Chair of Food Link’s Board of Directors and a dedicated volunteer, Nora Mann is a core member of the Food Link team. Her initial introduction to food rescue came on a cold winter day in near-zero temperatures, but that did not deter her. In fact, Nora has been involved with Food Link ever since that first freezing shift at Trader Joe’s Arlington! Outside of her work in food rescue, Nora is a veteran lawyer; her legal experiences focus on supporting local nonprofits.

In this interview, Nora shares her passion for nonprofit organizations and what inspires her to work toward alleviating hunger -- and gives advice on how to make a difference in your local community.

You currently serve on Food Link’s Board of Directors as our Chair. How did you first get involved with Food Link?

I was brought in through a friend who is also on the Board of Directors, Judi Bohn. She and I have worked together on a variety of community-based nonprofits and she asked me to buy a ticket for a fundraiser. When she invited me to join her on her shift at Trader Joe’s Arlington, I was hooked. I couldn’t believe how much fresh food we collected, in 17-degree weather in February. The idea that Food Link did this over and over and over in different communities every day was extraordinary.

I started to help Judi with fundraising and was invited to join the board. This has proven to be a great way to serve my community, to give back, and to learn about a whole important area of our economy--both locally and more broadly--that impacts both people’s health and safety and our future as a planet because of the implications on the environment and sustainability.

From law firms to local government, you have an impressive résumé in the legal field! What initially attracted you to working with nonprofit organizations?

I was always a policy person. I grew up in a family where volunteering was the norm and trying to make things better was expected. I kept my work very local and found that living in Arlington was ideal. It is a real communitarian place where activism and participation are encouraged. I had been on the board of a local women’s day shelter in Cambridge for about 9 years. I loved it and it was, for me, a way to give back to the most vulnerable folks. As I was rolling off of that board at the expiration of my terms, I knew I wanted to stay active at the board level because of the way a board can support and guide the work that impacts communities.

Professionally, I worked in the Attorney General’s non-profit division for a long time and knew that the sector is a huge economic driver in Massachusetts, providing a significant proportion of jobs and offering, in addition to arts and culture, support for our Commonwealth’s most vulnerable. I figure it is a way that I can make a double contribution: my time and whatever expertise I have from regulating and litigating and advising in the sector.

In addition to your duties on Food Link’s Board of Directors, you are a regular volunteer. Can you please share some stories about your most memorable experiences in food rescue?

It started with that first 17-degree day when perhaps most people would’ve said “I'll be back in the spring.” One of the most memorable experiences was getting a call at 9 AM and heading up to the Chelsea produce market half an hour later with fellow volunteers to load up 380 flats (a tray used to transport produce), each with 12 English cucumbers, totaling 4,560 cucumbers all of which would’ve gone to waste.

Another memorable experience, pre-COVID-19, was when we would deliver to Chestnut Manor. Food Link would bring delicious fresh fruit and veggies. The food pantry coordinator would be so excited to receive something a bit unusual and to share a new culinary experience with her residents.

Finally, while the traffic is awful and parking truly impossible, I love going to the Brazilian Worker Center in Allston, MA. They serve such a vulnerable group and they “get it done” in the most powerful way.

“Each and every person can make a difference each and every day”

How does Food Link’s vision, a food system without waste, in which everyone has enough, inspire you?

There are so many challenges that we as a society and nation face every day. This is one area in which each and every person can make a difference each and every day. Food Link’s vision helps folks feel less vulnerable and less cynical: knowing that their individual and communal actions can help to address food insecurity and can move the needle--no matter how modestly--on climate change and protecting our environment. It's very empowering.

Many people are looking to get involved in creating sustainable and equitable communities, ranging from hunger to other important social justice sectors. What advice do you have for someone who is interested in making a difference?

Find the thing that moves YOU. Not what you think will have a big impact, but the thing that you can talk about with passion and that you feel so good about that you don’t mind, well, working in 17-degree weather. Think about your skill set and how you might be able to use your skills to make a contribution.

Thank you, Nora, for sharing your Food Link story! Don’t miss out - read our other Food Link Friday stories now.

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Finding a Passion to Help Others | Food Link Friday: Nora Mann, Chair of Board of Directors