My Recipe for Change

I’m writing this on Labor Day because the work never stops. Our communities are facing relentless challenges: natural disasters rooted in environmental harm, rising violence from years of underinvestment in infrastructure, and a heartbreaking decline in health and education because basic access is out of reach for too many families. These aren’t just headlines—they’re daily realities that demand action.

And yet, even in the face of this, Change Today, Change Tomorrow has made this year one of our most impactful yet. We’ve welcomed thousands of neighbors through our doors and into our programs: our first-ever farm-to-table breakfast, the second State of Black Food Summit, the third annual 5K Walk for Food Justice, and the Black Recharge Hair Show. The West End Farmers Market returned to provide SNAP, Double Dollars, and free produce for expecting mothers. Feed the West continues to collaborate with Shawnee, Park Hill, Portland, and California Community Centers, delivering fresh grocery surplus from Trader Joe’s to hundreds of families every week. Our Youth Advisory Council is expanding, and our six working groups are thriving, building a true community-led ecosystem of change.

We’ve also invested in infrastructure to better serve: a charter bus purchased from Bridge Kids International, soon to become a mobile market for soups, smoothies, and freeze-dried meals, painted by local artists Ci’Vaughn and Kayla Green. And, a gifted 15-passenger van from New Roots, which will take a group of Louisville food justice advocates to Detroit for the Black Urban Growers Conference in October.

We’re building a future where community-led power is not just a dream but a reality. By 2031, I plan to step back and pass this work forward, training a Deputy Director to carry the torch. To get there, we need a Field Organizer, a Leadership Development Director, and a Deputy Director who can ensure that the impact we’re making doesn’t stop with me. 

Your Immediate Impact: Give for Good 2025

We’re asking every friend of CTCT to raise $500 through a peer-to-peer fundraiser for Give for Good. You’ll receive your own unique donation link to share with friends, family, and networks so we can track the impact you’re making in real time. This is your chance to help us meet a big one-day goal of $50,000 and expand the reach of our mission.

Your Long-Term Investment: Monthly Giving Membership

By November 2025, we’re asking you to commit to $100/month as part of our upcoming membership campaign launching in January 2026. Early members will join us at the ground floor of this movement, helping to sustain CTCT’s vision to:

• Build a self-sustaining food and community hub at 2339 Date Street and nine other lots,

• Expand staff leadership by hiring a Field Organizer, Leadership Development Director, and Deputy Director,

• Train the next generation of leaders to carry this work forward by 2031.

Membership comes with tangible appreciation:

• A CTCT T-shirt as a badge of your commitment,

• Free quarterly appreciation events designed to connect and celebrate with you,

• Recognition on our website and social media,

• Your name displayed on our shipping container headquarters as a founding member.

I wouldn’t ask you to do anything I wouldn’t do! I currently donate $200/month to eight different local organizations because I truly believe it is up to us to save us. With funding trends shifting we have to be proactive in how we visualize our funding future. Ten-thousand dollar grants, though appreciated, are not sustainable. This is about building a movement we own together. Grants and one-off donations can’t sustain this vision—500 donors at $100/month can. We’re calling on those who believe in our mission to take this bold step with us.

Your support is not just a gift—it’s a vote for a future where Louisville’s most marginalized neighborhoods are thriving, self-sustaining, and led by those most impacted.

Go to https://www.giveforgoodlouisville.org/organization/Change-Today-Change-Tomorrow, click Fundraise and create your peer to peer fundraiser today!

With gratitude and determination,

Taylor Ryan, Founder and Director