Greg Wilmot of East Boston Neighborhood Health Center Receives Patrick Hughes Award for Social Justice
Project Bread
Greg Wilmot, President & CEO of East Boston Neighborhood Health Center (EBNHC), is being recognized for his leadership, passion and dedication to the community, and his deep commitment to addressing food insecurity as a part of healthcare.
On Sunday May 5, Greg Wilmot will be honored at Project Bread’s 56th annual Walk for Hunger with the Patrick Hughes Award for Social Justice, named for the late event founder.
Patrick Hughes inspired action and demonstrated the power of people coming together for a common purpose by creating the first Walk for Hunger in 1969. Award recipients are recognized for continuing Hughes’ legacy of social action and social justice through their own work and personal commitment, and we’re so thrilled to highlight Wilmot’s achievements!
Wilmot’s career spans the health and human services sector in Massachusetts. “An unwavering commitment to social justice is a hallmark of Greg’s leadership from his time at the Executive Office of Health and Human Services through the present at the helm of the state’s largest community-based provider of primary care,” says Erin McAleer, President and CEO of Project Bread.“Greg is a visionary leader, driving innovation at the intersection of hunger and health. He stands for and lives by the same principles the Walk was founded on.”
Wilmot sees firsthand each day how many families at EBNHC are affected by hunger, a major social determinant of patient health.
EBNHC (which will be rebranding as NeighborHealth in June 2024) is the only health center in New England to provide 24/7 continuous care. At EBNHC, 70% of patients are below 200% of the federal poverty level, and 20% of patients are uninsured. His organization is committed to providing high quality healthcare to all patients by widening the scope of services offered. The center also provides an onsite WIC program and a Food Access program, which focuses on making seasonal farmer’s markets, CSAs, and food pantries more accessible. EBNHC’s kitchen participates in Program of All-Inclusive Care of the Elderly (PACE), and provides over 2,000 prepared meals for their weekly home-delivery meal program.
All of these resources make an incredible impact on neighborhoods within and outside of East Boston, and Wilmot knows that that care does not end when a patient leaves the exam room.
“If we want to make a meaningful impact in our patients’ lives, we need to work further upstream to address contributing factors to their conditions, such as hunger, housing, and economic mobility. My work at EBNHC is incredibly compelling to me because I know the transformative impact that convenient, affordable care can have, especially for our Black and Brown neighbors, and Project Bread shares this same understanding. Only when we address the basic needs of our community will we begin to close longstanding gaps in health equity.”
Greg Wilmot, President & CEO of East Boston Neighborhood Health Center (EBNHC)
In April 2020, Project Bread launched the ground-breaking Healthcare Partnerships program which centers food access and food security in healthcare. Project Bread coordinators work with individuals who are referred by MassHealth’s Flexible Services Program to use Medicaid dollars for “non-medical” expenses that focus on addressing food insecurity. These services include: grocery store gift cards, transportation assistance, securing kitchen supplies and appliances, cooking classes, nutrition counseling, and assistance with connecting to SNAP, WIC, and local food pantries. Over 25% of clients reported becoming food secure over six months of program participation.
EBNHC and Project Bread are decades-long partners in this push for food security as healthcare - and not to mention neighbors in East Boston! Project Bread has supported over 1,400 patients referred by EBNHC.
Wilmot will share opening remarks for the 56th annual Walk for Hunger on Sunday, May 5th.“I am deeply humbled to be receiving the Patrick Hughes Award for Social Justice from Project Bread,” says Wilmot. “I grew up in Boston, and The Walk for Hunger is a tradition I’ve experienced as a child walking with my parents and eventually as an adult with my wife. It has always been an important part of how we in Massachusetts take action for food security, and I never imagined years ago that I would be honored by the same organization for my own work to address hunger for Massachusetts residents.”
Community members can join Wilmot and over 3,000 fellow walkers in-person for the 3-mile walk around Boston Common, or participate in the “Walk Your Own Way” option from anywhere in the Commonwealth. The one-day celebration aims to raise more than $1.3 million to support food security for all in Massachusetts, and we need your support!
The 56th Walk for Hunger will be held on Sunday, May 5th from 9am- 12pm on Boston Common. Register today for a wonderful day of community and celebration to support statewide anti-hunger efforts!