The Worcester Food Insecurity Story Archive

A collection of stories sharing food insecure Worcester community member’s experiences with accessing food

The story archive is a platform which amplifies the voices of Worcester residents who have lived experience of food insecurity with the goal to share these stories and advocate for change in our Worcester food system.

The Center on Food Equity in Worcester, MA values the lived experiences of our community members who have faced food insecurity. We want to uplift the voices of these community members, learn from them, and show others members of the community what is happening in their home. The stories in this archive are by and for the Worcester community, and can be used to advocate for change in the Worcester food access environment.

Storytelling is a powerful method for humanizing complex issues such as food insecurity. Stories connect us to each other, and they have the power to change story listeners’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors through the emotion and relatability they provide. We hope that this archive will be used by the community to help advocate for change in food and nutrition access when needed, whether that be in local Worcester communities or at the state-level. Sharing these stories at work meetings, with city council members, or with MA legislators may be some influential places to start.

This archive presents a collection of stories from Worcester community members in the four priority areas which the Center on Food Equity has identified as most important for change to occur in. Descriptions of the four priority areas are listed below, and the stories which we have collected in those priority areas are shared there.

Please click on one of the four priority areas to see the description and stories which accompany that area.

Note that some storytellers prefer their identity to remain anonymous, so select videos and audio files seen below may have been altered to protect storytellers’ identity. Some names have been changed as well. Also, please note that in any of the videos displayed below subtitles are available through adjusting the settings on the YouTube video.

These stories show the impacts of the Reconciliation bill (One Big Beautiful Bill) on Worcester residents and how their access to essential services, especially food assistance benefits and support, will change or have changed. Generally, these stories demonstrate how federal cuts are impacting people personally.

Impact: These stories can be used to advocate for higher levels of support for SNAP home delivery programs which are equitable and decrease the barriers to grocery access. Examples of such programs are HIP/SNAP CSA’s with delivery and produce prescription programs. 

Kris a resident of Worcester. Here is Kris’s story of their experience with federal changes in access to food and services.

The anxiety of the election and all of the bills is one of the main reasons why I can’t work.

A lot of us are disabled and we can’t just get any type of job. We have to have a lot of accommodations

Kris, on the local impacts of federal budget cuts

Echo is a mom in Worcester. Here is Echo’s story of her experience with federal changes in access to food and services.

A system that was already lacking is now further lacking help. Getting someone on the phone, getting a real person is impossible. Now we’re lacking staff to do that.

Echo, on the local impacts of federal budget cuts

Deb is an older, disabled resident of Worcester. Here is Deb’s story about her experience with federal changes in access to food and services.

When people don’t have that SNAP to spend, fewer people are shopping, there’s less need for work, more people get laid off, and it’s an unwinding spiral affecting everybody.

Deb, on the local impacts of federal budget cuts

Being poor is hard. Doing what you need to do just to survive poor is a full-time job.And you can’t carry a full-time job on top of a full time job.

Deb, on the local impacts of federal budget cuts

Ash in an older man living in Worcester. Here is Ash’s story on how the federal changes in food access are affecting him.

“I did not go shopping from the beginning of this month because I don’t want to be embarrassed if my SNAP card doesn’t go through…I already have a low amount, to go to 0 is a disaster.”

Ash, on the local impacts of federal budget cuts

Autumn is a mom in Worcester. Here is Autumn’s story of her experience with federal changes in access to food and services.

There’s an increase in demand at the pantries because people’s benefits are getting cut. So even though I’m not affected by the benefits at this point since I don’t qualify, the community of who’s there at pantries has kind of changed.

Autumn, on the local impacts of federal budget cuts

These stories demonstrate how SNAP eligible families with children in the home may have difficulty accessing food or groceries. The stories share the experiences of people who have had trouble accessing groceries with their SNAP benefits before enrolling in a home delivery option, and how home delivery options could help mitigate this difficulty.

Impact: These stories can be used to protest SNAP cuts and stop future federal funding cuts. We can also use them to try to mitigate the losses from federal cuts through influencing the farm bill.

Echo is a mom in Worcester. Here is Echo’s story of her experiences with using delivery services to receive food purchased with SNAP benefits.

“If I didn’t have the means to take a bus to get there [the grocery store], and I don’t have transportation to go purchase the groceries, why do you think that those people have ten extra dollars for the delivery”

Echo, on SNAP grocery deliveries

“Why are we not adjusting as the world adjusts…when we know that it is an inconvenience, an obstacle, and a challenge?”

Echo, on SNAP grocery deliveries

Autumn is a mom in Worcester. Here is Autumn’s story of her experiences with using delivery services to receive food purchased with SNAP benefits.

Even though the city buses were free, we live on a hill, and there’s just no way, with my injury, that I’m gonna go down the hill and back. And I had a baby at that point and I just can’t do all that. I can’t carry everything, so yeah, I signed up for delivery.

Autumn, on SNAP grocery deliveries

Klarissa is a mom in Worcester. Here is Klarissa’s story of her experiences with using delivery services to receive food purchased with SNAP benefits.

