Gina, a Food Pantry Client, Gives Back in Waltham

Rain or shine, you will find Gina greeting food pantry clients as they walk through the Healthy Waltham mobile pantry to pick out fruits, vegetables, and other essential items.

Gina is a food pantry client herself, and says it feels “really, really good” to volunteer there as well. “I feel at home because everybody helps each other,” she says.

Helping others is part of Gina’s day-to-day life. She works at a hospital and is raising two children, ages 14 and 16, after the children’s mother, a good friend of Gina’s, passed away. “I stepped up to help them because I’ve known the family for so long. It was a good opportunity to share what I’ve been given.”

However, providing for a household of three has stretched Gina’s budget. “The money that I make…after the rent, the gas, there’s no money left,” she explains. Food from the pantry supplements her income. “I like to get the fruits and vegetables, because that’s what I like to cook for the kids. They need to eat healthy.”

According to Healthy Waltham pantry manager Maria DiMaggio, there are many households like Gina’s in the community. “We see a lot of young families,” Maria says. “We see some senior citizens. People are trying to stretch their limited incomes…I think we’re providing an important service, a valuable service, and I’m very happy to have The Greater Boston Food Bank as a partner.”

Healthy Waltham reports that 94 percent of the food they distribute is supplied by The Greater Boston Food Bank.

For Gina, volunteering and giving back to the place where she receives food is a given. “Anytime I can share, I can provide, I can help people—I feel good,” she says.