My Mother Fed More Than Her Students’ Minds: Dyani Hanrahan

Dyani Hanrahan grew up with a mother who was always looking to take care of others. A high school teacher, she worried about how well her students were learning French in her class, and she worried about how they were doing overall.

And the students were not the only ones learning.

“For many years, she had what we called ‘The Closet’ in her classroom, and with the perspective I have now, I see that it really was an informal version of what is now known as a school pantry,” shared Dyani, who is the Vice President of Marketing and Community Relations for Giant Food and Board Member of the Maryland Food Bank.

She recalls her mother sharing stories of kids who either needed a little bit of breakfast to start the day, some items to cobble together into lunch, stop by between classes to grab a snack, and even to fuel up before sports or other school activities.

“I think my mom stocked that closet knowing that kids need to have full bellies in order to do the best that they could at school. I mean, it’s really hard to concentrate, to engage fully when you’re worried about being hungry and so she kept that closet stocked!”

Modeling Good Behavior, Instilling Empathy

Just like with the thoughtfulness she demonstrated for her students, Dyani’s mom went above and beyond to set a positive example for her own children.

“She introduced me to ‘the work’ when I was just 13 years old. I vividly recall that first volunteer experience at Martha’s Table in Washington, DC, where we mostly prepared food, but sometimes we’d go out on the truck and distribute to people at different points around the city,” she recalls.

Dyani remembers her mother taking extra time to make sure that she noticed each and every one of the activists and volunteers that it took to make an impact.

“It was really inspiring for my mom to show me both of those examples early on – how you get involved with a local organization that’s doing great work to fight hunger in your communities, but on a smaller scale, people can do things like The Closet and make their own impact.”

But for Dyani, those lessons went even deeper.

“She would just talk to her students about what was going on in their lives, letting me see that she was invested in people that weren’t her family, and how lucky I was to have that great role model that was thinking beyond themselves to make sure others lived happy, healthy, and successful lives,” she continued.

With such a strong role model, it’s no wonder that Dyani felt a pull to help others, and sought ways to build community, starting with her first two jobs.

“Those experiences with my mother led to me wanting to always feel like I was working in a space that contributed to a larger purpose,” she said. “When I was working in professional sports, I had the opportunity to help promote involvement with women’s sports, and then in the restaurant industry, I felt driven by purpose to do good through food,” Dyani continued.

The Student Becomes the Teacher

Drawing parallels to her own experiences early on at Martha’s Table, Dyani recalls her son’s first volunteering shift.

“I took my son out to a food distribution event when he was just seven, the first year he could participate – and there he was, handing out hot chocolate as the adults were handing food to people and I know that it instilled in him it’s like it takes all of us to take care of each other.”

Dyani is proud that all three of her children are active volunteers, including shifts together at the Maryland Food Bank, and hopes that other families will have the same experience.

“When you volunteer at the Maryland Food Bank, you don’t just get in there and start re-boxing or repackaging pasta; the staff here talk about hunger in Maryland and they do a great job of educating people about the why behind this work, and you get a fuller picture of your impact,” Dyani offered.

Growing up, food was just as important to building community at home – another tradition that Dyani is carrying on.

“My mom was the one who taught me to cook, so I have a lot of memories with mother of the two of us in the kitchen and her teaching me all of those fundamental things that helped me prepare to be able to live on my own and feed myself in a healthy way, and those are the moments that I’m trying to recreate with my kids,” she noted.

A Lesson for Us All

When asked about her plans for celebrating Mother’s Day, Dyani described a somewhat “non-traditional” aspect of a touching tradition.

“My mom and my mother-in-law are really great friends – they call each other on the phone about three times a week, and for the last 17 years, we’ve been taking them out for a nice brunch on Mother’s Day!”

And again, Dyani sees the opportunity to pay things forward.

“I feel really grateful to live close to my mom and my mother-in-law, so they can continue to have a huge influence on my kids – it’s that sense of being supportive that they are passing along to them.”

Consider honoring your mother by supporting the Maryland Food Bank’s efforts to ensure that all mothers have equitable access to nutritious foods.