This article was produced with the support of the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism as part of its 2025 Data Fellowship.
When Maria Guerrero was raising three kids on her own in Lynn, she visited a food pantry about once a month to make sure her family had enough to eat.
But it wasn’t until about three years ago — retired, living with her adult daughter, who has special needs, and facing the spiraling costs of everyday goods — that Guerrero registered for federal food assistance…