ABOUT
A Place To Turn has been serving the community since 1979. Our founders, Joe and Edna Gillis recognized that hunger was not exclusively an urban and rural problem, but was a growing issue in the suburbs.
What began as a small neighborhood pantry has evolved to meet growing community needs.
The towns that A Place To Turn currently serves include:
Ashland, Dover, Framingham, Marlborough, Medfield, Natick, Sherborn, Southborough, Sudbury, Wayland, Wellesley, and Weston.
Mission
A Place To Turn provides healthy food choices, diapers, and personal care items to MetroWest residents. We are committed to addressing hunger by serving with dignity, equity, and empathy.
Welcome Message from Rebecca Gallo
A Place To Turn Executive Director
Fall has always been my favorite season. The air turns colder, autumn fruits and veggies fill the markets, and it is finally soup and hot chocolate weather. At A Place To Turn, we are stocking the farmer’s market with butternut squash, beets, kale and bushels of apples. Volunteers and those shopping at the pantry are swapping recipes and comparing favorite dishes.
Fall is also the start of the holiday season. It is my first at A Place To Turn, and I have been inspired by the generosity of the community. We have already received thousands of pounds of food, and many more community groups have reached out to share their holiday food drive plans. The food that fills the shelves and the storage areas will feed families for months to come. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the spirit of the season.
As we see the number of families using the pantry increase every month – a 70% increase from this time last year – it is clear many of our neighbors have hit tough financial times. The good news is that this is a community that lends a hand when our neighbors need it. When we ask for help, you respond. Volunteers give their time, talents and passion so operations run smoothly, and families feel welcome; donors trust us with their resources allowing us to distribute foods that we would feed our own families; and people using the pantry trust us to help them feed their families with respect and dignity.
At the risk of sounding cliché, I am grateful for all of you- the community that surrounds A Place To Turn. I wish you a joyous fall and holiday season filled with as much good food as you can eat!
Rebecca Gallo
Meet the Team
Board of Directors
Doreen Thompson, President
Josh Boutin, Treasurer
Lauren Burkley, Secretary
David Ford, Board Member
Lauren Alongi, Board Member
Jason Crawford, Board Member
Bryan Takasaki, Board Member
David Haviland, Board Member
Rita Martins, Board Member
Our Neighbors Say…
“A Place to Turn deals with a diverse group of people and the food they provide is priceless. The staff is pleasant and they provide a great service. They make sure the family is fed.“
“Without A Place To Turn there would have been many times when I would not have had enough money to feed my children. I struggle every day, but knowing there are supportive, caring people I can come to gives me hope to go on.“
