Gov. Maura Healey launches statewide anti-hunger task force after federal SNAP cuts

Gov. Maura Healey announced the formation of a statewide anti-hunger task force on a visit to the Mystic Community Market in Medford, directing the group to deliver a plan within six months to address increased food insecurity tied to recent federal cuts to nutrition programs.

The task force will convene state agencies, local governments, nonprofits and philanthropic partners to host listening sessions, form working groups focused on specific populations and develop both immediate gap-filling steps and longer-term solutions, Healey said. "That's what this is, a hunger fighting strike force, so to speak," she said.

Why this matters: speakers at the event said the recent federal action will reduce food support nationwide and could affect roughly 1,000,000 people in Massachusetts who use SNAP. Healey described the federal package as a large reduction in food assistance and said the state must act to prevent heightened hunger among children, seniors, veterans, people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups. "These cuts are cruel. I think they're destructive," Healey said at the market.

Administration and nonprofit leaders framed the announcement as an urgent coordination effort…