Women’s History Month is a time not just to reflect on the past achievements of women but also to celebrate those who continue to shape our communities with compassion, resilience, and innovation. Today, we spotlight Amy Copperman, Executive Director of MLPB and Board Member at Food For Free, whose journey intertwines law, healthcare, cooking, and community empowerment in her fight against food insecurity.
Born in New York City, Amy’s path to advocacy and leadership began in Minneapolis, where her early years were marked by a love for dramatic arts and languages. After her initial aspirations of becoming an actress led her to pursue Comparative Literature at Brown University, Amy later pursued a law degree at Harvard Law School, inspired by her work at nonprofits in New York like Women’s Prison Association. It was during her time as a housing attorney at Mass Law Reform Institute that Amy began to take a critical look at food insecurity as she recognized its intersection with legal challenges faced by vulnerable communities.
After twelve years in housing law, Amy switched gears on her career by enrolling at Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, a decision that was driven by her passion for food and a desire for change after being laid off during the Great Recession. Teaching cooking to families, adults and kids in need at organizations like Kids Cooking Green, headstart programs and shelters offered Amy a firsthand understanding of food insecurity’s profound impact.
Amy’s journey eventually led her back to law and ultimately to MLPB, where she has been serving as Executive Director for over a year. She and her team at MLPB use training, consultation and technical assistance to help health and human services organizations understand that legal barriers, such as immigration status and food insecurity, are intrinsically linked to social determinants of health. Amy has enjoyed spearheading innovative approaches to address the question, “Can we bring legal knowledge and strategies into health and social care spaces?”
Amy believes that you don’t have to go to law school to do some of this work that she has been doing, and in all that she does she asks herself the question, “What can I do to facilitate my staff to do their best work?” Beyond motivating her staff, Amy hopes to facilitate conversations that convince health systems to address the legal needs of their patients as part of their care plan.
Joining Food For Free’s board in 2019 after being introduced to the nonprofit by her Institute for Nonprofit Practice program mentor, Sarah McDonald of Life Science Cares, Amy was drawn to the organization’s tenacity, grassroots approach, and innovation around distribution. At that time, Food For Free had just taken over the School Backpack Program in Somerville, and Biogen had just donated the Heat-n-Eats kitchen to the nonprofit. Amy could see that Food For Free’s approach was to think outside the box about how to find solutions to hunger in the community.
Witnessing Food For Free’s dedication and innovation in ensuring equitable food distribution, especially later on during the challenges of the pandemic, inspired Amy to lend her expertise to further the organization’s mission. She recalled participating in volunteer shifts in the tiny CEOC basement at Inman Street and later, in the Cambridge Senior Center, packing groceries for delivery during the pandemic, and how impressed she was with the extraordinary amount of food that was passing through some very small doors.
As a board member, Amy continues to advocate for innovative strategies to combat food insecurity, emphasizing the importance of capturing and building upon the lessons learned during the pandemic. With a focus on supporting Food For Free’s leadership and staff, Amy envisions a future where communities are empowered to address food insecurity through collaborative, sustainable solutions.
Amy shared the words of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, “Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” Amy exemplifies the spirit of this message, championing change while fostering collaboration and inclusivity. Her dedication to empowering communities underscores the transformative power of collective action.
As we celebrate Women’s History Month, let us draw inspiration from trailblazers like Amy Copperman, whose unwavering commitment to equity and justice challenges us to look at society’s issues through multiple lenses and promote a collaborative approach in solving them. Let us each bring our own knowledge and resources to the fight against food insecurity to ensure that every individual in our community has access to nourishment, dignity, and opportunity.
Join us on the journey towards a future where no one goes hungry, where every voice is heard, and where collective action paves the way for a brighter tomorrow. Together, we can create a world where everyone thrives.
To support nutrition security and help reduce food waste across eastern Massachusetts, donate to Food For Free by visiting https://foodforfree.org/donate/. To get in on the action, register to volunteer with us at https://foodforfree.org/volunteer/.
