Making Progress Together: Supporting Neighbors Facing Food Insecurity
Food insecurity affects communities year-round, often in ways that are not immediately visible. During the colder months and holiday season, those challenges can become more acute as household budgets stretch and demand for food assistance increases.
This reality is present in the neighborhoods we serve every day. It was the reason behind the launch of our first Create Community initiative, a companywide effort designed to support neighbors facing food insecurity across the markets where we operate.
A Community-Led Approach to Local Needs
Create Community was designed with flexibility at its core. Rather than focusing on a single approach, team members were invited to support their local communities in ways that felt meaningful and accessible to them.
Across our markets, that support took many forms:
- Donating shelf-stable food and essential household items
- Volunteering time with local food banks and nonprofit partners
- Contributing financially to help organizations respond to immediate needs
What connected these efforts was a shared understanding that addressing food insecurity requires both immediate support and collective action.
What We Learned Along the Way
As the initiative unfolded, one thing became clear: when people are given the opportunity to help in ways that align with their capacity and community, the impact adds up.
Over the course of the holiday season:
- Team members across all core office locations participated, resulting in companywide engagement
- More than 5,400 pounds of food were donated to local food banks serving nearby communities
- Over 100 team members volunteered their time, contributing more than 400 hours of service
- $24,000 was donated directly to local food banks to support urgent needs
Each contribution, whether time, food, or financial support, helped strengthen organizations already doing critical work on the ground helping our neighbors in need.
Keeping the Focus Where It Belongs
Food insecurity is not a seasonal issue, and it is not solved by a single initiative. It is a complex challenge that affects people in every community, often quietly. Local food banks and nonprofit partners continue to play a vital role in meeting this need, and they do so year-round.
The Create Community initiative was one way to support that ongoing work. Just as importantly, it created space for reflection, connection, and awareness across our teams, reinforcing the idea that community support is most meaningful when it is shared.
As we look ahead, the lessons from this first Create Community effort will continue to shape how we show up in the places we serve, with humility, care, and a focus on the people and organizations closest to the need.
We are grateful to the community partners who welcomed support during the holiday season, and to everyone who took part in ways both visible and unseen.
