MetroWest Daily News
FRAMINGHAM — Congressman Jim McGovern says the country has more than enough resources to end hunger.
“What we lack is the political will,” he said during an out-of-district visit Tuesday to Framingham nonprofit Daniel’s Table.
But few would question McGovern’s will. He began working on developing an end to food insecurity while still an intern with U.S. Sen. George McGovern of South Dakota (no relation) in the late 1970s and early ’80s. To this day, he holds listening sessions throughout the country to create solutions.
It was through community volunteering that he met David Blais, co-founder of Daniel’s Table.
Six years ago, McGovern and Congresswoman Katherine Clark helped Blais feed families from a food trailer. On Tuesday, McGovern — a Worcester resident who represents the 2nd Congressional District — returned to the nonprofit’s Pearl Street headquarters to learn about its new app, Healthy Communities.
“This is priceless in the war against hunger… it gives us a real opportunity to solve this,” Blais said.
Healthy Communities connects clients and nonprofits on a city, state and national level. Through a series of questions, Blais said, the app determines how many days of food a client is missing per month. Once that number is calculated, the software determines how many nutritional components — protein, dairy, grains, fruits and vegetables — the client needs daily.
Daniel’s Table then distributes the necessary food to “make sure our families are getting a nutritious diet all the way through the month,” Blais said.
“I’m inspired by coming here, this is the real work,” said McGovern, whose district includes Northborough, Upton, Mendon and part of Bellingham — but not Framingham. “We are not organized … in the federal government,”
