Ginette Bott, Utah Food Bank President & CEO, aka “The Food Bank Lady,” has been awarded the Governor’s Career Humanitarian Award by the Utah Nonprofits Association. For better or worse, a leader influences the tone and vision of an entire organization. Fortunately, we are led in Fighting Hunger Statewide by a truly inspiring and dedicated humanitarian! Ginette is a passionate spokesperson for Utah Food Bank and a remarkable person to work for and with. We are delighted her hard work and advocacy was recognized for this award!
This award honors an outstanding individual who, over the course of their career, has demonstrated a unique propensity to work selflessly and with great passion for the promotion of human welfare and the advancement of social good within the State of Utah. Awardees are generally recognized leaders who inspire others to get involved for the betterment of their community and have had a career of 20+ years.
Ginette has had empathy and a desire to help those facing food insecurity since she was a young woman, having experienced hunger and received help to get through that challenging time. Throughout her professional life, Ginette has made the most of whatever means were available to her to ensure that other food-insecure people have access to the food assistance they need.
As Chief Development Officer and then President & CEO of Utah Food Bank, Ginette has significantly expanded and strengthened the state’s food assistance network. She led Utah Food Bank’s capital campaign, which provided a much more efficient workspace and expanded Utah Food Bank’s warehouse capabilities. With the support of a committed staff, she transformed a grassroots organization that distributed 22.4 million pounds of food in 2009 to a well-regarded and professional entity that provided 52.9 million pounds of food in 2020.
She also expanded Utah Food Bank’s Mobile School Pantry Program from one school to 85 schools in a period of four years. This growth is the result of her exceptional ability to communicate the importance of Utah Food Bank’s mission, both within and outside of the organization, her unfailing compassion for people in need, and her refusal to accept the status quo.
As the face of Utah Food Bank, Ginette has educated corporate, religious, and civic groups about the extent of hunger in our state and the impact hunger has on people’s lives. She asks audiences to give food, time, or money—and they respond. But her impact is much larger than this. Whether she is speaking to a broad audience through a mass media channel or chatting with a single person on the street, she has an extraordinary ability to create hunger advocates wherever she goes.
Ginette’s deeply held commitment to fighting hunger—and the central role it plays in her life—inspires others to do more for people in need of assistance. Without her ability to inspire, Utah Food Bank would not be able to reach the 1 in 5 Utah children who face hunger, and she certainly would not have become “The Food Bank Lady” to so many Utahns, who often stop her on the street to thank her for what she does. As a leader, her open heart and high expectations remind us daily of what we are working for and why. Please join us in congratulating Ginette!
Find out more about this award, and Ginette, here: