Generally speaking, as a contributor to this blog, I’ve shied away from promoting projects directly tied to my day to day work. Today, I’m shamelessly promoting a newly forming project: the United Way Arise Project.
The United Way Arise Project is the culmination of 18 months of work by individuals dedicated to finding ways to alleviate poverty in the GLBT community. This donor led initiative will engage the community in giving, volunteering and advocating in building pathways out of poverty in the GLBT community.
The founding committee started this work in January 2010 with the mission of finding ways that United Way could better serve the GLBT donor community. The group studied United Way’s mission: to unite caring people to build pathways out of poverty, creating opportunity for all.
After researching the topic, the group discovered higher rates of poverty in the GLBT community when compared to the broader community. There are lower rates of health care access, higher rates of health disparities, challenges to educational success stemming from bullying and higher rates of youth homelessness.
This year the Arise Project will focus on the issue of youth homelessness. All monies raised will go toward youth homeless projects. There will be volunteer projects and awareness building events to educate the community on this issue throughout the rest of the year.
The program will launch with an event on Thursday, July 9 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the Center for Changing Lives in south Minneapolis.
To register to attend and learn more, click here.
For more information, contact me at brownc@unitedwaytwincities.org.
