FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACT

Heather Kashman, Director of Marketing & Communications
508-245-7715/heatherkashman@bamsi.org

Brockton, MA —February 12, 2026 — BAMSI is pleased to announce it has received a $10,000 grant from The Boston Foundation through its Meeting the Moment: Sustaining Families initiative. The funding will support BAMSI’s efforts to address increasing food insecurity among historically underserved individuals and families across southeastern and central Massachusetts.

“Food security is foundational to health, stability, and opportunity,” said Peter Evers, BAMSI President & CEO. “We are truly grateful for this grant from The Boston Foundation that allows us to meet urgent nutritional needs while also helping individuals and families build pathways toward long‑term self‑sufficiency.”

With recent significant cuts to SNAP benefits communities across the Commonwealth are experiencing a sharp rise in food insecurity. According to Food Equity and Access in Massachusetts: Voices and Solutions from Lived Experience (2024), nearly one in three adults in Massachusetts has experienced food insecurity in the past year. This grant enables BAMSI to respond at a critical time, strengthening food access while supporting long‑term stability and health.

“BAMSI is a vital part of a critical network of organizations across the state that are ensuring all of our neighbors have access to food,” said Candace Burton, Senior Program Officer at the Boston Foundation. “We are proud to stand in partnership with them and dozens of other partners who are working to prevent hunger, at a time when need is rising, and many support systems are threatened by cuts.”

Funding from The Boston Foundation will be stewarded across three key BAMSI programs serving children and families, seniors, and individuals with substance use disorders, many of whom are experiencing homelessness. Through this initiative, BAMSI staff will work directly with individuals to ensure access to nutritious food, connect participants with community‑based food resources and public benefits such as SNAP and WIC, and support sustained food access beyond the grant period. In some cases, staff will also provide budgeting and resource‑management support to help individuals manage limited resources and plan for long‑term food stability.

For participants engaged in BAMSI’s HIV/AIDS and behavioral health programs, the initiative will also integrate incentivized STI/HIV testing and strengthened connections to ongoing medical and supportive services recognizing the close relationship between food security, health outcomes, and overall well‑being.

About BAMSI

BAMSI is a private 501c3 nonprofit human service organization that helps people live more independent and healthful lives by providing a comprehensive network of services addressing developmental and intellectual disabilities, mental illness, and substance use, and the social determinants of health such as housing and nutrition. This past year, over 30,000 individuals and families across five Massachusetts counties received personalized care from one of BAMSI’s nearly 1,600 dedicated and compassionate employees. BAMSI is accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and fully licensed by the state.

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