Equity - UW Response

UW’s Response to the Current Climate of our Nation and Community

We, at Greater Ottawa County United Way, are outraged, devastated and heartbroken by so many of the recent acts of racism and violence, and by the riots that so often accompany them. Our hearts go out in deepest sympathy to their families and all those affected by these tragedies.

Everyone deserves to live in a society where they feel safe, respected and protected, where they can reach their full potential. We believe it so strongly that this is actually in our Vision Statement. We can and must do better as a community, as a nation. The entire concept of our Live United Movement is that we all have a role to play in creating a more equitable future.

At United Way, we believe that to achieve racial equity, we must unite as a society and commit to systemic change. We stand in solidarity with community members and other organizations addressing racial disparities across our nation. We remain committed to building an inclusive and equitable region where people from all races, cultures and communities have the resources and opportunities to thrive, and support that locally with policies, volunteers, education, and funding..

To take an even stronger stand for equity, United Way has implemented 3 additional equity action items;

1.We will expand our equity landing page at ottawaunitedway.org to include tools, resources and opportunities including all of the equity challenge materials.
2.We have changed our By-laws to require annual equity training for all United Way Board and staff, and will make it available to all volunteers.
3.We will annually inspect and review the equity lenses used to invest in programs and services to meet the needs of our community.

 

Together, United, we win#give #advocate #volunteer #liveunited

Patrick Moran, President, Greater Ottawa County United Way