Dear Members of the Committee:

My name is Emily Reardon, and I am the Advocacy Coordinator at the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. I am writing on behalf of the Food Bank to express our unwavering support of H.135/S.76, An Act Establishing Basic Needs Assistance For Massachusetts Immigrant Residents, sponsored by Rep. Cabral, Rep. Garcia, and Senator DiDomenico.

The legislation establishes basic needs assistance for legal Massachusetts immigrants, including Pending Asylum applicants, DACA/Dreamers, Humanitarian Parole, and those with Temporary Protected Status. After the passage of the 1996 “Welfare Reform Law”, Congress cut basic needs assistance to legally present immigrants nationwide. We are still seeing the consequences of this today, as many immigrant residents of Massachusetts still cannot apply for SNAP and cash assistance programs such as TAFDC and EAEDC.

At the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, we believe that hunger must be addressed not just through the lens of food security, but also through the underlying causes of hunger. Housing, transportation, and racial justice, are just a few of the factors involved in food insecurity. We have seen an influx in migrants coming to Massachusetts this year with many of them in need of food assistance. More immigrant families are utilizing our pantries and depending on our services because they are not receiving other kinds of assistance like SNAP or cash benefits.

The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts is a proud member of the Feeding Our Neighbors Coalition along with other anti-hunger and basic needs organizations and advocates. The wide range of experiences and stakeholders in the coalition shows just how far-reaching this issue is for Massachusetts residents. The high cost of living in Massachusetts, inflation, and supply chain shortages are leading to more people experiencing hunger for the first time, with others becoming more dependent on benefits to meet their basic needs.

By addressing the harm caused by the Welfare Reform Act on legal immigrants, we are also showing our leadership and commitment to ending hunger in the Commonwealth.

Thank you for your consideration,

Emily Reardon
The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts