We Are Ready To Take The Next Step                       

My granddaughter is ready for a bigger bike. She lost her training wheels about a month ago. I told her a couple of weeks ago that we would go get a new bike very soon.  I’m looking forward to seeing her ride that new one, but am anxious about when the inevitable will happen, that first crash. I don’t really care that the bike might be scratched, that will continue to happen as long as she has it. I’m more anxious about her hesitancy to get up and get back on the bike. That’s a big life lesson. As you know, we all continue to learn that lesson throughout the rest of life in one way or another. I look at her accomplishment as kind of a milestone as she transitions from what was comfortable, to what is new and exciting, maybe a little scary, but time for the next step to be taken. She will continue to grow and the need to make these milestone changes will continue. Isn’t that true for the rest of us as well?

We are finishing up our new Strategic Plan for 2019 – 2021. It should be ready by the end of July. We will probably activate it in August because we’re ready to embrace it and move forward. Strategic Plans are somewhat of a milestone activity. It’s good to re-examine what we’re doing and why we’re doing it. It also is good to move into a possible new aspect of the mission or to add more depth and breadth to what we’re committed to with programs and initiatives. It may seem to have a scary side, but that probably has more to do with reaching beyond our current grasp to lean into the future of what we’re striving to achieve. We certainly don’t work in isolation, we do this with the help of thousands of community members that cover 8 counties who continue to place value in this mission. I think that demonstrates the genuine concern that exists for struggling families that make up a significant portion of the population. A recent training I attended shared that 78% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. Also, that over 50% of Americans can’t find $500 to meet a crisis. If you find that startling, it shouldn’t be. We are actually doing better on many struggle points than in recent years, so there’s reason to be optimistic.

I am excited to be part of this great work. I think the work we do and through many other people is noble. Gathering resources (food) that would be lost to the local landfills across the country and getting it re-purposed into beneficial supplements to ease the pressure of an economic crossroads crisis is impacting tens of thousands of families in our 8 counties, if only with some short-term relief. Who benefits if we allow it to be dumped in our landfill?

We in essence are helping to cultivate relationships that are changing lives through our Forward S.T.E.P.S. initiative and our School Pantry Program. Hearing someone witness to the impact that these programs have had on their lives and the lives of their children is motivational to say the least. If an employer has recognized a difference in an employee that has resulted in a raise, promotion or just some recognition to boost that employee’s morale we can celebrate the work and encourage the journey to continue. When children are demonstrating positive behavior and are engaging more in the classroom we can celebrate the work. These results are from relationship building. Many of our community partners help us facilitate these building blocks that are foundational to sustainable change, one family at a time. That may not sound like much unless you’re one of the families. We have a great staff team that take their role seriously because lives of people are being affected. We celebrate the work, just not often enough, and invite you to join us for the role you feel called to fill. Together, we can see this community take the next step.

 

Tim Kean is the President and CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana. The Second Harvest Food Bank network of 115-member agencies, programs and 22 schools provide food assistance and self-sustainability skills to more than 68,000 low-income people facing hunger in Blackford, Delaware, Grant, Henry, Jay, Madison, Randolph and Wabash Counties.

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