Our Bureau
Boston, MA
Since February 2026, the World Food Movement (WFM) has been serving freshly cooked, nutritious meals every week at Middlesex Community College to ensure that students do not go hungry. Today, the program was formally launched in the presence of President Phil Sisson of Middlesex Community College; Sri Chanchalapathi Dasa, Co-Founder and Vice Chairman of WFM; Sri Naveena Neerada Dasa, Executive Director of WFM; Sri Sadananda Dasa, President of WFM Massachusetts; along with donors and other dignitaries.
This Massachusetts inaugural event marks the transition of the WFM student feeding program from a pilot to a long-term student nutrition initiative. The program currently serves approximately 100 hot meals per day and 1,500 meals per month at Middlesex Community College, with a roadmap for expansion across other colleges and communities throughout the state. The launch event brought together college administrators, donors, students, and community volunteers for the cause of youth food and nutrition security.
Speaking on the occasion, Sri Chanchalapathi Dasa said, “We are happy to have formally launched our feeding program here in Massachusetts for the benefit of students and food-insecure individuals. I wish to extend my heartfelt gratitude to President Phil Sisson for his gracious presence at the event and for his partnership with our movement. I also thank our donors and supporters for their generous contributions, and for joining us in feeding students. This is an example of how our collective compassion and commitment can empower communities and create lasting impact for generations to come.
Inspired by Srila Prabhupada’s vision that no one goes hungry, we are striving to increase our reach to as many locations as possible. We believe that when people come together for a common cause, it can bring about miraculous transformations. We invite everyone to join us in our feeding mission and contribute to building a healthy and promising future for the younger generations.”
Nearly one in three community college students in Massachusetts reports experiencing food insecurity, which makes it difficult for them to focus on academics and even stay enrolled. WFM’s program offers a strategic solution through its feeding services, with efficient operational costs and an impressive 99% delivery reliability rate.
“At Middlesex Community College, we are profoundly grateful for our partnership with the World Food Movement, which enables us to provide our students with hot, healthy, vegetarian meals four days a week,” said Phil Sisson, President of Middlesex Community College. “For many of our students, this is the only substantial nourishment they receive in a day. By addressing this fundamental need, we are nourishing both their bodies and their souls, allowing them to focus fully on their academic endeavors. This partnership has made a transformative difference for our students and their families, and we thank WFM for their unwavering commitment to our community.”
Sri Naveena Neerada Dasa said, “We started our feeding program in February here in Massachusetts to address the immediate need of student food security. Today’s formal launch event highlights our commitment to serving them. We look forward to the support of the government, college and university administrations, donors, and all other stakeholders in providing fresh, hot, and nutritious meals to more students, helping them focus on their academics without worrying about food. We thank our donors for their support and ensuring the sustainability of our college feeding program.”
“Surpassing the milestone of thousands of meals served at Middlesex Community College is a powerful validation of our simple, consistent, and dignified feeding model,” said Sadananda Dasa. “We provide high-quality, plant-based nutrition that students require to thrive both academically and personally. This success in Lowell serves as a strategic blueprint for our expansion across the Commonwealth, ensuring that no student in Massachusetts is forced to choose between their education and their next meal.”
About World Food Movement
World Food Movement (WFM) is a U.S.-registered 501(c)(3) non-profit established to address food insecurity among students and communities across America. WFM is led by Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa and Sri Chanchalapathi Dasa, the founders of The Akshaya Patra Foundation, which is recognized as the world’s largest school lunch program in the non-profit sector. Inspired by Akshaya Patra’s success, WFM was established to ensure food and nutrition security for students and communities across America.
WFM will utilize the learning and expertise gathered from Akshaya Patra’s feeding experience over the last 25 years in its projects and initiatives. It has served over 30,000 meals across New Jersey, New York, California, Virginia, Washington, DC, and Massachusetts, serving students at Rutgers, NJIT, the College of Staten Island, Medgar Evers College, Middlesex College, De Anza College, Foothill College, and Kingsborough Community College. WFM aims to expand its feeding services to more locations and serve 1 million cumulative meals by 2030. For more information, visit www.wfmboston.org.
