Let Us Go Forth

As we approach another inauguration day, President John F. Kennedy’s historic inaugural address still echoes, “Let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth, God’s work must truly be our own.” BPNN greets 2025 inspired by the certainty that there is much we must do, guided by the belief that our service matters, and determined to overcome any challenges the New Year presents.

The successful capital campaign is closed. Great thanks to Marcia Kasieta, the development team, and our amazing community for raising more than $4.6 million in record time. The two-floor expansion of more than 12,000 square feet is underway. Now, our building team, ably led by Karen Dettinger, will shepherd the project to completion in the late summer months of 2025. Until then, expect the necessary inconvenience and disruption of construction. We will navigate rough waters as we always do, with creativity, resolve, and kindness. By autumn, we’ll have more warehouse space, better leadership team offices, improved Joining Forces for Families (JFF) facilities, and room to grow new programs.

We are conducting volunteer training this month to anticipate possible federal government actions against our Hispanic guests. We are instructing volunteers on the law, to protect the safety and rights of BPNN volunteers and guests. I have formed a team of some of the finest lawyers in the state to ensure that everyone’s rights are protected. We have no political goals, only American values.

This year, I will challenge our Board of Directors to identify specific ways in which the board can contribute even more to our work. Every organization stagnates without impetus to do more, to do better. The talent we have at BPNN is astounding. We always afford our leaders the opportunity to lead and challenge them to do more, taking BPNN even farther.

This is an exciting time to be part of BPNN. If you are not involved, please consider joining us by attending an orientation (www.bpnn.org/volunteer). If you are already among our 1,000 valued core volunteers, consider how you might do more. The need is great, but there is no limit to what we can do together – all of us, with the goal of making the world better.

Happy New Year! Thank you for all you do. Let’s get to work.