Patricia Baker
Senior Benefits Policy Advocate
617-357-0700 ext. 328
Patricia (Pat) Baker joined MLRI’s Economic Justice Group in 1983. As a Senior Policy Advocate at MLRI, she works at both the state and federal level on a range of state and federal legislative and policy matters that affect low-income families, older adults and persons with disabilities. She has authored numerous advocacy guides including MLRI’s annual “SNAP Advocacy Guide” and other client legal education materials covering cash assistance, immigrant eligibility and homeless rights. Pat authored the "Denying Food and Shaming Children: Unpaid School Meal Policies in Massachusetts" (March 2018); co-authored “Connecting Community College Students to SNAP” (2021) as well as reports for the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) and Center for Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP).
Pat is a nationally-recognized expert in public benefits legal and policy matters. She has won numerous awards including the 2024 NASW MA Chapter Public Citizen of the Year Award; the 2020 Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren John Lepper Award; the 2013 Dr. Raymond Wheeler/Senator Paul Wellstone Anti-Hunger Advocacy National Leadership Award; the 1997 Governor’s New American Appreciation Award and 1995 National Lawyers Guild MA Chapter Legal Worker Award. Through her advocacy and leadership, Massachusetts has adopted state policy changes and federal options that have both removed access barriers and maximized participation in SNAP. She lead the charge to secure legislation prohibiting “meal shaming” in Massachusetts schools, Chapter 62 of the Acts of 2021; lead a statewide “SNAP Gap” Coalition to secure passage budget language (2021) requiring the state to allow Medicaid applicants to apply for SNAP at the same time and won passage of Chapter 174 of the Acts of 2022, requiring the state to create a common application for needs-based benefits.