While it is always important to take a moment to appreciate all we must be thankful for, Thanksgiving is a wonderful opportunity to take a pause and reflect on our many blessings. My gratitude runs deep this year, and as CEO of Open Hand, I have a long list of people and opportunities I owe thanks.
First, I must thank our staff and volunteers, whose dedication to our mission is unparalleled. You are truly answering a call in your life, and it shows every day in the way our organization is driven forward. Likewise, I am grateful for our community of donors: your belief in our mission ensures that meals are cooked, packed, and delivered every day.
Our work would not be possible without the leadership of our incredible Board of Directors, including: Tom Abrams, who is wrapping up his incredible term as Board President; Carmen Titelman, Vice President and incoming Board President; Shirley Powell, who is finishing up an incredible tenure on our Board; Cromwell Baun, CPA, Treasurer; Sandra Harris, MBA, MHSA, Secretary; Eldridge Banks; Michele Blondheim; Debra Carlton, M.D.; Ellen Donahue-Dalton; Tyler Edgarton; Tracy Field; Alec Frisch; Su Ghosh; Billy Grace; Jonathan Karron; Robert Joseph Jr.; Josh Swafford; Johanna Ellis Reisinger; Bernard Wedge Jr., CPA; Dennis White, MSIT DHA; and Katherine Williams.
I continue to be immensely grateful for our community-based partners, without whom we simply could not function. With their support we are able to refer more neighbors in need to our services, ensuring those most in need get the nutrition access they deserve. This gratitude extends to our civic and service partners as well: we are stronger together and are making our community stronger in the process. To thank a few: Atlanta Regional Collaborative for Health Improvement (ARCHI), Dragon Con, Leadership Atlanta, The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), Atlanta Way 2.0, Corporate Volunteer Council, Georgia Center for Nonprofits, Meals on Wheels Association of Georgia, and Buckhead Rotary Club.
As CEO of Open Hand, I’m thankful every day for having the incredible insight and strength of our fellow Food is Medicine Coalition organizations and the colleagues within them. Together, we’ve made great strides this year and continue to advocate for positive national policies that support medically tailored meals and food as medicine. We lift each other up whenever needed and provide best practices so we can all best provide nutrition access to those who need it most. Very similarly, I must give a shoutout to my nonprofit CEO roundtable group: their encouragement and the opportunity to brainstorm solutions to the challenges the year has brought have been invaluable.
We’re also overjoyed to welcome Gainesville-Hall Senior Services as our newest senior partner and continue to make a number of incredible connections locally in our own neighborhood of Grove Park, which has welcomed us into the community with open arms. We continue to meet (and show around campus) a number of local, state, and federal officials as well. I am grateful for the chance to share our mission with these policymakers and make the case for supporting the work we do.
Of course, I can’t go a day without expressing my unending gratitude for Michael Edwards-Pruitt, our founder. Without his vision and love back in 1988, Open Hand wouldn’t be here today. Michael’s persistence—his belief that our neighbors deserved food, no matter the obstacles—is what watered our seed into the flourishing plant we are today. We thank him every day for founding Open Hand in 1988, and for his ongoing support and love today.
I am indeed fortunate for all the individuals and organizations who continually ensure that Open Hand continues to be a vital resource for our community. It’s with your support, insight, and care—and that of many before us—that ensures Georgians facing chronic and severe illness have the nutrition access they deserve this Thanksgiving.
You make love the first ingredient in our meals: thank you!
May you all have a safe and happy holiday season,
Matthew Pieper, CEO
