Twelve Years of Showing Up: A Conversation with Mariela, Backpack Brigade Board President

This Volunteer Week, we sat down with Mariela — longtime volunteer, monthly donor, and Board President of Backpack Brigade — to talk about how food scarcity applies to all of us, indirectly or directly, and that we all have a role to play.

It started with a Friday morning and a tent.

Twelve years ago, Mariela was working at Starbucks when her manager encouraged the team to get involved in the community. She found her way to Backpack Brigade and spent four hours every Friday packing bags — outdoors, under tents, before the organization had a permanent home. Back then, they were sending out about 150 bags a week.

"A shift encompassed everything," she recalls. "You were packing your own bags, loading them, and delivering them. It was very humble, very nimble."

By the time she left that volunteer shift two years later, they were packing 800 bags a week. The mission was growing — and so was Mariela's connection to it.

Where it comes from

When you ask Mariela about where her instinct to give comes from, she doesn't hesitate. "My Abuelita," she says. "My grandma."

Raised by a strong woman with a humble background, Mariela watched her grandmother give without thinking twice. Their home sat along a commuter path, and if her grandmother spotted someone who looked like they were struggling, she'd step outside with whatever she had — water, bread, a churro.

"She taught me that you don't have to have wealth in order to give," Mariela says. "Sometimes the gift of time is more valuable than money."

Mariela's relationship with this work has shifted over the years — in the best possible way. "When I started, I was single. I had a lot of time and energy. I was not a mom." Now she is, and that changes everything.

Her kids have a full pantry. They eat when they're hungry, whatever they want. And sometimes, she notices the same snacks she packs in her own kids' lunches making their way into Backpack Brigade bags.

"That makes me feel good," she acknowledges. "That kids are eating — recognizable brands, good food."

Why it still makes her angry

For all the warmth Mariela brings to this work, she's also clear-eyed about what it represents.

"It still makes me mad that hunger exists in this community," she says. "This is a very wealthy community. We have Fortune 100 companies in this area. The fact that kids experience food insecurity seven days a week — let alone on weekends — is unfair. It's uncalled for. It's unnecessary."

That frustration is fuel. We have all the resources; now we just need the funding.

What Backpack Brigade Actually Does

Ask Mariela to describe the mission, and she keeps it simple: "We fill hungry bellies for students who are experiencing food insecurity on the weekends, removing barriers to growth and development."

Building a board that means business

Two years ago, Mariela stepped into the role of Board President.

"I come from a structured corporate background," she explains. From day one, she was direct with board members: a seat at the table comes with real expectations. Engagement with the community. Champions of our mission's urgency. Going beyond the boardroom to bring Backpack Brigade visibility.

Today, Backpack Brigade's board includes professionals from marketing, finance, economics, private wealth management, corporate strategy, and nutrition — a group that is, in Mariela's words, "diverse, committed, and ready to deliver." And we are actively recruiting to join the board.

Who she's looking for

Backpack Brigade’s Board isn't just looking for the usual suspects. They want city officials. Lawyers. Real estate brokers. Community members who know about food insecurity firsthand.

"We serve five school districts," she points out. "The capacity to keep growing comes from community engagement and from people who have the tools and platforms to be our voice in spaces we haven't reached yet."

Her message to anyone who's hesitant: start with a committee. Get a feel for the work. "I guarantee you — once you join a committee, you're going to want a seat on the board."

Why All Industries Have a Role

If you've spent your career in the corporate world and aren't sure a nonprofit board is for you, Mariela has a simple reframe. "This work is meaningful, and the same principles apply." Funding. Sustainability. Growth. Strategy.

Backpack Brigade serves 5,200-plus kids, and the demand is only increasing. The cost of food isn't going down. The economy is shifting. The organization needs people who understand forecasting, customer service, and long-term planning — and are willing to put those skills toward something that truly matters.

"We're delivering a service to a customer who really needs us," she says. "That's the work. And I would welcome anyone and everyone who's ready to be a part of it."