A Message From Myriam Michel
I am writing today to share some important news. On March 31st, after five deeply fulfilling years, I will be stepping down as Executive Director of Healthy Waltham.
It has been an absolute privilege and joy to lead this remarkable organization and I am immensely proud of all that we have accomplished together. With the organization poised to begin a new chapter with the launch of the Healthy Waltham Community Market, I believe it is an ideal time to welcome new leadership. Plans are underway to recruit a new Executive Director. You can read more on that process from our Board of Directors below. I will be doing all I can to ensure a smooth transition, both prior to and after vacating the position.
When I became Executive Director of Healthy Waltham in 2019, I could not have imagined what lay ahead. Less than a year into my tenure, the Covid-19 pandemic turned our world upside down. The number of Waltham residents facing hunger increased exponentially. In the face of this immense and unprecedented need, Healthy Waltham stepped up. We tripled the number of pantries we held, we secured more food, we sourced volunteers – and we turned no one away. This is perhaps my proudest achievement as Executive Director, and indeed of my professional life.
As the pandemic subsided, we were able to return to long-term plans to build capacity and transform the way we deliver services and support to our neighbors in need. After an intensive and challenging search, we secured Healthy Waltham’s first-ever permanent home – a major milestone in the history of the organization. In addition to providing security and efficiency for our pantry operations, this new space will enable the realization of our long-cherished plan: to implement a progressive new pantry model that will revolutionize how we serve our Waltham families experiencing hardship. The Healthy Waltham Community Market will deliver a dignified and compassionate pantry experience to our clients while streamlining operations and reducing waste. I could not be more excited to see this new model in action.
In time, it is my hope that additional health services and learning opportunities will be staged from this location and that it will also become a hub for Waltham’s residents and service organizations, creating a place to convene and co-work and facilitating a cross-pollination of ideas and resources that will result in improved care and resilience for our community.
Throughout my tenure I have been supported by an extraordinary group of people: Staff, board members, volunteers, partners, private donors and funders, elected officials, municipal personnel in the city of Waltham and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts who have supported and amplified our work.
I cannot name them all here but I would like to give special mention to a few:
First, our dedicated staff, past and present–our warriors and the heart and soul of Healthy Waltham: Maria DiMaggio, Rico Vasquez, Theresa Pendant, Rob Thompson, Joe Previtera, Chris Gamble and Ann Callahan.
Second, our committed and caring board members, current and past: our supportive Chair, Dr. Nadene Stein, together with Amy Esposito, Paul Nederhoed, Naveen Pawar, Deb Moore, Maureen Taddeo, Ravi Samavedam, Bill Burgess, Donnie Lucente, Kaytie Dowcett, Maria Russo, Emily Sapeira, George Darcy, Jessica Greher Traue, Sue Lowcock, and Haylee Dussault.
And, finally, to all those who make this city what it is: warm, caring, supportive, vibrant and strong – I thank you. I have loved being part of this community.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Myriam Michel
Executive Director
A Message From the Healthy Waltham Board of Directors
To Our Wonderful Waltham Community:
On March 31st, Myriam Michel will step down as Executive Director of Healthy Waltham. We received this news with a mixture of gratitude and sadness. In her nearly five years of service, she has transformed our organization. Under her leadership, and using her extraordinary skills as both a visionary and a logistician, Healthy Waltham became the city’s first line of defense against hunger during the Covid-19 pandemic, distributing over three million pounds of food to tens of thousands of families in need. We could not have asked for a more capable and dedicated leader during this extraordinary time. Healthy Waltham is now the city’s largest food pantry distribution service. While the pandemic delayed Myriam’s longer-term, higher goals to transform Healthy Waltham’s delivery of resources and support to improve the health and wellbeing of our community, it did not dampen her determination in the least. As Covid waned, she led the Board and staff through an extensive strategic planning process which helped to clarify our purpose, reinforce our commitment to fighting food insecurity in our city, and identify new opportunities for building a healthier Waltham. This process reinforced our decision to secure a permanent home for our organization for the first time in its history. Our new space at 123 Felton Street will be the foundation for this next phase of our organization, including the Healthy Waltham Community Market. To make these plans a reality, Myriam successfully expanded the organization’s base of support. Public supporters, as well as corporate, foundation and individual donors believed in, and contributed to, her vision and the organization garnered local and statewide recognition for its Covid response and plans for its Community Market. While we will miss Myriam’s leadership and energy, she leaves us with the roadmap and resources to lead us into an exciting future that will benefit the entire Waltham community. We have begun the search for a new Executive Director and will keep you posted on its status. We thank Myriam for her hard work, commitment and her vision and wish her the very best in all of her future endeavors. She will always remain a part of the Healthy Waltham family.