The Catalyst Perspective

On November 2, 2025, I ran my first Hot Chocolate 5K in Chicago. I wasn’t nervous about finishing; I had done the work.

Weeks of training.

Lifting four days a week.

Eating clean the week of the race.

Staying hydrated.

I knew I’d cross the line. My intentions were to finish in under 45 minutes and not require medical treatment. I accomplished both.

But what struck me most that morning wasn’t my time; it was the energy. Thirty-five thousand people from every background imaginable, families and friends running side by side, moving toward one shared goal. For a city that’s often painted as violent and undesirable, it was a reminder that Chicago’s real story is one of grit, camaraderie, and community.

That same spirit is what our nation needs right now.

We’ve been in a government shutdown for more than 40 days. Programs that feed and stabilize families like SNAP, are stalled. Food pantries are overwhelmed.

For those who may not know, I’m a trained social worker.

What that means is that when I look at policy, I see people, especially children. Nearly 12 million children in the United States depend on SNAP to eat, children who had no control over being born here and none over the systems now failing them.

And here’s something many don’t realize: the majority of people who receive assistance from SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), the federal food-support program — are White. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2023 demographic report, about 36 percent of participants identified as White, 26 percent as Black, 16 percent as Hispanic, 3 percent as Asian, and 18 percent as other or multiple races (Al Jazeera News, Oct 29 2025).

Yet public perception often tells a different story, one that paints benefit recipients as primarily Black, Brown, or undocumented. That false narrative fuels division and stigma instead of empathy and policy reform.

In fact, those programs were originally designed after World War II for White women whose husbands died in combat, decades before women of color could even apply for assistance.

So when I volunteer at my local food pantry, I don’t see “charity.”

I see leadership.

I see community.

I see ordinary people doing extraordinary work.

I see neighbors stepping into the space the government has abandoned, creating stability one grocery bag at a time.

The Power Move: Strategy & Perspective

Municipal leaders are the connective tissue holding communities together during national dysfunction. But they don’t have to do it alone.

When I served as mayor, our administration partnered with our local anti-poverty organization for an annual food drive. We didn’t just fill shelves; we built trust, visibility, and hope.

Partnerships like that remind us:

Local leaders don’t have to fix hunger; they just have to refuse to ignore it.

Every city and village has assets: schools, faith communities, business districts, staff, and residents who want to help. The most effective leaders don’t shoulder every burden themselves; they leverage the ecosystem around them.

That’s the heart of the SCALE™ Framework — Strength-Based Leadership, Confidence & Cognitive Reframing, Aligned Values & Boundary Negotiation, Leadership Longevity, and Ecosystem Building. When leaders build from those five pillars, they stop reacting to crises and start transforming communities.

Imagine if every municipality created flex time so that staff could volunteer a few hours each month. The community would benefit and so would morale. Because most public servants want to feel that their work makes a difference beyond their job description.

Leadership isn’t a title; it’s a disciplined practice of empathy, courage, and action.

Ally in Action: A Note for Men on This List

Gentlemen, this is where your steadiness matters.

When systems stall and teams fracture under pressure, people look to you, not for perfection, but for presence.

The title on your door won’t hold the community together. Your integrity will.

Most municipal managers are men. That means the tone, trust, and transparency of local government often start with you. You decide whether leadership becomes an ecosystem or an ego system.

If you’re leading a team, make sure the women, the staffers, and the frontline workers who hold your community together have what they need and that they’re seen, heard, and protected.

Leadership in crisis isn’t about command; it’s about calibration. It’s knowing when to step forward, when to listen, and when to make space for others to lead.

Real allyship isn’t a posture; it’s policy in action.

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Forward this issue to another leader who’s quietly holding it down in their community. Tell them they’re seen, appreciated, and not running alone.

Final Words

Leadership that waits for stability will never create it.

Real leaders show up when systems falter, when resources run dry, and when the headlines fade.

Keep showing up, because your presence is the infrastructure your community depends on.

Just like that morning in Chicago, this work isn’t about who crosses the line first. It’s about making sure we all make it across. Real progress happens when communities meet the demands of this race together.

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In partnership and purpose,