October 12 2021 0comment

United Way Hosting Virtual Valley Connection Series to Give Community a Voice

The United Way of the Wabash Valley is working to connect with community members through their new town hall series, Virtual Valley Connection. These are conversations that will allow the public to provide information about community issues to United Way and also learn more about the work of the organization. Each conversation will have a theme that relates to United Way’s focus areas. These talks will take place on Zoom with the option to be viewed on a Facebook Livestream. They will take place starting on October 21st and continue every three to four weeks at noon on Thursdays. The themes of the series will include:

  • Struggling Working Families – Poverty and ALICE in the Wabash Valley
  • Success By 6 – Early Childhood Education
  • Community – Building Strong Neighborhoods
  • Youth Success – Supporting Children Through School
  • Substance Use Disorder – Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery in the Wabash Valley
  • Financial Stability – Building Blocks for Family Stability
  • Safety Net – Providing Basic Needs

Each conversation will begin with a short community update on United Way’s work and will be followed by an open forum discussion. This is a chance for community members to provide feedback for existing work of the United Way, as well as discuss areas of concern they see in the community. To help foster discussion, United Way will also prompt the audience with a few questions.

With the Stronger UNITED Strategic Plan, United Way has changed their approach over the past several years, and seeks to continue to conduct these conversations outside of the boardroom, and listen to the lives of those impacted by the critical social issues they are trying to address. The Virtual Valley Connection series is designed to provide a safe and open environment in which people can share their aspirations for the community and what barriers they observe.

Richard Payonk, Executive Director of United Way of the Wabash Valley, explained, “Working with and for our community is the most important way to create lasting solutions to our greatest challenges. We want to hear feedback to understand what we’re doing right, and what things maybe aren’t working and how we can adjust them so they will work. When you sit down to listen to people’s everyday lives, you gain a greater understanding which helps create lasting impact, not just short-term solutions.”

To learn more about upcoming events, check out United Way of the Wabash Valley on Facebook.

Link to zoom events: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86359568560

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