At the heart of the community

We are a nation divided. America has grown increasingly polarized across our political and social spectrum—and this national anxiety will, unfortunately, increase as the COVID-19 pandemic continues and the November elections approach.

But for every troubled example of anger, agitation, fear, and frustration I encounter during the course of these troubled days, pouring through the relentless stream of news and information that daily crosses my desk—assimilating the pulse of the food industry and our nation—I see a beautifully contrasting example of love, unity, hope, and sacrifice reminding me of the promise of our true nature.

We’re here to bring our best to every situation, shining a light worthy of others to follow. We’re here to build a better community—and nation—through respect, honor, and dignity.

It has been a wonderful endeavor and a privilege to get to know Azteca Foods, one of my hometown tortilla industry pioneers, over the past several weeks (see this month’s cover feature, “Azteca Foods brings fresh perspectives to tortillas,” for the full story). This Chicago-based bakery, a leader in refrigerated tortillas for decades, is celebrating its 50^th anniversary in 2020, and it has been an enduring ray of sunshine in the lives of its employees, its surrounding Pilsen and Little Village community, and the overall baking industry since the start. They are at the heart of their community, setting an example for others to follow.

We are better together, and will find strength in building unity—particularly when the day seems the darkest. As we collectively struggle through this year, fraught with unprecedented challenges, bring some sunshine into your community—whether at work or home. Help those who need it most. Make sacrifices for the greater good.

Today’s challenges will fade away. But a strong community sticks together, builds each other up, and endures.

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Douglas J. Peckenpaugh is Group Publisher of Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery, Dairy Foods, The National Provisioner, and Packaging Strategies for BNP Media. He has nearly three decades of publishing experience following the food industry from farm to fork, covering agriculture, ingredient processing, retail grocery branding, foodservice menu development, and food product R&D and manufacturing. He serves in leadership roles at his local suburban Chicago food pantry and church. Doug studied Professional and Creative Writing at Purdue University.