In April, Lisa Gibalerio’s phone rang.
The voice of state Rep. Dave Rogers piped through the speaker on the other end of the call to notify the long-time Belmont resident and public health worker that he nominated her as a 2026 Commonwealth Heroine.
“I was obviously surprised and touched,” Gibalerio said.
The award recognizes women from across the state “who are making a big difference in their communities but not necessarily making the news.”
Gibalerio joins 146 other women nominated by their state legislator for the award.
Gibalerio has worked for Wayside Youth and Family Support Network since 2018, when she received a federal grant to begin working with Belmont community members. Her first step in that position was to build a coalition with the goal of driving down the substance misuse numbers among youth in grades seven through twelve.
“I was perfectly situated,” Gibalerio said about leveraging her connections at the time. “I knew the police chief. I knew the fire chief. I knew the superintendent of schools. I knew the health department people. So I was well-poised to just say, ‘Come join me.’”
Thus, the Belmont Wellness Coalition was born.
Gibalerio also started a parent group, first in person and then online during the pandemic. In the first few months of the group, she put a slide deck together with a structured lecture, but she quickly learned that the parents weren’t coming solely for answers. They were coming to share their stories and challenges.
“If someone’s turning on the computer at seven o’clock on a Wednesday night, they’ve got a reason to be there, so I’m trying to … make it a safe place,” Gibalerio said.
Rebecca Furth, a parent who has attended parent group meetings for four years, said Gibalerio’s ability to coordinate the group and to get “everybody on the same page” is a big part of the group’s success.
Outside of parent group, Gibalerio discusses issues, such as the HPV vaccine and setting rules for college kids returning home for the summer, with the Belmont Media Center’s News Now program. She speaks at back-to-school night about the Social Host Liability Law in Massachusetts, which punishes anyone who “furnishes alcohol to a person under 21 years of age.” She also writes an Ask Lisa column for The Belmont Voice, where parents can anonymously ask Gibalerio questions.
One long-time reader of the column wrote to Gibalerio about their adult daughter’s weight gain. They were concerned for their child’s health, but they didn’t know how to discuss it with her.
“The fact that I needed to address it was the default in my mind,” the parent said.
In her response, Gibalerio told the parent that the weight gain wasn’t for them to comment on. She provided an entirely new way of thinking about the situation, the parent said.
“In the case of [Gibalerio], she’s energetically served families in Belmont and the wider area for many years. … Her commitment to Belmont’s caregivers and young people is important and very helpful,” Rogers said about why he nominated Gibalerio for the award.
The throughline in all of Gibalerio’s work is open communication and setting realistic goals. She hopes that the work will delay substance use among the youngest members of the Belmont community, but if they do choose to experiment, she hopes that they do so with evidence-based education and apprehension.
“What I try to impress upon parents or kids is do it thoughtfully,” she said. “Approach it like you approach a hot stove.”
Rogers will present Gibalerio the award at a School Committee meeting in September.