In the Driver's Seat with Anthony Summa

I joined Lovin’ Spoonfuls when it expanded into MetroWest six years ago.

I’m a very numbers-focused individual. On heavy days, when our vendors have a lot of product for us, seeing that I was able to pick up and distribute over 3,000 pounds of food really feels great.

The arbitrary nature of date labels drives me crazy. Every time I go to my parents, I check their pantry and take past, and close-dated products home with me, knowing that the food is typically still perfectly safe to eat and that it likely would get thrown out otherwise. [Read more about what date labels actually mean]

I try to just remind myself that rushing usually doesn’t save much time, if any at all. Often the people that fly by you end up sitting next to you at the next light anyway.

Whole Foods Framingham, and in particular, Joseph in receiving, inspires me. This vendor donates a lot of product from all departments, but what always impresses me is how upbeat Joseph is during all of our pickups. Anytime I’ve ever showed up in a bad mood, he always manages to turn it around with just a few words while we work.

If I weren’t an FRC, I think I would be trying to work for a nonprofit in the food insecurity field. The partners we work with are all amazing and I can totally see myself working at one of them. 

I am terrified of heights, but while in Tennessee, we went across the longest pedestrian cable bridge in the country. The middle span, which was made of glass, was around 500 feet above the valley below and swayed significantly from side to side. Yikes!

Six-plus years in and I’m constantly picking up new products I’ve never heard of before, like this cherry berry hibiscus-flavored milk.