People are an organization’s greatest and most appreciable asset.

Tune in this evening with Dr. Phil, Gerry Brisson, President and CEO of @gleaners community food bank and Dr. Dawn Opel, Director of Research and Strategic Initiatives for the @food bank council of Michigan. Dawn is one of FBCM’s most appreciated and appreciable assets. She wears many hats, most recently, she became licensed to practice law in Michigan and now serves as FBCM’s General Counsel.

You aren’t capable of change if you continue to do the same thing over and over. Ergo, Dawn. In our network, a strategic initiative is any work that innovates the work of food banking. Social innovation, building new systems, and creating partnerships across sectors to further the mission and improve the health and well-being of Michiganders.

Phil, Gerry and Dawn delve into our new pilot, a Text-Based Platform, the purpose of data, and the far-reaching implications of food banking we are capable of. The Text-Based platform collects the client’s registration and check-in information at mobile food distributions. Coming to a distribution is a vulnerable time for people and we want them to feel safe, secure and dignified. We want people to who are need to feel more, not less. We want to give them a hand up, not a handout. When you see a client at a food distribution do not see a person in need, anyone can see that. See someone worthy of investing in. Look longer and see past their immediate problems and see their potential.

Most of us want to make a difference in the world, do big things and make an impact. If you want to truly add value, you must intentionally invest your one handful of life in things that are bigger than you are and will last longer than you do.