Coakley Recognized For Food Drive Efforts

C. Quinn
State House News Service

Attorney General Martha Coakley was honored by the Greater Boston Food Bank Wednesday morning for her efforts in organizing the annual “Legal Food Frenzy” which raised more than 430,000 pounds of food for four Massachusetts food banks this past spring. During the past three years, the Legal Food Frenzy has raised the equivalent of a million pounds of food, Coakley told the News Service after an event in Beverly. Coakley said she has heard stories of families who never needed help before now seeking assistance from food pantries. Each spring – typically a slow time for food drive donations – Coakley’s office organizes a friendly competition among the legal community to raise money and collect donations. Her office gives away the “Attorney General’s Cup” to the group who collects the most. “For two weeks we engage in a competition with law firms, law schools, and other student groups and we compete to see who wins the cup,” she said. Coakley was honored by the Greater Boston Food Bank as part of a “Women Fighting Hunger” event held at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Boston. “They were kind enough to recognize me, but it is really recognizing our office and everybody in the legal community that has been so generous in giving to the food bank,” Coakley said. The attorney general’s food drive benefits the Greater Boston Food Bank, the Merrimack Valley Food Bank, the Worcester County Food Bank and the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.