About Us

rlifshatz@danielstable.org

Risa was born in Boston and grew up in Brookline. A graduate from Beaver country Day school and the George Washington University with a major in urban planning and a minor in political science. Risa was a mortgage banker until children and subsequently and temporarily left the workforce. She became a volunteer for JFSMW when my kids were very young and I worked myself into a job. Starting out part-time and ended up 25 years later as the full-time business office manager. Risa enjoys the nonprofit world. She went to work every day knowing that she was working with people who really cared about what happened to the world and the people in it. She loved working with the clients and had a special relationship with many of the elders and also the families from the Syrian humanitarian project. Risa retired in 2021 and moved to Cape Cod. Now she volunteers, takes care of her elderly parents, and is thrilled and privileged to be now a part of Daniel‘s table.

aortiz@danielstable.org

Anthony is the Senior Strategist for the Office of Effective Partnerships and Impact within the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. He has demonstrated leadership in various roles, contributing significantly to education and community engagement. His diverse experience in both school services and municipal work showcases a commitment to enhancing communities.

Anthony served as the Manager of Wraparound Services for Framingham Public Schools for over two years and contributed to the launch of Wraparound Services for FPS as one of four inaugural coordinators back in 2021. While in Framingham, Anthony also participated in other roles, serving as the Chairperson of the Family Engagement Committee, the Secretary for the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) Advisory Committee, the Education Representative for the Early Childhood Alliance of Framingham’s Steering Committee and the Chairperson of the Equity, Diversity, & Community Engagement Committee. In addition, Anthony also ran an Out of School Time Program for one of Framingham’s elementary schools for two years.

Prior to joining Framingham Public Schools, Anthony worked as an Assistant Director of Admissions for higher education institutions, a municipality worker for the City of Worcester, and managed an after-school program developed to support middle school-aged students in Worcester.

Anthony holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communication and Spanish from Worcester State University and a Master’s degree in Community Development and Planning from Clark University.

ablais@danielstable.org

Alicia Blais is the esteemed Co-Founder of Daniel’s Table, where her dedication to eradicating food insecurity is palpable. Her heartfelt commitment to serving the community and her empathetic approach have guided the organization’s efforts to provide nutritious meals to those in need while fostering a sense of dignity and belonging for all. Alicia’s leadership has been instrumental in building strong partnerships and collaborative initiatives, ensuring that Daniel’s Table remains a beacon of hope and support for individuals and families facing economic hardships in the area.

I am a registered nurse and I see first-hand the difference consuming quality food regularly has on the health and outcomes of a growing child who attends school daily, all the way to a senior living alone. Eating well balanced, quality food on a regular basis can make an enormous difference in a child’s education as well as overall physical and emotional health. For seniors, it means avoiding some chronic conditions and staying healthy.

John and I wanted to be part of David and Alicia’s team because I believed in their vision and mission to bring food security to the City of Framingham in a creative and economically feasible way.

My husband and I have volunteered bringing food to people’s homes and each person felt loved and seen by David, Alicia and the DT team. It’s this personal connection that separates Daniels Table from other programs.
It is an honor to be part of this team of board members and I admire the unique gifts and talents each person brings to Daniel’s Table.

Magda is a first generation immigrant who came to the USA as a young adult. She attended vocational school while learning English. Then, with help of a scholarship, attended a two year college and graduated with an Associates Degree. Years later she went back to college while working full time, and graduated with a BS in Business Administration. Framingham has been her home since 1996. She is married and has two children in college. In 2021 she bravely stepped into the world of local politics and single-handedly ran a campaign for the City Council in D7. She met many local politicians as well as Chief of FPD, Members of FFD, but most importantly many of Framingham residents. It was an eye opener, not just from the perspective of politics. She knows so many in Framingham who live alone, are elderly and sometimes disabled and that poverty is a tough pill to swallow. Magda heard about Daniel’s Table, and she is now a regular volunteer at the Wednesday Farmers Market. She says: “I was not able to repay the kindness my family received when we first came to the USA years ago. Giving back to the community now feels right. I get a sense of belonging, I meet new people, I make new friends”. For many it is not just the food insecurity but also the language barrier, the cultural differences, the inability to express yourself clearly and find your place in a world that often cannot understand you. She intends to, through Daniel’s Table, give others the kind of help she received when she moved to the US.