Core Values
At Metro Caring, we…
“Words like freedom, justice, and democracy are not common concepts; on the contrary, they are rare. People are not born knowing what they are. It takes enormous…effort to arrive at the respect for other people that these words imply.” – James Baldwin
We embrace diversity and ask ourselves: are we modeling the inclusion that we seek? We recognize that systems have historically oppressed and marginalized groups of people by identity; and we work to dismantle both the patterns of behavior and the way we approach our work. We are committed to doing this work so it does not perpetuate systems of inequity. We examine in our individual roles in ensuring Metro Caring is a place where every individual feels like they are safe, that they belong, and that they are included.
“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.” - Steve Jobs
As an organization with decades of history, we believe that we must relieve hunger while also addressing the root causes of that hunger. We channel our passion to addressing the mission of our organization; and most importantly, we are driven by the vision of a world where every person has access to good food and a healthy life.
“You cannot change any society unless you take responsibility for it, unless you see yourself as belonging to it and responsible for changing it.” –Grace Lee Boggs
We stand in solidarity and deep relationship with those who have historically been disenfranchised by systems. We believe we are interconnected, and that our humanity is tied up in one another. Rather than do “For,” we seek to do “With” by ensuring we create spaces at every table for those most impacted by food injustice. We believe everyone has a role to play.
“Joy is possible even amid great labors—the labor of dying, the labor of birthing, and the labors between. We cannot force it. But when we create moments to breathe between labor pains, and surrender our senses to the present moment, notice the colors and light and feeling of being alive, here, together, joy comes more easily. In the face of horrors visited upon our world daily, in the struggle to protect our loved ones, choosing to let in joy is a revolutionary act.” —Valarie Kaur, See No Stranger
We celebrate our wins, bringing together our imperfectly perfect humanity in concert with our desire to bring change. Choosing to find the joy in this work and in our lives is about more than happiness; joy is also about honesty, sharing ourselves, and respecting our boundaries. Finding the joy is about sitting together in the fullness of the human experience: laughter, tears, dancing, sleeping, eating, and everything in between.
“All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence. “ – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
We hold ourselves and other each accountable to achieving the promise we make to our community. We feel urgent about achieving our mission, but we recognize that it requires both strategic thinking and a passion to ensure quality of our work. Therefore, we hold ourselves to high expectations and strive to be excellent in everything we do.
“When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.” - Audre Lorde
Because our work is tied closely to our head and our hearts, we know that there are moments when we must be brave. In conversations and in decisions big and small, we challenge ourselves and each other to take necessary risks, to try something new, to model vulnerability, and to admit when we don’t know.
We value continuous improvement and see the often uncomfortable challenge of intentional risk-taking, learning, and willingness to grow as an act of bravery and an opportunity to talk about where we fall short and learn together.
“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” - T.S. Eliot
The roots of an unequal food system go deep, and we know transformation is necessary. The current reality of the charitable food system is managing a problem and diagnosing symptoms – we are committed to tackling root causes and to reimagining new solutions to old problems. We are doing the work to imagine a future that is still a possibility, not a current reality.