How a beauty queen gives back to her Boston neighbors with compassion and care

Chelsea Page Moses, Ms. Global USA 2024, knows the importance of making people feel welcome.

“You see all walks of life come through the pantry just to get a meal,” Chelsea said. “I know what it feels like to be judged. I also know that food insecurity and hunger doesn’t always look like what people think.”

Chelsea is a transgender woman, and her lived experience, as well as her experience as a caregiver, shapes how and why she shows up to serve her community at the Allston Brighton Food Pantry, a partner of The Greater Boston Food Bank and the Feeding America network.

“It all started with me being Ms. Trans Massachusetts,” she said. “I needed something for myself after giving so much in the healthcare field. At 49, I decided to join Ms. Trans USA. Becoming Ms. Trans Massachusetts opened the door for me to start volunteering with Chef Pam at the food pantry, and it’s been a rewarding journey ever since.”

Her work at the Allston Brighton Food Pantry is crucial not only for the LGBTQ+ community but for all of the neighbors in her community who face barriers to food access. “I don’t like to put myself in a box; I serve everybody because we’re all God’s children,” she shared. “But I know the LGBTQ+ community often faces additional barriers, and it’s important for them to have places where they feel safe and supported.”

“I give it to God,” she said. “We live in trying times, and I pray several times a day. I hope we can love and treat each other with kindness, recognizing that we’re all human beings, nothing more, nothing less.”

Community is what drives her. For Chelsea, “It’s about more than just providing food; it’s about giving people dignity and showing them they’re not alone. We’re building a stronger community together, and that’s something to be proud of.”

This Pride Month, we celebrate Chelsea and her story, a testament to the impact that one person can have in ending hunger in their community. It’s because of people like Chelsea that Feeding America can make a difference by feeding people, no matter who they are.