WORCESTER, Mass. — Country Bank is taking a stand against food insecurity by donating $1 million to The Food Bank of Western Mass and the Worcester County Food Bank.

“It’s really exciting for us and an honor to be able to announce that we are kicking off a $1 million pledge to throw hunger a curve ball,” said County Bank President and CEO Paul Scully during the Bank’s annual meeting at Polar Park on June 21.

$500,000 checks were presented to Jean McMurray, the executive director of the Worcester County Food Bank, and Andrew Morehouse, the executive director of The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. 

According to Feeding America, a nonprofit organization comprising a nationwide network of 200 foodbanks, there were 67,240 food insecure people in Worcester County as of 2019, with a $42,568,000 annual food budget shortfall and average meal cost of $3.70 per meal. The annual food budget shortfall is defined as the total additional dollar amount that food insecure people report needing to meet their food needs.

Feeding America defines food insecurity as a “lack of access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members and limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate foods. Food-insecure households are not necessarily food insecure all the time. Food insecurity may reflect a household’s need to make trade-offs between important basic 

The food insecurity breakdown for all of Massachusetts and the counties that make up Central Mass, which include Worcester and the northwest corner of Middlesex County are as follows:

Massachusetts: 566,930 food insecure people in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, with a $357,197,000 annual food budget shortfall and an average cost of $3.69 per meal.

Worcester County: 67,240 food insecure people in Worcester County, with an estimated $42,568,000 annual food budget shortfall and an average cost of $3.70 a meal.

Middlesex County: 102,660 food insecure people in Middlesex County, with an estimated $73,339,000 annual food budget shortfall and an average cost of $4.18 a meal.

Knowing the need to end feed insecurity is great, McMurray of the Worcester County Food Bank and Morehouse of The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts were appreciative of Country Bank’s generous gift. 

“We are going to put this tremendous gift from Country Bank to good work,” said McMurray. “None of our neighbors have to go hungry.”

“I am in awe of Country Bank’s generosity,” said Morehouse following the check presentation. “I am so impressed with their commitment to the community, whether it be Worcester County or the four counties of Western Massachusetts.”