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On July 1, the Anne Arundel County Food Bank, like many nonprofits, community organizations, and local governments, began its new fiscal year, FY25. We spent much of the final quarter of FY24 preparing for the start of the new year, assessing what we had accomplished, setting goals for how we move forward, and establishing a lean, strategic budget to take us both where we need to be over the coming year and keep us grounded as careful stewards of the resources that we receive. It is a delicate balancing act – food insecurity continues to rise across our community, higher prices are causing the neighbors we serve and the donors who support our work alike to feel the pinch. I believe that we have managed to thread the needle and will be able to continue to expand our activities, strengthen our team, and meet the needs of the community without exceeding our means. It is no small task, and I am grateful for the dedicated work of our Board of Directors and our staff for helping to get us here.
There is always a hopefulness that accompanies beginnings. The possibility to achieve goals, create innovative solutions, and move, even if just slightly, toward systemic change looms large for the food bank. This is always an exciting time. Truthfully though, that bright feeling of shiny newness doesn’t last long, and lingering challenges coupled with new, unforeseen roadblocks rear their ugly heads quickly. For example, just one week into the first month of FY25, our inside freezer broke down…again, causing a loss of frozen product that could have been much worse, but wasn’t insignificant. Do we repair it one more time, possibly throwing good money after bad? Do we give up on nursing it along and face the challenge of consolidating all our frozen product – purchased, donated, and government-provided – in our outside freezer potentially running out of space as we move toward the holiday season? What if we overload that freezer and, in the heat of summer, it begins to malfunction? As I write this, I do not yet know the answer. We are consulting with experts, exploring our options, and carefully weighing the costs of all of our choices. I do know that we will make an informed decision and carry on, and, most importantly, the Neighbors we serve will continue to receive the resources that they need to survive and thrive.
I share this story to illustrate the perpetual challenge of all nonprofits, to pull back the curtain a bit on the complex world that we navigate. Our resources are limited and given to us with the understanding that we will use them wisely. Our mission is critical to the wellbeing and stability of real people in our community working hard to raise families and make ends meet. We feel this pull every day and it is never easy. Still though, I remain more excited by the start of a new year than disheartened by the inevitable challenges and setbacks. The AACFB has been feeding Anne Arundel since 1986, and until the day when food insecurity is no more, we will always find a way to serve and meet the needs of our community.
Sincerely,
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