This March, in honor of Women’s History Month, we’re celebrating some of the incredible women here at Food For Free that do work to uplift and support our mission.
Today, we’re spotlighting Alex Gladwell, Just Eats and Healthy Eats Program Manager at Food For Free.
Growing up in rural Connecticut, Alex’s family benefited from the generous support of her community. Especially during the holidays, donations fostered festive meals. Paying it forward, Alex was actively involved in service projects through her church and local humanitarian organizations. The experiences of both building relationships to uplift neighbors in need and being the recipient of the generosity of others have laid the groundwork and passion for her career at Food For Free.
“When I was younger, my family and I experienced food insecurity, particularly around the holidays,” said Alex. “I have deep gratitude for the community organizations we relied on in these times that allowed my family and I to focus on our time spent together.”
After earning her Bachelor’s degree from Lesley University in Global Studies, Alex earned a Master’s certificate in Gender Leadership and Public Policy from UMass Boston. While in graduate school, she continued to serve at nonprofits on a part-time basis while working full-time in the restaurant industry.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Alex’s past experience with food insecurity came full-circle when she transitioned to working in the nonprofit space full-time. For three years, she led the food program at Rosie’s Place, a multi-service organization for women in Boston. In this position, she worked closely with the community of guests and volunteers to provide nutritious and delicious, culturally-appropriate meals that they served with dignity and respect in a loving and encouraging environment.
Wanting to do more, in March 2020, Alex approached her friend who had a restaurant space and facilitated the gathering of resources to provide food to undocumented restaurant workers who were then out of a job due to lockdowns and Covid-19 safety guidelines. As the demand grew for nutrition assistance during those early days of the pandemic, Alex continued to draw support from her community to be able to keep delivering food directly to people’s homes.
“It was so great to see how quickly and efficiently we were able to pull together the right resources and community support to provide food to people in need during the pandemic,” said Alex. “I am so grateful for the work we were able to do and the food we were able to provide directly to members in our community.”
Through this mutual aid work, Alex learned of Food For Free and joined our team shortly after. In her current role, Alex manages Healthy Eats – a home delivery program that brings fresh fruits, vegetables, pantry items, and sources of protein directly to the homes of qualifying low-income Cambridge residents who are unable to access traditional food pantries due to illness or disability and do not have relatives or caretakers who are able to assist them with groceries. Alex also manages the Just Eats grocery box program that provides healthy food to over 3,000 Boston area families and individuals each week.
This Women’s History Month, Alex is reminded of the female role models who positively influenced her life. One such woman is her mother, who also has a heart for service and raised Alex with the same values of lending a helping hand to neighbors, getting involved, and uplifting those in need. Alex’s mom helped Alex to expand her worldview beyond the narrow scope of her small, rural town. This broadened perspective has led Alex to take leadership in the workplace and in her personal life, feeling empowered and delighted to raise her voice to represent and support other women.
Thank you, Alex, for the passion and drive you bring to the work you do at Food For Free!
