2025 in Review

Dear friends,

As we come to the close of 2025, I want to pause and share what this year has meant for Caja Solidaria.  We have had a year– a year of transition and laying roots. And, a year where long-running pilot work matured into real systems, partnerships deepened, and we took concrete steps toward a more stable and community-owned future.

The Transformation of our Food is Medicine Programs

Through the Healthy Opportunities Pilot, Caja Solidaria provided nearly 10,000 food and nutrition services to close to 400 households, while purchasing food from 27 local farms. Along the way, our work gained national attention, but more importantly, community members became advocates. They showed up in meetings with decision makers, gave testimony, phone banked, and helped shape the next chapter of Food Is Medicine in North Carolina.

At the same time, we leaned hard into clinically-integrated partnerships. We are actively collaborating with AdventHealth, UNC Health Pardee, Impact Health, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation, Farm Sanctuary, and many others who share a vision for community-rooted health.  This year also marked the planning of a statewide Food Is Medicine coalition. Caja Solidaria is helping convene community-based organizations, healthcare systems, and funders to ensure that Food Is Medicine grows in a way that centers equity, local food systems, and rural communities.

Purchasing a the property at 75 Bryson Road

Closer to home, we made a pivotal move. We secured and purchased our space at 75 Bryson Road, thanks for the generosity of the Arison family.   Owning this space allows us to anchor our values in place. It is now home to our farm dreams, community center, teaching kitchen, and a tool library.   We hope you will come out and join us for volunteer days, events, and join our innovating version of community-supported agriculture--imagine the client-choice Caja Soldaria mobile market met the CSA financial model.  More on that soon!

Supporting local farmers and food entrepreneurs

Field & Kitchen opened its doors this fall at 1620 Brevard Road. This shared-use kitchen is a low-cost resource for people interested in created value-added products.  We created a shared retail storefront space to offset costs.  In the first six weeks, we sold more than 500 grab-and-go items, shared free soup daily throughout November, and offered pay-what-you-can Fridays. This is not just about food. It is about dignity, access, and building an economy that works for everyone.   

Looking ahead to 2026

Our priorities are clear. We are growing food to support Food Is Medicine programs, expanding produce buying clubs, strengthening clinical integration, supporting farmers and food entrepreneurs, and continuing to build a resilient, community-owned hub for food and health in Western North Carolina.

If you are able, I invite you to make a year-end gift to Caja Solidaria. Your support helps us move from pilots to permanence. It allows us to invest in staff, infrastructure, and systems that ensure this work can grow with integrity and care.  If financial giving is not possible right now, staying connected matters too. Share our work. Visit Field & Kitchen. Come to a community event. Talk with us about what is emerging.

Thank you for being part of this community. Thank you for believing that food, when rooted in relationship and place, can be powerful medicine.

With gratitude,

Sonya Jones, PhD
Executive Director