Thousands joined Project Bread’s 58th annual Walk for Hunger on Sunday to combat what organizers called a critical and rising problem of food insecurity in Massachusetts.

“There is no reason any person in Massachusetts should not be able to put food on the table,” said Project Bread President and CEO Erin McAleer. “And yet, more people are struggling now than ever. Every one of us has a role to play in making a difference, and the Walk for Hunger is the perfect opportunity to do just that.”

The walk — representing the nation’s oldest continually running pledge walk, according to Project Bread — raised the targeted $1 million in funds to fight hunger in the state as participants made their way around the family-friendly and accessible 3-mile loop around Boston Common.

Project Bread, which organizes the fundraiser along with over 600-member Make Hunger History Coalition, noted that the walk is an “immediate opportunity” for people to take action as food insecurity rises in Massachusetts.

In Massachusetts, 40% of households are experiencing food insecurity, the organization said, and “rising food prices and potential changes to federal nutrition programs, including SNAP, threaten to deepen the challenge.” Local organizations in Greater Boston are continuing to prepare for additional strain, they added.

Project Bread joined food aid organizations and public officials to meet an “impossible task” as the government shutdown temporarily cut off SNAP benefits last November, at the same time as an estimated 3.5 million have lost SNAP benefits nationwide due to policy changes under the Trump administration last July.

The 3,500 participants Sunday represented 216 towns across Massachusetts, while additional walkers from 23 states and five countries participated virtually, organizers said. The event featured live music, food vendors, games, a cooking demonstration, and remarks from local leaders on the Common.

The funds raised support Project Bread’s “comprehensive approach to food security,” tackling areas like policy advocacy, prevention strategies and more, as well as supporting the work of 68 anti-hunger organizations who participate in the event and keep 60% of the funds they generate.

Four Massachusetts companies have announced hundreds of layoffs as residents and businesses flee the state due to what critics describe as soaring energy costs, high taxes, and costly climate mandates.

According to the state’s Worker’s Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) tracker, a total of 283 Massachusetts workers are set to lose their jobs by the end of the fiscal year.

That includes 70 planned layoffs at Innovative Care Partners, which has locations in Northampton, West Springfield and Pittsfield, by June 30; 78 layoffs at Community Health Link at its Webster, Worcester and Lincoln locations, also by June 30; 83 layoffs at Compass Group USA in Boston by July 1; and 52 layoffs at Community Counseling of Bristol County at locations in Attleboro, Brockton, Fall River, New Bedford and Taunton between June 30 and July 13.

These latest notices come as several businesses have been moving out of Massachusetts over the past several months, including some that had been staples of the state’s economy.

In January, the reigning Massachusetts “Manufacturer of the Year,” Curia Global, shut down operations at its Burlington facility. Other notable departures include Thermo Fisher Scientific, Panera Bread, Cape Cod Potato Chips, Zipcar, SynQor, Analogic Corp. and more. Most recently, in April, Takeda Pharmaceuticals announced the elimination of 247 jobs from its Cambridge location.

The Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance told the Herald upon Curia Global’s exit that the Bay State has become an increasingly inhospitable business environment.

“The taxes here are high, the climate regulations are pretty extensive and we also have people in positions of power who don’t seem that interested in growing business here,” Executive Director Paul Craney said.

Healey denounces President Trump’s cap on student loans for health care and social workers

Gov. Maura Healey is responding to the Trump administration implementing a rule limiting access to federal student loans for graduate degrees in the nursing, physical therapy, physician assistants, occupational therapy, education and social work fields.

“At a time when people are already struggling with costs, President Trump is making higher education more expensive and harder to access. This rule is going to push students into more expensive private loans, and it blocks pathways into critical careers in the health care and education spaces,” Healey said in a written statement. “As the daughter of a school nurse, I know firsthand how important these jobs are to our communities.”

Healey spoke in opposition to this new rule back in March and continues to warn that it will increase costs and limit career opportunities. She launched a $15 million state loan repayment program for early education and care professionals along with loan repayments for health and human service workers through the MA Repay Program.

The new rule, implemented by the U.S. Department of Education, caps federal graduate student loan borrowing at $20,500 per year for the listed programs the administration deems not “professional.” The Healey-Driscoll Administration estimates that approximately 13,000 Massachusetts graduate students will be impacted.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration calls it a “common sense” regulation that will help control the ever-increasing costs for higher education.