Food. Health. Dignity. – Rose Saia

In this special episode of Spread Love in Organizations, Naji sits down with Rose Saia, Executive Director of the Centre Street Food Pantry, to explore the deep connection between food, health, and dignity. Rose shares her powerful personal story — from growing up food insecure in South Boston to leading a community-driven food relief organization that now serves six Greater Boston communities.

Drawing from her lived experience and leadership through the pandemic, Rose reflects on transforming Centre Street’s model to ensure equitable, dignified access to nutritious food for families in need. She discusses how food insecurity — often hidden even in affluent areas — is not only a social issue but also a public health crisis that intersects with housing, income, and healthcare access.

Rose and Naji explore what leadership looks like in times of crisis, how communities can mobilize around empathy and purpose, and why solving hunger requires partnerships across health systems, local organizations, and individuals. Despite the challenges, Rose’s message is one of resilience and hope: our shared humanity drives us to help one another—and through food, we can touch lives and health in the most fundamental way.

"When everything said we couldn’t, our community proved we can."

MEET OUR GUESTS Rose Saia, Executive Director at Centre Street Food Pantry.

Rose Saia Executive Director of Centre Street Food Pantry. Rose joined Centre Street in 2019 as a part-time Pantry Manager. When the pandemic began, she pivoted the operation to a new program and distribution model to address the exponential increase in food insecurity. She became Executive Director in 2021. Prior to joining Centre Street, she was Pantry Director for Open Table, a Metrowest regional grocery and meals agency. Her experience in nonprofit organizations includes being a member of the board of directors and marketing chair for The Capital Network and WEST (Women Entrepreneurs in Science and Technology), and as a CEO coach for women leading high-growth businesses at The Commonwealth Institute. Her professional career is anchored in high technology, where she was a leader of technical, product marketing, and business development teams for startups and global providers. She was the CEO and co-founder of a network security consulting and product company that was acquired by Juniper Networks. Rose is also a published writer and professional true-life storyteller who has appeared on local stages and on the national television series, “Stories from the Stage.”

Visit and help Centre Street Food Pantry.

Donate here.