Food For Free Appoints Amy Copperman and Deanne Wherry as Co-Chairs

CAMBRIDGE, SOMERVILLE, Mass. – Food For Free, the leading food rescue and distribution organization in Eastern Massachusetts, proudly announces the appointment of Amy Copperman and Deanne Wherry as Co-Chairs of the nonprofit’s Board of Directors. Together, they will guide the board in leveraging their expertise and connections to advance the organization’s work to minimize food waste and increase access to nutrition for those in need.

Through a combination of food program support and direct service offerings, Food For Free uses partnerships, innovation and logistics to strengthen the community food system. The organization rescues food that would otherwise go to waste and creates new distribution channels to reach underserved populations in communities across the region.

“Food waste and food insecurity are both challenges in our society, whereas they could in fact, together, form a solution – that’s where Food For Free comes in,” says Jessica Cantin, Food For Free CEO. “Amy and Deanne are the perfect additions to help guide Food For Free to continue to innovate and expand our programming to bring nourishment to the communities in Massachusetts who need it most.”

As the Executive Director of MLPB, Copperman works to create access to legal knowledge for the health and social service sectors, and empower those organizations to use legal problem-solving skills to improve the health and wellbeing of those they serve. Previously, she held positions at AmeriCorps Legal Advocates of Massachusetts and Massachusetts Law Reform Institute. A passionate anti-hunger and anti-poverty advocate, Copperman has also been a healthy eating instructor with Kids Cooking Green and Cooking Matters.

“It is an exciting time for Food For Free,” says Copperman. “I am thrilled to embark on this shared leadership journey with Deanne, who brings some incredible skills to the role. And I consider myself lucky to get to work more closely with our dynamic and committed group of board members.”

Wherry brings more than 30 years of product development and operations experience. The Medford resident has dedicated the last two decades of her career at BlueCross Blue Shield of Massachusetts to launching programs to meet unique customer needs and adhere to complex state and federal laws and is currently working as a strategic consultant for nonprofits in Massachusetts. No stranger to this sector, she sat on the Catalyst Committee at the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of Massachusetts, and the Board of Advisors at Artists for Humanity. Wherry also completed a six-month sabbatical at uAspire, supporting the launch of the organization’s new brand and website, and subsequently joined their Strategic Planning Committee.

“Food For Free continues to focus on the community needs related to food access, continuously innovating to meet the unique needs of those we serve,” says Wherry. “I am excited to see the ongoing engagement and evolution of the work we do under a strong leadership team.”

Members of the Food For Free Board of Directors for 5 and 4 years respectively, Copperman and Wherry will continue to work alongside 11 other board members who are committed to serving the nonprofit. As Co-Chairs, Copperman and Wherry will help to advance the nonprofit’s mission, support strategic goals, provide governance to the organization and take part in successful fundraising campaigns which will lead to Food For Free’s growth over the next few years.

Founded in 1981 as one of the nation’s first food rescue organizations, Food For Free now serves more than 150,000 Massachusetts residents facing food insecurity and distributes 6.2 million pounds of nutritious fresh and prepared foods annually. For more information, to register to volunteer and to make a donation, visit: www.foodforfree.org.

About Food For Free:

Food For Free is a Cambridge and Somerville-based non-profit organization dedicated to providing Eastern Massachusetts with reliable access to fresh and nutritious food. Food For Free accomplishes its mission through food rescue, partnerships with schools, colleges, and community food programs, and our own direct service programs. In the last year, Food For Free distributed over 6.2 million pounds of nutritious food to communities in Eastern Massachusetts. To learn more, visit us at www.foodforfree.org, or follow Food For Free on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and X @foodforfreeorg.

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