The issue of food insecurity among kindergarten through twelfth-grade students in Boston, particularly those from underrepresented and economically constrained communities, is multifaceted and pervasive.
According to RentCafe, in 2024, the cost of living in Boston was 47% higher than the national average, meaning that many of the city’s families are struggling to make ends meet, often forced to choose between paying for food and other necessities, such as housing and healthcare. Further, according to Project Bread, in February 2024, nearly 18% of all households in Massachusetts reported a level of food insecurity.
In an effort to address this ongoing problem, the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF) has been a generous supporter of the in-school food program for Boston’s Beacon Academy for the past two years. Through education and advocacy, Beacon Academy closes the opportunity gap for a group of Greater Boston’s determined and inquisitive middle school-age students. At Beacon Academy, we assert that a well-nourished mind is one of the keys to unlocking academic potential and helping students realize their full potential.
During the 2024-25 scholastic year, IICF helped provide 19 of our students with daily healthy mid-day snacks and lunch, as well as an option for breakfast. Twice a week, students were afforded the opportunity to stay at the school for dinner and evening study hall. Since most students receive at least 50% of their daily calories from meals at school, this continues to be a vital program.
Illustrating the success of this initiative, all 19 students received offers to attend different competitive, independent high schools that match their academic and financial needs. This is even more incredible when juxtaposed against the several negative food insecurity consequences for children, including:
- Poor academic performance: Students are more likely to have trouble concentrating in school and fall behind academically.
- Physical health problems: Food insecurity can lead to several health problems, including malnutrition, anemia and obesity.
- Emotional, behavioral and mental health problems: Students are more likely to experience anxiety, depression and behavioral problems.
We have seen the positive impact in our own school of having ready access to free, prepared, culturally diverse and nutritious meals — all served in a community they trust. The result has been beneficial to students’ physical and mental well-being, as they have shown an improvement in academic and athletic performance, as measured by grades, standardized test scores and attendance rates.
Above and beyond our food program, for several years the IICF Northeast Associate Board has been an outstanding volunteer partner with Beacon Academy, working closely with the graduates of the program to improve their networking skills and introduce them to careers in the insurance industry. One workshop featured Associate Board members from Aon, Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance, Brown & Brown, Guy Carpenter, Markel Specialty and XS Brokers, all of whom shared industry expertise and helped students build skills and confidence in their networking abilities.
As we enter IICF’s Month of Giving, please consider how valuable your support is to organizations such as ours. For additional information about the Beacon Academy Food Program, please visit https://beaconacademy.com/students-parents/food-services/.
Click through the slideshow above to see some of the work being done by Beacon Academy and its volunteers.
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