In our 40th year of service, my team and I have been reflecting on what our mission of building and sustaining hunger-free communities truly means. Over the decades, our collective understanding of the problem of food insecurity, and how to best solve it, has evolved. While providing meals is foundational to our work, it alleviates an immediate need but it’s only one aspect of the mission. To truly build and sustain hunger-free communities, we must work to understand the root causes of food insecurity and take steps to address them. We must also recognize that food insecurity is about so much more than needing food, it is about dignity. This is why we have made a commitment to center our neighbors in need at the heart of our work by recognizing their expertise about both the causes of hunger and the solutions to solve it. We believe that there is great wisdom within the very communities most impacted.
With your help, we have been working hard to ensure that food is available for all who need it, without exception, while also empowering individuals to uplift their communities. Our Kids’ Farmers Markets are a wonderful way to increase access—for the entire school community—to fresh produce in a stigma-free setting. We are proud to support our dedicated pantry partners combatting hunger with creative community-based strategies, like delivering free grocery items right to the door of anyone who needs it. And through our Community Advocates Program, we uplift the voices of lived experience, nurturing bonds for a shared good, developing the kind of relationships, skills, and social capital that leads to true community transformation.
Over the past few difficult years, we have clearly seen how interconnected we are with each other and our communities. We have been reminded how important human connection is for all of us, and how deeply we miss it when it is gone. With your incredible generosity, we have come so far together, providing not only meals, but support and opportunities for connection to the many households we have the privilege of serving each week. Thank you for your commitment!
In partnership,
Natasha R. Thompson
President & CEO