Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. believed in serving others. On what would have been his 89th birthday, FoodCorps AmeriCorps service members across the country honored his life of service by volunteering in their communities.

When you’re at your wit’s end trying to get a kid to try a new vegetable, you resort to the Trojan Horse method: hiding the offending food in other dishes. The logic goes as such: you love Little One, Little One hates healthy food, but you’ll be darned if Little One isn’t eating healthy, whether they know it or not.

Over the past year, we’ve seen a lot of ups and downs. We’ve had to fight for the existence of AmeriCorps, and we’ve seen our school lunch guidelines relaxed despite taking a stand against it. Still, we believe that big things are possible, and we believe in celebrating our successes.

It has been seven eventful, inspiring years here at FoodCorps, and I find myself feeling deep gratitude for how far we’ve come and for the opportunities that lie ahead. Here are seven things I’m grateful for right now.