We see cracks in the system as openings. Openings to recover what would be lost. Openings to do things differently. Openings to innovate, to collaborate, to build something better. What sustains us is not just getting through hard times. It is the courage to put neighbors first and to keep asking: What do families need right now? What do we need to do differently? How can we respond together? This year we saw plenty of cracks and failures in the systems of the food safety net. Looming federal cuts to SNAP, reductions in free USDA food for pantries, and rising grocery costs placed more pressure on families already struggling to make ends meet.
Yet, instead of breaking apart, the Food Access Network came together with more resolve than ever to serve one in five county residents, more than 25,000 neighbors in all. We came together to plan new strategies for the challenges ahead. Working together gives us hope, as one partner shared: “I felt like an equal shareholder, not just the little guy at the table. I left feeling hopeful that together we could really make a difference and move the needle.”
When the Food Access Network identified partners who were serving larger family sizes with specific cultural needs, Table to Table allocated family sized bulk proteins and culturally familiar foods to meet those needs. When one partner reduced hours, others stepped up, and Table to Table quickly rerouted deliveries and directed neighbors to those resources so no family went without a meal.
