The event will take place at La Colaborativa’s Food Pantry in Chelsea on Wednesday, Feb. 15th at 3:30 pm.

For Immediate Release
Media Contact:
Christine Dunn, Seven Letter
christine@sevenletter.com
617.646.1044

Chelsea, MA (February 13, 2023) – La Colaborativa and The Massachusetts Law Reform Institute announced that they will be hosting an event to launch their Feeding Our Neighbors campaign on Wednesday, February 15th at 3:30pm. The campaign’s purpose is twofold: to raise awareness to the plight of the immigrant community who lack access to basic needs and benefits, and to highlight the need for both legislation and funding to restore basic food and cash assistance benefits for legally present immigrants.

The campaign launch event will be held at La Colaborativa’s Food Pantry at 63 Sixth Street in Chelsea. La Colaborativa distributes emergency food to roughly 5,000 families each week from Chelsea and surrounding communities.

“Our organization has been at the forefront of the challenges our families face pre- and post-pandemic. At the top of the list of needs is food insecurity, which comes to no surprise as most of our community members serve our state as essential workers and were drastically impacted economically,” said Gladys Vega, Executive Director of La Colaborativa. “We see hundreds of families form our food lines for hours on a weekly basis and it’s only getting worse.”

Over 25 years ago, the 1996 Welfare Reform Law slashed core food and cash assistance benefits to thousands of legally present immigrants across the nation — including victims of violence, “Dreamers,” immigrants with pending asylum, and immigrants with Temporary Protected Status. The bulk of immigrants are working low-wage jobs, but are unable to meet their basic food needs for their families. In 1997, the Massachusetts Legislature authorized basic cash and food assistance for needy immigrants, but the benefits ended in 2002. Six states in the nation currently provide state-funded benefits to eligible immigrants, including California, Connecticut, Maine, Minnesota and Washington State.

On January 19, 2023, State Senator Sal DiDomenico and Representatives Antonio Cabral and Judith Garcia filed bills in the Senate, SD 507, and House, HD 2684, to address this issue. Both bills would enable the Commonwealth to provide legally present immigrants, who are ineligible for federal programs, with access to both state-funded supplemental food (SNAP) and, for families with minor children, cash assistance benefits.

“To say I’m proud of the legislation we filed is an understatement,” said State Senator Sal DiDomenico. “These bills push us toward a higher standard for not only Massachusetts, but for the entire United States when it comes to assisting legal immigrants.”

The Feeding Our Neighbors campaign comes at a critical time. During the summer of 2022, more than 2,000 individuals arrived in Massachusetts, double the number who arrived a year earlier. That trend is expected to continue as numerous global economic challenges and political conflicts force more people to flee their home countries. The legislation will provide a framework for critical basic needs to help these individuals acclimate to their new surroundings and provide supplemental nutrition benefits to their low-wage earnings as well as help other immigrant families who are continuing to struggle economically since the onset of Covid.

“New Bedford and the Commonwealth are receiving many newly settled immigrants, said State Representative Antonio Cabral. “We are a nation of immigrants who are the backbone of this country. I am proud to have secured funding for these critical benefits from 1997 to 2002. I firmly believe it’s time to restore access to some of these benefits, such as nutritional support and other basic needs, as these newly arriving families get their feet on the ground.”

“Many of our residents In Chelsea have to deal with a myriad of issues when they arrive,” said State Representative Judith Garcia. “The legislation filed will help them meet some of their core living expenses.” 

“We are thrilled to partner with La Colaborativa on this vital campaign,” said Georgia Katsoulomitis, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute. “Two decades is far too long to not have protections in place for legally present immigrants in this state, the majority of whom are already contributing to the economy but with very low-wage jobs that don’t support their families. This is the beginning of rectifying the issue.”

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About Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI)
Founded in 1968, Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI) is a nonprofit poverty law and policy program that provides statewide advocacy and leadership in advancing laws, policies, and practices that secure economic, racial, and social justice for low-income people and communities.

About La Colaborativa
Founded in 1988, La Colaborativa is a steady, trusted, and fearless partner to Latinx immigrants in Greater Boston, with a focus on gateway cities and towns such as Chelsea, East Boston, Everett, Lynn, Revere, and Malden. La Colaborativa is a trusted resource for Massachusetts’ immigrant community, disseminating linguistically- and culturally appropriate information and resources to some of the most vulnerable community members in the state, including newly arrived immigrants, undocumented families, non- English speakers, and low-income tenants and workers. For more information about their work, please visit la-colaborativa.org.