MFFC Staff and Board Members Celebrate Women's History Month

Published March 27, 2025

This March, the Mattapan Food and Fitness reflected on the contributions of women who have shaped the future of Mattapan. From advocating for food justice to creating spaces for community wellness, the women of the Mattapan and Greater Boston have long been at the heart of local change. This Women’s History Month, we sat down with our board members and staff to hear their stories, inspirations, and hopes for the next generation.

Kay Savage -- MFFC Physical Activity Coordinator

Kay Savage, left, at the Mattapan Square Farmers Market

"The two people I look up to are my nana and my mother. They showed me how to be the person I am today by inspiring me through their treatment of people, being single moms, and their great work-ethic. I hope I made a difference in the Mattapan community when it comes to having a healthy lifestyle."

Stephanie Campbell -- MFFC Advisory Board Member

"One woman I look up to is Veronica Chapman. She is a Boston area transplant. She inspires me because she is one of those people who never complains about social injustices. Instead, she always finds a creative way to implement a solution, and if it does not exist-she builds it. A great example of this is that she is a children's book author and realized how difficult it was to find Black children's books that represented our humanity, not Black children as animals or other caricatures. Her solution was to start the Black Baby Book website and then launch Black Children's Book Week. This is now an event that is celebrated across the Black diaspora!

My sisterhood with Veronica is such a gift. She is my go-to solution-oriented person and inspires me to explore how to use my gifts and talents to help build the community I want to be a part of. She impacts her community in so many ways. For one, she has inspired a new generation of children's authors and continues to use her platforms to amplify Black stories for children. You can learn more about Veronica here.

I hope my legacy in Mattapan is to continue to build upon the amazing work of those who have come before me and partner with leaders, young people, and community members to ensure Mattapan continues to thrive!"

Emmanuell Debarros -- MFFC Advisory Board Member

"One woman I look up to from Mattapan is Robyn Gibson, an environmental consultant who has a passion for her career to advocating for improving the environmental conditions in her community. Her passion for the planet and commitment to making a difference in her community is admirable.

Robyn’s work has left a profound impact on me in a few ways. Her ability to connect with people is welcoming. The passion for environmental issues floods my brain with ideas and the vision for Mattapan's environmental justice approach in advocacy, organizing, and mobilizing. This has inspired me to engage more actively in environmental advocacy, understanding the neighborhood of Mattapan through an EJ point of view.

The impact Robyn has had on her community is powerful. Through her initiatives, she has raised awareness about the environmental challenges facing Mattapan. From clean green space, Robyn has also been revealing her organizing skills of building relationships, in connecting local community members and family in the work. Having family strongly involved in the work is inspirational.

My hope for my legacy in Mattapan is to continue the work that Robyn and the team have modeled. I aspire to uplift and support improving programs and strengthen the organization's effort to advocate EJ."

We hope that our staff and board members inspire you to think about women in your life who have had an impact!

Check out our staff here