Eos Foundation

07/01/2025

Congratulations to New Bedford Public Schools' Food and Nutrition Services on the opening of their new central kitchen!

We were honored to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony and celebrate this major milestone for the New Bedford community. This project—years in the making—will continue to leverage U.S. Department of Agriculture funding to strengthen and sustain the district’s meal programs.

We’re proud to be a long-time partner of NBPS and look forward to seeing the impact this new facility will have on student health and academic success.

Read more here: https://wbsm.com/new-bedford-schools-central-kitchen-opens/

07/18/2024

Our latest report, “Ending Hunger in Our Classrooms: Expanding After the Bell Breakfast to Fuel Student Learning” highlighted some critical areas for high-poverty school districts in Massachusetts to improve participation in free breakfast programs. Oftentimes, students are unable to get to school early to get the morning meal served in the cafeteria. That’s where free breakfast-after-the-bell and in the classroom steps in.

We applaud the efforts of Josh Vadala, Ed.D. and Peabody Public Schools to tackle these challenges head-on and provide students and families with the resources they need to ensure every child starts their day with the fuel they need to succeed. Our team is committed to providing funding to districts like Peabody who are interested in launching or improving their breakfast after-the-bell and in the classroom programs.

Let’s work towards a future where no child has to learn on an empty stomach. Learn more about Peabody’s approach to this problem in below:
https://hubs.ly/Q02H74DW0

PEABODY — Peabody Public Schools was ranked 52 of 54 high-poverty school districts in Massachusetts for free school breakfast participation, according to a report from the Eos Foundation. According to the Eos Foundation’s 2023-24 report, titled Ending Hunger in Our Classrooms: Expanding After th...

06/18/2024

We often hear that breakfast is the most important meal of the day–but sadly just 48% of low-income kids in are receiving the free in-school morning meal they are entitled to. We must increase that number. Doing so will mean more at-risk children will get the nutrition they need—and our schools will get more federal funding.

Kudos to our partners and friends Tim Gray and Lydia Rodriguez at Springfield Public Schools for serving as a model on how to successfully adopt after-the-bell breakfast in the classroom programs to serve our highest-need students. These programs are vital to ensuring all kids receive a nutritious breakfast in their classrooms.

Thank you, Maya Shavit and Boston Business Journal, for bringing attention to this critical issue. Read more below:

A growing share of Massachusetts students is not eating the free breakfast provided to them, according to a new report.

06/18/2024

A big shout out to the 109 schools and districts in that achieved “school breakfast excellence” by ensuring that at least 80% of their students start their day off with a healthy breakfast.

We’re giving each a $500 grant to celebrate their accomplishment—and we’re re-launching our grants initiative to help other schools set up similar “After the Bell” breakfast programs.

Learn more in our 2024 Breakfast Report Card, State of School Breakfast in Massachusetts here: https://eosfoundation.org/

06/13/2024

All MA students are entitled to free school breakfast, but nearly half of kids in our high-poverty schools aren’t getting it. Let’s fix that: Implement after-the-bell breakfast programs so all children get a nutritious meal, in the classroom and after the start of the school day. Learn more in our newest report.

Nearly half of at-risk kids aren’t getting the nutritious school breakfast they need—and are entitled to! We could feed 150,000 more low-income children—and get an additional $67 million in federal funds—by expanding After the Bell breakfast programs. Learn more in our latest report.

Eos just released our 2023/24 school breakfast report card, and the findings are grim: 48%f of kids in high-poverty schools aren’t getting the free breakfast they’re entitled to. There’s an easy fix! More schools must offer After the Bell breakfast programs and serve a nutritious meal in the classroom after the start of the school day. Learn more in our latest report.

Providing breakfast, in the classroom and after the bell, is the best way for the state’s at-risk kids to get the nutrition they need. To that end, we’re giving $10,000 launch grants to schools rolling out After the Bell breakfast this year. And to honor those who are doing it right, we’re distributing more than $100,000 in Healthy Start Grants to 109 schools and districts that serve breakfast to 80% of their students or more.

