Leading With Heart: Honoring My Brother’s Legacy Through Service
Memorial Day isn’t just a long weekend. For me—and for so many others—it’s personal. It’s a day to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice and laid down their lives for something bigger than themselves.
My brother, Marine Corporal Riley Baker, was killed in action on June 22, 2006. It’s been nearly two decades, and still, every May, the ache arrives right on schedule. Sometimes it’s loud; other times, it shows up in quiet moments—an outstretched flag rippling in the wind, a smell that unlocks a core memory, a name printed on a Coke bottle that feels like a hello from afar.
Riley believed in something bigger than himself—in service, in honor, in protecting others, even when it meant putting his own life on the line. That kind of belief doesn’t fade when someone is gone. If anything, it deepens. It challenges those of us left behind to live with more purpose and intention. To give back. To keep showing up, especially when it’s hard.
That’s one of the reasons I feel so connected to the mission at Community Food Share. Our work is rooted in compassion—and in the belief that no one in our community should have to choose between food and other basic needs. Each day, we help provide more than 30,000 meals to neighbors across Boulder and Broomfield Counties through our 40+ Partner Agencies and our direct distribution programs. That effort is powered by people who, like Riley, quietly believe in something bigger than themselves.
I see it in our volunteers—the ones who show up early, stay late, and remember every shopper’s name. I see it in donors who give not for recognition, but because they know their gift means dinner on the table for a child down the street. I see it in our team, who lead with heart through every challenge.
We often think of leadership as bold speeches or big decisions. But Riley—and this work—remind me that leadership is often softer. It’s service without expectation. It’s believing that kindness matters. That even small, selfless acts can ripple into something powerful.
This Memorial Day, I’ll honor my brother by continuing to serve in my own way—by giving back, by believing, and by sharing hope one meal—and one act of care—at a time.
If you’re looking for a way to mark this Memorial Day, consider doing something kind for someone else. Volunteer. Share a meal. Tell someone you’re proud of them. Or simply pause to remember those who gave everything for the rest of us.
Because service, at its core, is love in action. And Riley lived that truth every day.
By Kristina Thomas, Director of Marketing
