A3 Power Foundation Journal | March 2026

Linnet Caban
2 days ago
4 min read

Updated: 24 hours ago

UpLift Grant Spotlight + Midlands Gives is coming, May, 5, 2026

At A3 Power Foundation, we believe healing communities begins with simple acts of love, sharing meals, creating opportunities, and investing in leaders who uplift others. This month, we’re celebrating our UpLift Grant Award Winner and inviting you to support our work through Midlands Gives on Tuesday, May 5, 2026.

"This work is not charity. It’s investment. When you support Not Your Regular Breakfast and Raised By The Village, you are investing in generational change". -Mitchy — Not Your Average Breakfast & Raised by the Village 2026 UpLift Grant Recipient

Serving Hope & Breaking Cycles with Mitchy, Our 2026 UpLift Grant Award Recipient

Their work is a powerful reminder that one person’s courage can transform an entire community.

“The moment I knew this needed to exist was when I realized I wasn’t just cooking waffles,”
-Mitchy — "The moment I knew this needed to exist was when I realized I wasn't just cooking waffles" -Mitchy

Building an Exit from Limitation

The story of Not Your Regular Breakfast didn’t begin in a commercial kitchen with investors; it started in Mitchy’s home with specialty waffles and a massive risk. Tired of walking into job interviews and feeling judged by a piece of paper, their background, and tattoos, Mitchy decided to build their own table. Using the last of their funds with no safety net, Mitchy set out to create something exceptional for Sumter.

“The moment I knew this needed to exist was when I realized I wasn’t just cooking waffles,” Mitchy reflects. “I was building an exit from limitation. I was building something my child could be proud of”.

The name itself is deeply personal. It represents a refusal to accept average outcomes or the labels placed upon you by society. It is about breaking financial, mental, and generational cycles, and proving that you can bet on yourself and win.

From Transactional Service to Relational Community Building

Through Not Your Regular Breakfast and the expansion of the mission via Raised By The Village, the work has evolved far beyond serving food. The organization has introduced vital systems of support, including Kids Eat Free programming, Pantry Bags, and structured outreach.

For many families, this support is life-changing. Mitchy notes that parents and grandparents frequently offer quiet, tearful gratitude, especially during the summer when school is out and access to regular meals becomes a challenge.

"Providing a hot meal with eye contact does more than feed a physical hunger; it restores dignity.“

It says, ‘You are seen,’” Mitchy explains. “Some people don’t need a speech. They need a plate and someone who cares enough to serve it with respect”.

As a result, those served report feeling welcomed, safe, and treated like family.

A Vision for the Future

Looking ahead to the next 3–5 years, Mitchy envisions Raised By The Village operating from a dedicated community space, offering expanded youth programming, mentorship initiatives, and broader regional food security partnerships.

True sustainability, Mitchy notes, will come from community ownership, grant funding, and an economic model that fuels the nonprofit mission.

The journey of leading this organization has been one of immense personal growth, demanding discipline, patience, and emotional maturity.

For anyone looking to start their own community-centered work, Mitchy offers this grounded advice:

“Start small. Start consistent. Listen before you lead... Don’t chase applause. Chase impact”.

"Community care means no one carries life alone". -Mitchy, Not Your Regular Breakfast & Raised By The Village Founder

When you think of Not Your Regular Breakfast, Mitchy hopes you feel a sense of pride that such bold, creative leadership was built right here in Sumter. Most importantly, they hope you feel a sense of possibility.

On Community:"Community care means no one carries life alone".

On Impact:"This work is not charity. It’s investment. When you support Not Your Regular Breakfast and Raised By The Village, you are investing in generational change".

Through the UpLift Grant, A3 Power Foundation is proud to invest in leaders like Mitchy who are reshaping what community care looks like. Click here to learn more about Mitchy's mission.

Support Community Healers Like Mitchy

Your donation helps A3 Power Foundation invest in grassroots leaders, strengthen family support systems, and expand access to nourishment and dignity.

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Midlands Gives Day 5/5/26

Midlands Gives Day is Tuesday, May 5, 2026 — the first Tuesday in May. This is one of our biggest opportunities of the year to grow impact through community-powered giving.

Your support fuels: