A Year of Change, Optimism for the Future

By Bob Kasieta, Board President

Thank you. Thank you to our volunteers who give so selflessly. Thank you to those who lead BPNN, and who are also volunteers. You show grace, courage, and empathy every day. Thank you to the community and state leaders who are there when the job requires a bit more than we can manage alone. You are what good government looks like. Thank you to the faith community for living the principles you profess. Thank you to donors who put others first, making our work possible, and making our community so special.

The end of each year prompts recollections of the past and anticipation of the future. In 2022, we moved from curbside to in-store pantry shopping. We added more than 100 volunteers to our rolls. We served record numbers of guests – more than 37,000! We celebrated the opening of the Kasieta Center, which will permit us to do even more with beautiful, expanded space. We started the community meal again on the first and third Saturdays of each month. We reorganized BPNN to better complete the work we do and to foster sustainability. We revised the budget process to track our new organizational structure. We enhanced our endowment program, continued financial support for Joining Forces for Families, and implemented an investment strategy to maximize the value of contributions. We deepened our strategic partnerships to serve a broader community. We laid the foundation for a greater commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion at BPNN. We emphasized kindness and respect for human dignity in all we did, knowing that without that, our work is an empty vessel. And we did all this with a 100% volunteer workforce. That’s not bad for any one year.

But there is so much more to do. In 2023, we will embark on a strategic planning program. We will add even more committed, highly qualified board members, leaders, and volunteers. We will serve an ever-growing population. We will continue to improve the way we provide service in all aspects of our organization, knowing that no matter how well we do, we can always do better. We will explore exciting new programs to address additional root causes of poverty – housing, employment, healthcare, education, transportation, and more. We will open our new space to even more community activities. We will strive to remember always that our time here is short, and that we must do all we can to care for each other.

Please permit me a final, personal note as the year ends. I was invited to become president of BPNN again less than one year ago, having served as president for many years previously and then having stepped aside so others might advance the organization. BPNN faced some challenges in early 2022. We were moving beyond a pandemic. The capital campaign was ending. Early signs of inflation appeared. We reorganized our leadership structure. Change is inevitable. Change is often uncomfortable. I have been buoyed and gratified by the unwavering support of the board and leadership, not just in their commitment to me, but more importantly in their willingness to embrace new, untested ideas, their impressive expertise, and their unflagging devotion to the cause that unites us.

I end 2022 more optimistic than ever about the future of BPNN, continually impressed with this wonderful community, and thoroughly convinced that Margaret Mead was right when she said: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Bob