Serving the Community: Gina Plata-Nino's Efforts to Support Vulnerable Populations

Gina Plata-Nino worked with the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI) where she served as a lead advocate on the Hunger Free Campus legislative campaign to help address food security issues among college students. Before MLRI, she served as a staff attorney at the Central West Justice Center of Community Legal Aid in Worcester, Massachusetts, where she oversaw the Food Security Project, which sought to address the underlying causes of food insecurity and identify ways to give residents access to affordable, nutritious foods. She also worked at the state and federal levels on a variety of legislative, administrative, and policy issues that impacted families with low incomes, seniors, and other vulnerable populations. Additionally, she chaired the Central Massachusetts SNAP Coalition and worked with state and federal organizations to push legislation that removes obstacles to receiving public benefits. Gina holds a J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law and a bachelor’s degree in history from Montclair State University with minors in Paralegal Studies and Pre-Law. In 2019, the Massachusetts Bar Association named her an Access to Justice Award Rising Star. In 2022 she received the Liberty Award from the Worcester County Bar Association and the Top Women of Law award from the Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. She is actively involved in her local community and serves on various boards and coalitions including as co-chair of the community engagement and government relations committees for the Worcester County Bar Association, a member of the steering committee, and a mentor for the Massachusetts Bar Association’s Tiered Community Mentoring Program. Episode Highlights:  What is Gina’s background and how did this moment come to be? (3:06) How do we again focus on those people with positions decision-making on making positions? (5:51) The transition from the private sector to relying on the community for support (7:06) There’s power in numbers (12:28) Working with the coalition to get the right people involved (16:31) Massachusetts is supposed to be a progressive state, but it’s not (21:45) How do we support women of color in running for office? (24:29) Nourish your soul by traveling to different cultures (26:47) Key Takeaway:  Keep Fighting The Good Fight!