2025 Year-End Impact Report: Sowing 6 Million Seeds of Change
Dear Members, Donors, and Partners,
As we open 2026, I am filled with a tremendous sense of gratitude for all that happened in 2025. It was a full-blown whirlwind of growth, from grassroots community potlucks to international textbook collaborations. Our mission is still to reverse the trends of childhood obesity and chronic disease, which is more urgent than ever, and thanks to your unwavering support, we are making measurable strides.
Below are the highlights of what we have achieved together this year.
Empowering Communities Through Education
While time online is crucial for spreading the message, our “live and in person” work remains the heart of our organization. This year, we expanded our reach to specialized audiences:
- Pilot Wellness Events: We held two successful pilot events in Wisconsin, reaching 70 attendees. Alongside Lifestyle Medicine (LM) professionals, we demonstrated how plant-based nutrition can prevent career-ending diagnoses such as heart disease and diabetes, issues that are particularly critical for pilots and other high-stress professionals.
- VeggieFest Community Presence: Our presence at the Science of Spirituality VeggieFest allowed us to connect directly with hundreds of parents. We added 75 new members to our community and gained vital insights into the specific needs of local school districts.
- 4th Annual Potluck in the Park: Community building is fun and delicious! We hosted 40 members for a day of culinary creativity and connection, proving that healthy eating is best enjoyed together.
- Scouting America: PBNM Board members volunteered with Scouting America (formerly Boy Scouts of America) to provide plant-powered samples and meals to 500 campers and their family members at their camporee in Lake County Illinois.
Transforming School Food: MPOP Phase 2
The More Plants On Plates (MPOP-USA) initiative continues to gain momentum. In collaboration with Balanced.org, we continue transforming school lunch menus across Illinois and Michigan.
The Nuanced Approach: In the Midwest, we recognize the deep-seated cultural ties to animal agriculture. We’ve learned to “peel the tangerine” differently, approaching these conversations obliquely through a health-first lens, then transitioning to the broader impacts on our planet and animals. This respectful, health-centered dialogue is opening doors that were previously closed. We are now entering Phase 2, where we enlist Lifestyle Medicine professionals as Ambassadors to meet with school wellness committees and PTAs.
Special Initiatives & Health Equity
We believe that appropriate, high-quality healthcare is a right, not a privilege. We also believe Lifestyle Medicine can help close those inequities in communities where those gaps exist. Our 2025 programs reflected this commitment to equity:
- Culinary Medicine for Sickle Cell Warriors (CM4SCW): Our first series (July–August) received 100% positive feedback. We are now partnered with the Sickle Cell Association of Illinois and Sickle Cell Warriors of Wisconsin to deliver WFPB (Whole Food Plant-Based) education to their members.
- HBCU Engagement: Through the ACLM HEAL Initiative, I had the privilege of participating in a webinar for Allied Health students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). This is a critical step in bringing plant-based nutrition to African American communities, currently the fastest-growing demographic for veganism.
- Dallas Community Outreach: We delivered our first-ever HEAL pre-conference event, teaching families how to eat healthy on a budget. We also distributed 40 WFPB children’s books to families and practitioners to inspire the next generation.
Thought Leadership Recognition
Our message is reaching the mainstream. This year, our work was highlighted on global platforms:
- Authorship: I co-authored the pediatric chapter for the upcoming textbook, Achieving Health Equity with Lifestyle Medicine (expected 2026).
- Media Presence: We were featured in Apple News (Grit Daily News), reaching 19 million subscribers, and recognized in the Marquis Who’s Who hardcover registry and online biography.
- Global Platforms: Presentations at the Climate Healers VCOP- 22, PBNSG, Food Revolution Network 2025 Summit, and a nutrition talk delivered at sea during a Caribbean cruise have allowed us to share our vision worldwide.
Other Endeavors and Accomplishments
- We added two new Board members.
- PBNM assisted and provided marketing support for three board members hosting PCRM.org Let’s Beat Breast Cancer rallies.
- We added the physician locator resource to our website.
- PBNM mentored several volunteers in bringing the plant-based movement to their communities by doing presentations, food demonstrations, tabling, and Food for Life classes.
Financial Stewardship
We are committed to transparency and sustainability. While we are eternally grateful for all donors and supporters, we are actively diversifying our funding to ensure long-term impact. This year, we were honored to receive a $75,000 grant from Good Chaos to support our MPOP school food initiatives.
Looking Ahead to 2026
We aren’t slowing down. Our goals for the coming year include:
- Strengthening our business infrastructure and hiring aligned professionals.
- Rebranding and reconfiguring our marketing to amplify our message.
- Speaking at the EAA AirVenture Fly-In in Oshkosh to reach the aviation community.
- Growing our reach to support families living with Sickle Cell Disease.
- Continuing the “deep dive” into audience engagement to grow our 6 Million SEEDS summit registrations.
Our point of focus remains clear: to see childhood chronic illnesses like obesity and diabetes trends reverse in our lifetime, and to decrease the horrific impacts of Sickle Cell Disease. Thank you for being part of this movement. We couldn’t do this without you.
With health and hope,
Meryl Fury, Pres/CEO
Plant Based Nutrition Movement
