Our collective power in a time of need
“I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual.”
— Henry David Thoreau
Dear EDC board-members, investors, and friends,
I hope this message finds you well as we head into the final months of the year. It is almost impossible for me to believe that 2026 is right around the corner.
Ensuring San Diego is an attractive and affordable place for talent and businesses remains more important than ever to our region’s resilience and competitiveness. As we all know and understand, the shutdown of our federal government and additional challenges coming from Washington, D.C. are creating undue stresses, strains, and hardship for families, workers, and businesses across our region—at a time when nearly half of all local households are already struggling. Just 51.7 percent of San Diego household incomes have kept pace with the region’s cost of living, meaning that many San Diegans sacrifice quality of life to pay for basic household needs such as transportation, grocery expenditures, and childcare—pressures that disproportionately impact communities of color.
I offer no political observations or critique other than to say that our charity for our neighbors and fellow citizens should never be needed because our government refuses to do its job. Yet in this season of thanksgiving, it is our charity for our neighbors and fellow citizens that is needed most.
With all that said, I could not feel more pride and gratitude for our EDC investors and partners who have been organizing efforts to help those most in need. I am grateful for:
- The visible collaboration and alignment of The Prebys Foundation, Price Philanthropies, and the San Diego Foundation—our largest philanthropic organizations—and their $70 million United for San Diego fund to support local food, housing, and healthcare resulting in a recent $3 million grant to local organizations leading food distribution efforts
- The organizations leading food distribution efforts: MAAC, SBCS, Jacobs and Cushman San Diego Food Bank, and Feeding San Diego
- Those connecting San Diegans to critical resources: 211 San Diego, Times of San Diego, San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, San Diego Military Advisory Council, San Diego Hunger Coalition, and Family Health Centers of San Diego
…and many, many more that are a constant resource to families, such as Lifeline Community Services, Neighborhood House Association, YMCA of San Diego County, and local educational institutions and government partners. I see the very best of who we are as a region reflected in the actions, intentions, and service of these partners and leaders. For all of them, my thanksgiving is perpetual.
It is never lost on me that when I write these messages I am writing to our region’s most influential and important leaders. Collectively, you have the power to move mountains. As we head into a holiday season and new year that may continue to add undue stresses, strains, and hardship to the lives of so many around us, let’s not forget the power we have to make people’s days (and lives) better and brighter. Please consider donating to, aligning with, and supporting the work of the organizations listed above, or other organizations in the community whose missions and values best align with yours.
Forever grateful for what I am and have. Forever grateful for all of you.
All my best,
Mark Cafferty
President & CEO