By Joe Penland, Sr.
Tuesday, May 26, 2026
As a business owner for over 50 years, I am entrusted with more than the responsibility to run a profitable enterprise, and its various divisions.
This is true of other business owners as well. At a time when families across America are feeling the strain of high prices for food, housing, and basic necessities, those of us who can step up have an opportunity, and I would argue an obligation, to do so.
It’s understood that not every business can do this. Many are still recovering from difficult years. For those who are profitable (who have weathered the storm and emerged with stable margins) this is a call to action.
If your business is in a position of strength, now is the time to share that strength with the people who helped you achieve success.
Supporting employees during times of economic strain is not just an act of generosity; it is an investment in long-term stability.
When employees can afford things like groceries, childcare, transportation, and other essentials, they bring less stress and more focus to their work.
They stay longer, they contribute more, and they become ambassadors for your business.
Beyond the workplace, these investments ripple outward by strengthening families, neighborhoods, and local economies.
Community by community and employer by employer, we can be a positive force in the lives of individuals and our community.
My company has been fortunate, and because of that, we have chosen to step up.
In addition to supporting our employees, we are also supporting Market to Hope — a local store that provides groceries to individuals and families at significantly reduced prices. What makes this program special is the dignity it preserves.
Families shop for what they need, make their own choices, and pay a reduced amount that helps their bottom line, while also enabling them to maintain their self-respect. This model stands in stark contrast to the way assistance often looked when I was a young man.
When I was growing up, my father became disabled and later passed away. My family depended on Social Security (first disability benefits, then survivor’s benefits) to get by. We were grateful for the help we received, but the experience was very different from what Market to Hope offers today.
Kind strangers would bring us bags of food, and while we appreciated their generosity, we never knew what was inside the bags until we opened them.
Choice and dignity were not factors in the process, just need.
Those memories have remained with me; they’re a reminder of how important it is to support families in ways that are uplifting.
That’s why I’m challenging every employer who can do so, to take a portion of your profits and reinvest it in your people.
Whether that means wage increases, bonuses, food assistance, transportation stipends, or partnerships with community organizations like Market to Hope.
The form matters less than the intent.
What matters more is that we recognize the moment we are in and respond with compassion and leadership.
We can’t control inflation, global supply chains, or the price of eggs and gasoline, but we can control how we treat the people who show up every day to make our businesses succeed.
We can choose to be part of the solution, rather than passive observers of hardship.
If you have the ability to help your employees, and to even go further to help your community, I urge you to consider doing so.
Many are in need: families and communities need the help.
In doing so, I sincerely believe that God will bless your efforts.
When businesses lead with generosity, everyone rises.
Let us recall Matthew 25:40: “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”
