Dinah Garcia Tolley on Operation Feed: Inspiring the next generation of philanthropists
There are too many people in our communities who have to choose between food and transportation or medicine. That shouldn't be a choice."
Dinah Garcia Tolley - Vice President of Customer Care, Bread Financial
Growing up in Ohio, Dinah Garcia Tolley, who serves as a vice president of customer care at Bread Financial, was raised to believe that philanthropy – whether a donation of time, talent or treasure – is essential to creating a better world.
“My dad was an activist, including me in human rights marches as a child, which taught me the importance of having a voice and advocating for others. My mom contributed generously to important causes, and she was always purposeful in sharing her why. These experiences at a young age definitely shaped my journey as a philanthropist."
Dinah heard stories about her parents' experiences with food insecurity and was aware of the sacrifices they made to ensure their family never went hungry, which inspired her lifelong commitment to supporting hunger relief efforts.
“There are too many people in our communities who have to choose between food and transportation or medicine," Dinah said. “That shouldn't be a choice."
When Dinah moved to New Mexico – which, according to Feeding America research, ranks among the highest in the nation for childhood hunger – she began volunteering for Roadrunner Food Bank. Now, she is approaching her fifth year of service on Roadrunner's Board of Directors, and this past January, she became Board Chair.
“Eliminating childhood hunger is my passion, and I found a way to help that would allow me to put my skills to use," Dinah said. “With an operations background, I truly am amazed at how Roadrunner Food Bank operates as a food distribution hub, making sure that its partners around the state have the food they need to support their communities."
Eliminating childhood hunger is my passion, and I found a way to help that would allow me to put my skills to use. With an operations background, I truly am amazed at how Roadrunner Food Bank operates as a food distribution hub, making sure that its partners around the state have the food they need to support their communities."
In addition to her work at Roadrunner, she also serves as an Executive Champion for Bread Financial's Operation Feed campaign, encouraging associates to donate time and money to end hunger in their communities. Dinah says she was “very humbled" to be asked to serve again and represent the annual campaign that has resulted in more than $450,000 donated and thousands of volunteer hours logged in the past five years.
What's your personal “why" for supporting Operation Feed and hunger relief efforts?
I was volunteering at a food distribution center when I met a young boy who was advocating for his family because they couldn't communicate their needs. He negotiated which foods and how much food his family needed. My first thought was, “Wow, he's going to be a great leader since he was learning those key skills at such a young age." But then the reality sunk in that no child should have to be responsible for their family's well-being. He will forever be my motivation.
Why is your board service with Roadrunner Food Bank so meaningful to you?
Bread Financial has encouraged board service, which is a gift, and I believe it's my duty to give back beyond volunteering and donating to the food bank. Diversity, equity and inclusion are as important to Roadrunner Food Bank as they are to Bread Financial, which is meaningful to me – specifically that clients have equal access to food that is nutritious and inclusive of their cultural preferences.
How can we encourage younger generations to join in the fight against hunger?
Sometimes it’s hard to teach the younger generations what it means to be without. The way to do that is by getting them out into the community so they can experience it for themselves. My husband, our 15-year-old twin boys and I volunteer together in the warehouse prepping food for distribution and by sorting the food donations. My hope is that, over time, volunteering will fill a need in my boys’ hearts, and they’ll see it as a responsibility they have to their community.
What impact has Bread Financial had on food security efforts in your community?
I love that at Bread Financial we’re not only looking for ways to support people and their passions; we’re also looking for larger opportunities where we can impact important causes. For example, we discovered that Roadrunner Food Bank had a need for hunger-related data at the state level. So, Bread Financial provided a transformational $500,000 gift to support their Service Insights effort. With training, equipment and human capital resources to acquire the data capture, the food bank has made decisions about how best to support our communities.
How would you like to see associates get involved in the Operation Feed campaign?
I take great pride in seeing our associate participation rates for Operation Feed grow each year because I know it means we are impacting our communities. Every bit counts and no gift is too small. It truly takes a village, so I encourage anyone to get involved. Collectively, we make a difference.
