A Word from the Board of Directors

Happy New Year and welcome to 2023!  And an interesting way to start the year weather-wise, at least as I look at the 4-day forecast as I write this article.  Barely a week out of our polar vortex with wind chills of -30, we may be seeing a high in the mid-50’s on New Year’s Day.  The Illinois winter roller coaster has surely started.

I think it is important to first reflect on 2022.  Inflation up, supply down. Stock outs, transport issues, and all the other bumps. We have made it through all of them.  On the positive side, we saw the reopening of our café, the election of new board members giving us a full roster and saw generous Round Up For Good donations topping $55,000!  We could not have done all of this without dedicated owners and a fantastic staff.  To each of you we say THANK YOU!

Now we start the new year full of ideas and hope.  The store outreach team is working harder than ever to bring in great programs.  The board outreach team is doing the same. We continue our work on food inflation and its impact on the local producers.  We are looking forward to having some great guest speakers at upcoming board meetings, so keep an eye out and please consider attending one of the presentations and board meetings.  We love hearing from our owners!

So let us welcome 2023 with open arms and excitement. Ever Forward!