Happy New Year, Grain Train Community!
We hope you were able to bid a fond farewell to 2025 and welcome 2026 with hopeful anticipation. We’re excited for what lies ahead this year!
January 2026 marks the launch of Cents of Community, our round-up-at-the-register program. For the month of January, we’ll be rounding up to support Freshwater Future, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has spent the last 30 years working to ensure a healthy future for the waters of the Great Lakes region.
“Freshwater Future is a catalyst for community action that strengthens policies designed to safeguard the waters of the Great Lakes region.”
Before the holidays, we sat down with Leslie Burk to learn more about the organization’s work. When asked to describe Freshwater Future in a nutshell, Leslie shared: “Freshwater Future works in the Great Lakes region, advocating for our Great Lakes freshwater and communities and making sure that our freshwater is healthy in the future.”
She explained that Freshwater Future partners closely with local community groups, helping them build capacity so they can be effective on the ground—addressing the issues most impacting their communities.
Some of the most pressing concerns they’re seeing right now include potential permitting of data centers, lead in drinking water, PFAS contamination, other water permitting and mining—particularly in the Upper Peninsula.
Freshwater Future is supported by a network of more than 1,500 people, including organizational partners who receive grants and capacity-building support, donors who help fund this work, and community groups advocating to ensure their voices are heard at both the state and federal levels.
Recently, Freshwater Future gathered input from over 700 regional residents about their hopes for the future of our water. Five key themes emerged:
Revered – Laws and popular culture recognize the fundamental importance of water to human life and its value beyond human use
Safe – Families can trust that drinking water and recreational waters are free from harmful contaminants
Clean – Healthy wetlands and well-designed infrastructure keep pollutants and wastewater out of waterways
Accessible – Communities have abundant, well-maintained, and affordable access to rivers, lakes, and drinking water
Sustainable – Water use does not exceed natural replenishment or overwhelm natural filtration systems
Throughout January, it’s easy to play a part in protecting our freshwater. Simply ask your cashier to round up your purchase, and you’ll join many helping hands working to keep our water safe—today, tomorrow, and for generations to come.
As always, keep cooperating and we’ll see you in the stores!
