New Year, New (Out)look

Jan 11, 2018

It’s no news that 2018 is upon us. A new year represents an opportunity for organizations to engage in novel thinking, consider change, to adopt “resolutions” in the hope of bettering their work.

Here at NFESH we did not adopt those kinds of resolutions as much as strengthen our already steadfast resolve to assist states and communities in reducing the threat of hunger among its seniors in the coming year. As part of that process of looking forward, we actually looked back over the past several years to determine what was really making a difference in this long fought, seemingly uphill battle.

What did we find that answer to be? Somebody. Somebodies. Yes, that is right. Just take a look at the photo above. Read it carefully. “I always wondered why somebody didn’t end hunger, Then I realized I am that somebody.” Think about how simple and yet how profound that truth is.

The way we’ve been known in the past — as the National Foundation to End Senior Hunger – has signaled to the nation that those of us who dedicate our working lives to that goal are among those somebodies. But we are not the only ones by far. And our work through What A Waste in 72 congregate nutrition programs across America has given us the opportunity to meet and support the work of countless other “somebodies” who share our vision, our aspirations, our dedication to making a real and measurable difference in the battle against senior hunger.

All of that led to a new way of thinking about what we are doing and inspired us to create a new website, which we hope you will take the time to peruse. You will see a number of changes. First, we have dispensed with our old logo and created the new “nfesh” one that focuses on our purposes. As we have said before, nefesh is a Hebrew word that means soul, or life force, or obligation to save a life. That is what our work is about. The center of our new logo is the open hand of help, offering sustenance and hope.

We have transformed our old newsletter into a twice monthly blog, all of which are archived and easily available by clicking on the navigation bar. And there you will also see a heading Reach4Solutions that describes in some detail the work we are about. For years we have commissioned research that defines the magnitude of the problem and identifies risk factors. That was and still is important, and all those reports are still available for you to use. That work too is also ongoing. But REACH is about more than defining the issue; it is about involving more folks in more communities and in assisting them in making real strides in solving hunger locally. Reaching, with that open hand, to utilize What A Waste and other projects to devise strategies beyond those we have employed in the past.

Our leadership and staff are familiar to most of you who have been in trenches with us for years. We’re still there, as well as continually venturing out to places beyond our office with a message and a mission.

And that all leads us back to the most important discovery that we made last year. That directs us right to those other somebodies across America who are daily working to end senior hunger. We have created a whole page to honor them, Our Somebodies. And we are here to say right now that there is room on that page for every state, community or congregate nutrition program in this vast land who will read the hand writing on our vine covered wall and say “Yes, I am somebody too – a somebody, nfesh, who wants to work with you.” The link is the same: www.nfesh.org. It is where you will find our new (out)look. Happy 2018!