When it comes to the spark app, which is connected with Walmart or Instacart or whatever, a lot of drivers, they don’t want to take the order, and the route and stuff like that, because there’s no tips, and it’s because of DTA not letting the customers tip the drivers or anything.

Klarissa, on SNAP grocery deliveries

Kris is a resident of Worcester. Here is Kris’s story of their experience with using delivery services to receive food purchased with SNAP benefits:

It’d be great if they could mandate that there are no fees when you have to use your SNAP benefits to get groceries

Kris, on SNAP grocery deliveries

Deb is an older, disabled resident of Worcester. Here is Deb’s story of her experience with using delivery services to receive food purchased with SNAP benefits.

Grocery delivery service kinda saved my life because I am basically housebound.
It’s absolutely huge for somebody who has trouble getting out to the grocery store

Deb, on SNAP grocery deliveries

Maria is a resident of Worcester. Here is Maria’s story of her experience with using delivery services to receive food purchased with SNAP benefits.

In the winter time my knees hurt and I can’t go out and actually get groceries myself

Maria, on SNAP grocery deliveries

These stories show that grocery access is limited in the Lincoln square and South Worcester areas as a result of recent grocery closures in Lincoln Square and on Cambridge Street. The stories showcase where people grocery shop and how accessible that store is to them, and whether they are able to purchase everything they need there. 

Impact: These stories can be used to advocate for improved food access in the grocery closure areas which focuses on the needs pertinent to those communities (ex. affordability, cultural relevance, accessibility, etc.).

Klarissa is a mom in Worcester. Here is Klarissa’s story of her experiences with recent grocery closures in Worcester.

Since it [Stop & Shop] closed, it’s like, what now?

Klarissa, on grocery closures

Echo is a mom in Worcester. Here is Echo’s story of her experiences with recent grocery closures in Worcester.

When it [Stop & Shop] closed down, it definitely left a gap in my life in terms of access and where I go and the things that I need.

People figuring out how to uber or how to take a bus or multiple buses to and from places…that’s just another burden on a family.

Echo, on grocery closures

These stories show that meaningful access to the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) is difficult to achieve, and the impact of the physical Worcester DTA office moving has exacerbated this difficulty of reach. Additionally, the mobile DTA app is difficult to use and inaccessible for many populations, and most people who try to reach the DTA by phone are disconnected (80%). 

Impact: These stories can be used to advocate for DTA funding and capacity to increase, and especially for DTA administrative funding to increase. Since the DTA is expected to take on more cost-sharing because of the reconciliation bill, they will be less able to support their constituents with the current amount of funding. Also, these stories can be used to support the Act to Protect the Safety Net.

Click on one of the below videos to hear stories from Worcester community members about their experiences reaching the DTA.

Echo is a mom in Worcester. Here is Echo’s story of her experiences with accessing the DTA.

I found that the system was not people friendly. And hunger is a people issue, it’s not a computer issue.

You just feel like you’re being serviced. It was very disheartening

Echo, on DTA access

Klarissa is a mom in Worcester. Here is Klarissa’s story of her experiences with accessing the DTA.

I would mail the forms and the DTA would say they never got it. And when calling nobody would be able to stay on the line, the phone call just kept dropping.

The people outside waiting are cold, and you don’t even know what the time frame you will be waiting for is.

Klarissa, on DTA access

Maria is a resident of Worcester. Here is Maria’s story of her experiences with accessing the DTA.

When you want to actually speak to someone, it doesn’t matter if you’re just on the phone for 8 in the morning so you will be the first one to talk to them, they sometimes are rude, and they don’t have the customer service or the compassion.

It’s becoming very, very hard. It doesn’t matter if the app, it doesn’t matter if you called, the only way that it works is by you going in person…but now that they’re on route 20, not a lot of people have the access to actually go in person.

Maria, on DTA access

Autumn is a mom in Worcester. Here is Autumn’s story of her experiences with accessing the DTA.

I don’t unfortunately really have anything positive to say about trying to reach the DTA.

I can’t spend all day doing this and then having to recover when I get home, because it’s probably gonna wear me out physically, so, regardless of if you are disabled or have an injury or whatever, the amount of time to get resources is unrealistic

Autumn, on DTA access

Kris is a resident of Worcester. Here is Kris’s story of their experiences with accessing the DTA.

An appointment that could take 15 minutes ends up taking almost the entire day out of your workweek

Getting SNAP is making sure my family has food, I have food

Kris, on DTA access

Deb is an older, disabled resident of Worcester. Here’s is Deb’s story of her experiences with accessing the DTA.

If you are a working person on SNAP, there’s a good chance that you’re cobbling together two or three part-time jobs, and you can’t afford to miss work on any of them, or you lose that job.

Deb, on DTA access

There’s a rainy day fund, and we’re in the middle of a downpour. Can we please get some more workers at DTA so that people aren’t getting hung up on and losing their food benefits in the meantime?

Deb, on DTA access

Click the button below to learn more about how the archive was created, and who you can contact to learn more or ask questions!

Learn More About the Worcester Food Insecurity Story Archive

This archive was created in collaboration by: