WLP Joins Ride for Food for the Fourth Year in the Fight to End Hunger
The 8th Annual Ride for Food, organized by Three Squares New England, is a cycling event taking place on Sunday, October 6 to support hunger relief. The event takes place at Noble & Greenough School in Dedham and raises funds for their partner organizations, including Women’s Lunch Place (WLP), a day shelter for women experiencing poverty and homelessness on Newbury St. in Boston. All beneficiaries of the event are dedicated to providing healthy meals for people in Massachusetts who struggle with food insecurity.
The goal for this year’s Ride for Food is to raise $600,000 to support ending the hunger crisis. Riders can choose from 10, 25, and 50 miles routes, based on their skill level. Riders on Team WLP are required to raise at least $1,000 to help them provide healthy meals for women experiencing homelessness or poverty in the Greater Boston Area.
“This is our fourth year sending a team to The Ride for Food which raises critical funding to support our healthy meals program. 78% of the women we serve rely on WLP as their consistent source of hunger relief. Ongoing poor nutrition results in diabetes, heart disease, as well as depression and anxiety. Hunger is the primary reason women first visit WLP to eat a hearty and healthy meal in a supportive, safe community. Food security is often the first step towards stability and solving other longer-term challenges. Once wellness and dignity are restored, women are motivated to work towards a better life.”
-Chloe Kimball, Women’s Lunch Place Team Rider
About Women’s Lunch Place
Women’s Lunch Place (WLP) is a day shelter community for women experiencing poverty and homelessness. Six days a week, trained staff and volunteers work as a team to provide hundreds of women healing, hope and dignity. They help over 225 women each day, a 50% increase since 2013. Each year, 400+ volunteers provide over 33,500 hours of service, and they receive more than $1 million in in-kind donations.
About Three Squares New England and the Ride for Food
Three Squares New England partners with hunger-relief organizations to raise critical funds to fight hunger in Eastern Massachusetts. They do this by running community events, such as the innovative Ultimate Food Rescue Challenge and the popular Ride for Food, which inspire engagement and foster a greater awareness of food insecurity. Total funds raised since 2012 top $2 million for hunger-relief efforts.