From the Director

“Yes, And” Manifesto

At The Auburn Food Bank we adopt the “Yes, and” Manifesto created by Galen Emanule as our culture of work and our calling to service. All are welcome at The Auburn Food Bank and if you ever need our services or want to help us provide our services, you will be greeted with the “Yes, And” frame of mind.

We Say Yes. We strive to enthusiastically say yes to one another, our clients, and the people we do business with. We accept ideas and remain open to new ways of doing things. We actively look for ways to make things work, rather than focusing on why they won’t. When we do say no to ideas, we are mindful of our choice of words and non-verbal communication, recognizing our power to affect others.

We Are Present & Listen. We are present, focused, and attentive in our communications. We tune in and connect to one another, aware of our eye contact and body language. We go beyond just hearing what is said; we also attempt to hear what is meant. We deliberately make others feel considered and valued by inviting and validating their perspectives. We avoid interrupting or only listening enough to respond. We use listening as a tool to achieve great outcomes. If what we hear changes our minds, we allow our minds to be changed.

We Make Each Other Look Good. We invest in the success of those around us and celebrate their achievements. We are generous with our praise of each other and are quick to lend a hand to correct mistakes, regardless of who made them. We don’t indulge or participate in gossip, or talk about others except to lift them up. We do everything in our power to prevent others from failing or falling short. When given the opportunity to point out people’s shortcomings, we don’t. We honor and recognize that the diverse personalities, perspectives, and talents of our people make us stronger as a whole; we don’t allow them to divide us. We address conflicts immediately with clarity and compassion, seeking to understand and achieve mutually beneficial resolutions.

We Embrace Change & Failure. We take full responsibility to do our absolute best in any situation and let that guide our outcomes. We fearlessly strive for excellence, while accepting that imperfection and setbacks are inevitable. We embrace change positively, with open and optimistic attitudes. We accept challenges and aim to continuously learn and grow from our experiences. We identify areas we can improve and ask for support, able to admit our weaknesses and failures. Setbacks and unexpected circumstances do not shake our resolve; we accept them as a valuable part of our growth and we choose to learn from them.

We Choose Positivity. Our language and contributions to one another come from a positive place. We set our sights on overcoming challenges, not focusing on problems. We avoid needlessly injecting negativity into conversations or situations. We attempt to impact the people around us by inspiring and delighting them whenever possible. We genuinely believe that by intentionally fostering a “Yes, And” culture we can achieve anything.