We may be able to solve small problems by ourselves. Bigger problems need multiple perspectives, greater resources, and checks and balances to achieve the highest likelihood of success. Healthy partnerships are essential for learning, accountability, and creating meaningful outcomes.

Food security is still a problem in our community. That means we need to imagine new things in order to make progress. By its nature, innovation is riskier, less efficient, and more likely to fail. Despite this, we must keep learning and trying new things to move further toward a food secure community. We need to be open. We need to stay humble. We need to learn.

People are our most important resource – and that includes the people we serve. Tapping into the strengths of the hundreds of thousands of people whose lives we touch is our best opportunity to break through the past and help create a brighter future. Our team, donors, volunteers, low income neighbors that need food, partner agencies, government, and people who want to make a difference are all part of this journey to food security for everyone.

Achieving economies of scale will be an important part of solving food insecurity. Once we find something that works, we need to make it more efficient so that everyone who needs help can get it in a way that works for them. After innovation, we must focus on efficiency for large scale effectiveness.

Our ability to demonstrate trust, compassion, integrity, and respect, as well as to develop appropriate solutions, is integrally connected to how we tell the story of our work, of household community success, and of the impact we make today and into the future. Additional resources will only come if we can tell the story well.

Food security will require more resources and the best use of existing resources—which includes food, funds, talent, thought leadership, policy change, etc.

Effective planning and use of resources, using data to drive decisions, being trustworthy, living our values, transparency, following consistent processes, holding ourselves accountable, being financially responsible—all this and more will give us the trust and credibility we need to drive change.

Solving food insecurity requires a deep understanding and appreciation of the community and how our work helps people thrive. New solutions start by meeting people where they are.

Dignity is embodied in all aspects of our life and work together. We are genuine and authentic with each other and with all stakeholders.

We are nimble so we can respond to emergencies and our changing environment, doing whatever it takes to best serve the community.

We hold ourselves accountable to high standards of commitment and results.

We are transparent, reliable, and trustworthy in all aspects of our work. Team members and stakeholders count on us to do the right things.

We bring our best selves to each other, with positive intent, and follow through on our commitments.