2026 GBFB Awards
Each year, The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) hosts our annual awards ceremony to recognize our supporters who go the extra mile to support ending hunger in Eastern Massachusetts. Individuals and organizations are celebrated for outstanding examples of philanthropic support, food donations, advocacy, volunteerism, and partnership – all with the goal of powering our distribution network and feeding more neighbors in need.
The 2026 GBFB Awards went to:
Transformational Grant Recipients:
– YMCA of Greater Boston
– Weymouth Food Pantry.
Team Members of the Quarter:
– Billy Cordeiro, Warehouse Lead
– Laura Ortiz, Senior Manager of Nutrition
– Ever Restrepo, Facilities Technician
– Michael Whiting, Assistant Manager of Agency Relations
Change Maker Award: Gwen Dandrow
Food Donor of the Year Award: Garelick Farms
Agency Partner of the Year Award: Franklin Food Pantry
Advocate of the Year Award: Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell
Volunteer of the Year Award: Julie and Ira Sperling
Corporate Partner of the Year Award: Takeda
“We are very firm believers in the mission here at the food bank… we believe it’s completely unacceptable for anyone to go hungry here, the richest nation on earth, or even worse to have to choose between a meal and a co-pay for a kid’s doctor.”
–Julie and Ira Sperling, Volunteers of the Year
“It’s easy to look at a huge systemic problem like food insecurity and think what can I do, I’m just one person? Or for me, I’m just a kid, I can’t make a difference. But we all have a role to play, and we can’t solve problems and make the world a better and fairer place if we let ourselves get discouraged.”
–Gwen Dandrow, Change Maker Award Winner
Building on a tradition established in 2025 to recognize the generous contributions of the top philanthropic corporate partners who support GBFB, the 2026 event marked the addition of 21 new corporations to the GBFB Corporate Wall of Fame. New inductees in 2026 include:
– Avangrid
– B&B Trading Corp.
– Beth Israel Senior Citizens Housing, Inc.
– Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
– Boston Bruins Foundation
– Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation
– Dedham Savings
– Delta Air Lines*
– Eastern Bank
– HP Hood
– Instacart
– M&T Bank
– Mass General Brigham
– Microsoft
– New England Development
– New England Food
– Price Rite Marketplace
– Sanofi
– Signature Aviation
– Target
– Toast
– Webster Bank
(* Upgraded giving level from previous year)
Rounding out the evening, GBFB President & CEO Catherine D’Amato invited guests and honorees to join her as she unveiled a plaque recognizing Delta Air Lines’ $1 million contribution to fund the Delta Air Lines Foundation Refrigerator. The state-of-the-art walk-in refrigerator unit at our Yawkey Distribution Center enables GBFB to distribute up to 10 million additional pounds of fresh produce, dairy, proteins, and eggs annually to Eastern Massachusetts households.
The message at GBFB awards was clear: from students to large companies, we all can play a role in ending hunger. Join our movement!
