Good News Worth Naming in 2026

There are a few things I want to celebrate at the start of 2026.

I did not want to join the crowd of end-of-year emails you likely received, but I did want to take a moment to share some genuinely good things that happened toward the end of 2025. Not everything needs to be rushed past. Some moments deserve to be named, remembered, and held with gratitude.

First, we did it.

Right before Christmas, we launched our third Zion’s Closet location at Love T. Nolan Elementary School.1

This resource center will impact more than 700 students, along with their families and educators. Love T. Nolan has become a true community partner, and seeing that partnership come to life was powerful.

On launch day, volunteers, community members, and public officials showed up in real ways. People gave their time, their energy, and their presence. It was one of those moments where you could feel collective care in the room.

I am sharing a recap video above because children matter, and the joy in that room is hard to explain unless you were there. One of my favorite moments from the day is captured in a single photo. The excitement on the children’s faces says more than any caption ever could. That joy matters. That dignity matters.

Second, many of you followed my journey during the Open Fridge campaign (back in November), when I sat on top of an empty refrigerator to raise awareness about food insecurity among the very students we supported above.

While I was sitting there on day two of the campaign, a man named Randy stopped by.

He shared that he was unhoused. After learning why I was sitting on the refrigerator, he stayed with me for a while, helping raise awareness and engaging with people who stopped to ask questions.

Then something happened that I did not expect.

Randy showed up again later (days before Christmas), but this time he shared that he was no longer unhoused. He had reunited with family and was off the streets.

What stood out most to me was not just the outcome, but what he named as part of the journey. He said he found encouragement our community. He kept taking steps because people saw him. Over and over, he thanked God that we saw him.

That phrase stayed with me.

I have said this time and time again, and I even wrote about it in I See You.

“Home is more than four walls and a roof. It is more than the place where you put your head down at night or where you store your most valuable possessions. Home is where you feel safe. It is where there are people you can count on. It is where you can be yourself. Home is a place of unconditional belonging. No matter what you do or where you go, home is the place you can come back to and belong.”2

And sometimes, home is not even a place at all. Sometimes it is a moment of dignity. Sometimes it is a community that refuses to let you be invisible.

As this year begins, I am committing myself to a few things.

First, I am going all in on community work. I will continue leading and showing up to support our communities, locally and across the country, reminding us that no one should be invisible.

Second, I am working on several projects that will create more resources for people who want to go deeper. Deeper into understanding and justice. Deeper into what it really means to love people and care well.

Third, I am working on a film, and I cannot wait to share more about it soon.

And finally, I am committed to doing my part to keep spreading hope in this world. Not a shallow hope. Not a performative hope. But the kind of hope that shows up, stays present, and sees people fully.

Thank you for walking with me and being here as I write through it all. We did a lot together last year, and there is still so much ahead.

Terence

Love Beyond Walls’ has already identified our fourth school where Zion’s Closet will be located, and we are excited to share more soon. As we continue this work, our hope is to keep growing a community of care alongside students and families navigating homelessness and poverty. Through Zion’s Closet and Love Feeds, we are helping reduce food insecurity and meet real, everyday needs for students and families living under the weight of scarcity.

• Please keep us in your thoughts as we work behind the scenes to prepare for our fourth Title I school.

• If you are in Atlanta on MLK Day, we would love for you to volunteer and serve with Love Beyond Walls.

• If education and justice matter to you, consider supporting and sharing my recent book about education with someone who cares deeply about students (Available Now).

• If you are looking to collaborate, invite me to speak and engage people who need encouragement, perspective, and hope.

• And if nothing else—send prayers and positivity as we continue to do this work.

Right after we launched Zion’s Closet #3, I sat down with Dr. Smith, the principal of Love T. Nolan Elementary School, to talk about why community-based resources are essential in Title I schools and why her call for tutors matters now more than ever.

Check it out below.

Book Dr. Lester to Speak [HERE]

Listen to the Imgaine Dignity Podcast [HERE]