Breakfast After the Bell is the best way to ensure the state’s low-income children are getting the nourishment they need. Our new report card looks at which schools are succeeding with their breakfast programs—and which need to work harder.

Check it out here. https://eosfoundation.org/

10/25/2023

“Rox Box,” a food pantry for students and staff at Roxbury Community College, opened this month to address on campus, an issue confronting many college students.

We are honored to have been one of two organizations to provide grants to put this into action.

The pantry, located in the college's health science building, is stocked with a cereal, pasta, soups, rice and other non-perishable and perishable food items, as well as personal care products.

10/24/2023

We are proud to sponsor this year’s The New England Council Annual Celebration.
Congratulations to the New Englander of the Year honorees: Anchor, Latoyia Edwards NBC10 Boston and NECN, Dr. Jim O’Connell, MD, President of Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, Pamela D.A. Reeve, Chair of the Board American Tower, and The Honorable Martin J. Walsh, Executive Director of NHL Players Association.

Learn more: https://hubs.la/Q026yKLx0

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Mark your calendars! The New England Council’s 2023 Annual Celebration will be held on the evening of Thursday, October 26, 2023. Join us at the Omni Boston

01/26/2023

A new push is underway to keep meals served at Massachusetts public schools free permanently.

"You can have the best teacher in the world, a really great textbook, an awesome desk, a pencil that works....if they are hungry they are not learning," said Erin McAleer, president and CEO of Project Bread.

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A new push is underway to keep breakfast and lunch free for Massachusetts students.

01/23/2023

More than 100,000 Massachusetts children are food insecure and are facing the threat of hunger daily, according to Feeding America. The ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic aggravate these numbers, but there are now some remedies within the walls of school cafeterias with the help of volunteer and nonprofit organizations.

Free meal programs in schools and other food delivery initiatives have played a huge role in the battle to end childhood hunger in the state, offering children healthy meal options and opportunities that they may not receive at home.

When the clock strikes 4:45 p.m., children in the after-school program at the American Chinese Christian Educational & Social Services, or ACCESS, in Chinatown race to a counter outside of their classroom stacked high with prepackaged food trays. They run excitedly back to their desks with their mea...

01/03/2023

If you’ve already hung up your running shoes for the season, it’s time to dust them off and get outside for some fresh air and exercise.

This February, stay healthy and connected to the community and join the Heart of Hunger Challenge www.uwotc.org/heart

Walk, jog, or run outdoors through the month of February and achieve your New Year’s resolutions to get fit and stay healthy this winter. Challenge yourself to run or walk at least one-mile outdoors every day in February and 100% of your registration fee will support one of the United Way’s food pantries and hot meal programs for families and individuals who are struggling to eat.

The Heart of Hunger Challenge is back for another month-long heart-healthy fitness challenge to keep you moving this winter. Register by February 1, 2023 and commit to run or walk a minimum of one mile, outdoors, every day in February.

12/22/2022

Cape Cod Community College has had a food pantry on its West Barnstable campus for a decade in a partnership with Harwich-based The Family Pantry of Cape Cod and the Cape Cod Foundation.

The pantry is open to anyone with a 4Cs college ID — students or staff — with students able to receive a bag of shelf-stable groceries, as well as personal care products, each week.

The pantry has had 371 visits so far this year, up 299% over the last calendar year.

Many college students aren’t aware of aid programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP, according to advocates.

12/19/2022

Most food-insecure college students aren’t aware of or don’t have access to aid like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP. Only 20% of eligible Massachusetts college students use SNAP benefits to buy food.

The Massachusetts Hunger Free Campus Coalition is working to raise that percentage and address the glaring issue of food insecurity on college campuses.

Many food-insecure college students don’t have access to aid like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; only 20% of eligible students use it.