This year tried to break us. Nice try.

2025 didn’t feel like a crisis year that would pass.

Families didn’t come once. They came back. Again, and again.

Many of them work. Many of them budget carefully. Many of them are doing everything they were told to do.

And still.

Food banks became the new normal.

Somewhere along the way, they stopped being a backup plan and became permanent anchors of the food system.

That wasn't the plan. And those leading the way are gasping for air.

Leadership felt heavier in 2025. More tough decisions with no clean answer. More explaining the same math that doesn't math. More holding teams together when everyone is exhausted.

Is that endurance? Maybe. You're still here, that's what matters.

Another thing became clearer too.

Scale doesn’t fix everything. When demand grows faster than infrastructure, bigger can just mean thinner. More fragile. More pressure on the same few people.

And yet.

Many leaders still chose dignity, choice and fresh food. Even when it would have been easier not to.

That choice matters more than it gets credit for. Communities notice when the food feels like something meant for them, not handed to them.

I’m heading in 2026 with clear eyes. That demand isn’t going away. That dignity isn’t optional.

Which means the work ahead needs to be done differently. With partnerships that actually share the load. With a more holistic view of what food security really means.

Let’s build real food infrastructure. One that nourishes everyone. No exceptions.

Let’s not wait to see what cards we’re dealt.

Let’s build our own game. And write the rules so everyone can win.