SIA Women in Security Forum Launches Seventh Annual CAN DO Challenge to Combat Food Insecurity This Holiday Season

SILVER SPRING, Md.—The Security Industry Association (SIA) Women in Security Forum (WISF) has officially launched the seventh annual CAN DO Challenge, a charitable initiative running from Oct. 13 through Dec. 1, 2026, and designed to unite the security industry in the fight against food insecurity during the holiday season.

Spearheaded by the SIA WISF community’s UpliftHER Subcommittee, the CAN DO Challenge invites security professionals and organizations to help alleviate hunger through both donations and acts of service. This year, the challenge offers two ways to give: CAN DO Local, which encourages participants to serve their own communities individually or through their companies, and CAN DO Virtual, a virtual food drive benefiting Food Bank for New York City, the city’s largest hunger relief organization. The effort reflects the industry’s broader commitment to safety, well-being and social responsibility.

“We’re making it easy for individuals to participate and contribute this year,” said Katie Krug, SIA WISF UpliftHER Subcommittee co-chair and senior account executive at SAGE Integration. “People can shop our virtual food drive and purchase specific food items or make their own custom donation and thanks to the Food Bank for NYC’s reach and purchasing power, every dollar donated helps provide five meals.”

“Nearly one in five children in the U.S. lives in a household facing food insecurity. As a mother, helping to close that gap and feed those in need is important to me,” said Colleen Bourbonais, SIA WISF UpliftHER Subcommittee co-chair and human resource manager at IndustrialEnet. “The CAN DO challenge is an incredible way to make a meaningful, hands-on impact for families who need support within your own local community.”

Ways to Participate in the CAN DO Challenge

Individuals and companies across the security industry are encouraged to:

• Shop the virtual food drive: Visit the CAN Do Virtual food drive to build a cart up to your desired donation amount or make a custom donation to Food Bank For New York City. Every $1 helps provide five meals.
• Support a local organization: Volunteer individually or as a team at a food pantry, your local Salvation Army or a homeless shelter, especially during the busy holiday months.
• Deliver or serve meals: Deliver meals to homebound or senior citizens or serve free dinners at a house of worship.
• Host a food drive: Spearhead a food drive at work to benefit a local food bank, or coordinate a local meal service.
• Donate funds: Financial contributions to local or national food banks are equally valuable; every effort counts toward making a difference.
• Visit the Mission 500 booth at ISC East: If your company is attending ISC East this year, stop by the Mission 500 booth (#825) and donate to our virtual food drive, Mission 500 will match all donations made up to $2,500.
• Spread the word online: Share your CAN DO Local and CAN DO Virtual activity on social media using the hashtag #WISFCanDo.

For additional information, volunteer opportunities, donation links and social media resources, visit the CAN DO Challenge page on SIA’s website.

The SIA Women in Security Forumbrings together security professionals to promote, recruit, and cultivate women’s leadership for a more inclusive, diverse industry. Beyond the CANDO Challenge, WISF leads a variety of initiatives including:

• The SIA Progress Award, recognizing those advancing opportunities for women in security
• The WISF Scholarship Program, supporting professional development and education
• Volunteer and community outreach efforts, virtual content and learning series and collaborative partnerships with organizations that empower women in security and technology
• Sponsorship of numerous networking and leadership events

Participation in the Women in Security Forum is open to all employees of SIA member companies and SIA student members. Learn more and get involved here.

About the Security Industry Association

SIA is the leading trade association for global security solution providers, with over 1,700 innovative member companies representing thousands of security leaders and experts who shape the future of the security industry. SIA protects and advances its members’ interests by advocating pro-industry policies and legislation at the federal and state levels, creating open industry standards that enable integration, advancing industry professionalism through education and training, opening global market opportunities and collaborating with other like-minded organizations. As the premier sponsor of ISC Events expos and conferences, SIA ensures its members have access to top-level buyers and influencers, as well as unparalleled learning and network opportunities. SIA also enhances the position of its members in the security marketplace through SIA GovSummit, which brings together private industry with government decision-makers, and Securing New Ground, the security industry’s top executive conference for peer-to-peer networking.