and nutri- tion information to children and families in need. The GBFB pan- try at Paul Revere Innovation School serves more than 200 families every month. “When I was 5 and 6, I used to go to food pantries to serve hungry peo- ple, so I wanted to help them,” he said. “Why not do something I love while helping people?” Supporters of Handstands for Hun- ger could either make a flat donation or donate a chosen amount per sec- ond a gymnast held a handstand. Although Max can hold a handstand for more than five minutes, the max- imum time set for a handstand for the fundraiser was one minute. Max began knocking on neighbors’ doors and soliciting donations the beginning of February, while also spreading the word on social media. Max, who trains with Yellow Jackets Gymnastics in Middletown, reached out to youth gymnastics coaches across New England. On March 15, young gymnasts across the region did handstands in their gyms. More than 60 people do- nated a total of $4,114.50 to Hand- stands for Hunger. Max’s father, Jonathan Finn, helped facilitate a pledge of approximately $5,000 from Speedway Children’s Charities, bringing Max’s total to nearly $10,000, or enough to provide 30,000 meals to struggling families across Eastern Massachusetts. Gymnastics Regional Director Dan Young, GBFB Team Member Jamie Santuccio and Max Finn