Upcoming Closures!
The Newton Food Pantry will be closed on Wednesday, April 29 and Thursday, April 30.
The Newton Food Pantry is pleased to announce the election of three new members to its Board of Directors: Monika Mitra, Luciano Ramos and Ann Quandt. Each brings valuable experience and a strong commitment to alleviating food insecurity through equitable, community-based solutions. All three are Newton residents.
Their election reflects the Newton Food Pantry Board’s ongoing dedication to strong governance and thoughtful leadership as we expand and deepen our impact throughout Newton.
Dr. Monika Mitra (pictured) is a professor at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University, where she directs the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy. The Lurie Institute’s research and policy advocacy work covers a wide range of topics, including the experiences of parents with disabilities, policies addressing long-term services and supports for people with disabilities, and health and healthcare outcomes.
Luciano Ramos has spent more than 20 years driving economic development through collaborative community planning and partnerships. He is the founding Executive Director of the Center for Economic and Social Justice (CESJ) at Roxbury Community College, which helps students achieve life-sustaining wages through career pathways and successful small business ownership.
Ann Quandt has spent most of her career as an executive in the nonprofit industry. Most recently, she was the COO and CFO at Upstream USA, which works to reduce unexpected pregnancy by increasing access to contraception in primary healthcare. Prior to that, Ann was the CFO at Partners In Health (PIH), a now-$200 million international healthcare nonprofit based in Boston.
Learn more about them and the rest of our Board.
The Newton Food Pantry would also like to thank Ephraim Ezekiel and Colleen Nolan for their incredible service to the Board. Although their terms have come to end, both will continue to volunteer with the Newton Food Pantry. Ephraim will continue to support our Newton Community freedge and help coordinate various freedge activities, while Colleen (who has worn more hats over the years than we can count!) will continue to volunteer in our pantry every Wednesday afternoon as a Shift Leader. The Newton Food Pantry is a stronger organization thanks to their years of dedication and leadership, and we cannot thank them enough.