A question I often hear is:
“Can a small organization really make a difference in a moment like this?”
It is a fair question.
The challenges facing our communities can feel overwhelming. Distrust is growing. Loneliness is widespread. Many Americans are increasingly skeptical of people outside their own groups. The forces that divide us often seem larger, louder, and better funded than the forces working to bring people together.
And yet, something important is happening.
Across Washington State and across the nation, people are searching for practical ways to rebuild trust, strengthen belonging, and renew the civic relationships that make a healthy society possible.
Increasingly, Paths to Understanding is finding itself at the center of those conversations.
This year, I have been invited to share a public presentation called The Society We Deserve. The presentation explores why so many Americans feel disconnected from one another, how distrust between groups develops, and what practical steps communities can take to rebuild trust and belonging.
What has surprised me most is the response.
People from many different backgrounds tell me that the presentation helps them make sense of what they are experiencing in their communities. It gives language to concerns they have felt for years but struggled to describe. Most importantly, it offers hope and practical next steps.
That same message is spreading through our writing.
Many of our blogs and articles are now being shared by partner organizations, faith communities, and news services. The ideas are reaching audiences far beyond what we could reach on our own. The hunger for practical approaches to rebuilding trust is real.
Our media work continues to grow as well.
Under the leadership of Executive Producer Jeff Renner, Challenge 2.0 continues to share the wisdom of diverse traditions and voices. This year, Jeff received the Gold Circle Award from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, recognizing his decades of excellence in broadcasting and public service.
We are grateful not only for Jeff’s leadership, but also for his commitment to helping bring thoughtful, hopeful conversations to a time that desperately needs them.
At the same time, the Potluck Project continues to spread across the country. More than 250 organizations and communities have downloaded the toolkit, helping neighbors create meaningful first experiences with people from different backgrounds and life experiences. We are partnering with America’s Potluck, Better Together America, and many groups across the nation who are putting the Potluck Project into action.
We are also helping strengthen relationships among organizations working for civic renewal. In Washington State and nationally, we are partnering with leaders, nonprofits, faith communities, educators, and civic organizations that understand a simple truth:
No single organization can solve these challenges alone.
The future will be built through networks of people and organizations learning from one another, supporting one another, and working together.
It isn’t just what PTU can do, but what people can do because of what we do.
That is why PTU increasingly sees its role as helping create connections—not only between individuals and groups, but also between movements that share a commitment to a healthier society.
We are proud of what is growing.
But growth also brings responsibility.
As new opportunities emerge, we need the resources to support them. We need the staff capacity to respond to invitations, strengthen partnerships, expand youth engagement, create new resources, and continue sharing stories of hope and practical action.
Your support makes that possible.
Every gift helps us strengthen relationships, amplify wisdom, equip communities, and build the connections that our society needs.
In a time when many people are asking what can be done, we are seeing something encouraging:
People are ready.
- They are ready to meet their neighbors.
- They are ready to rebuild trust.
- They are ready to work together.
Thank you for helping Paths to Understanding be part of that work.
With gratitude,
Rev. Terry Kyllo
Executive Director
Paths to Understanding