Wellesley Resident Reflects On Year With Greater Boston Food Bank

WELLESLEY, MA — Wellesley might not be the first town many people think about when the problem of hunger or food insecurity is mentioned. But it is Wellesley resident Joanna Travis who has taken on an important leadership position in an effort to solve this very real problem faced by 1 in 11 of our neighbors here in Eastern Massachusetts.

In 2019, Travis took over as chair of The Greater Boston Food Bank’s Board of Directors and led the board’s approval of GBFB’s new 10-year strategic plan. Hunger Free 2028 aims to accelerate GBFB’s operations and bring together cross-sector partners in an effort to provide three meals a day across Eastern Massachusetts. A three-pronged plan, Hunger Free 2028 will invest in distributing more nutritious food throughout the region, building capacity among our network partners, and advancing more research and policy.

“This aggressive plan requires significant investments and the support of the entire Eastern Massachusetts community,” said Catherine D’Amato, GBFB’s president and CEO. “Thanks to Joanna’s leadership, the board’s support certainly energized GBFB’s efforts in 2019. We set both fundraising and distribution records while continuing to increase the amount of nutritious food distributed to those in need.”

Travis has served on the GBFB Board of Directors since 2013 and was elected chair of the 20-member board in 2019. Her time with GBFB goes back to when she was a member of GBFB’s Board of Advisors beginning in 2010.

“Since I first got involved with GBFB back in 2010, I’ve seen amazing changes that indicate to me that the Hunger Free 2028 vision is an achievable goal,” said Travis. “Not only has GBFB practically doubled its food distribution in the past decade, it delivers a much larger percentage of nutritious food to help people with food-insecurity live healthier lives.”

Travis has worked as a trial attorney, a prosecutor, and in private practice where she specialized in municipal law serving as legal counsel for several nonprofit organizations. In addition to her work with GBFB, Travis is active with Summer Search Boston, Charles River School and Giffords Center to Prevent Gun Violence. She lives in Wellesley with her husband Nigel Travis and their two children, both of whom have volunteered with their schools at GBFB.