Day 8: Housing Access

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Day 8: Housing Access The reality is that housing affordability and those who experience houselessness are largely influenced by our country’s history of oppression. Housing insecurity is an issue that disproportionately impacts people from various marginalized groups. It’s important to note that here and elsewhere, we use the language preferred by people directly impacted by…

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Day 7: Intersectionality

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Day 7: Intersectionality “I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.” Audre Lorde – writer, professor, philosopher, intersectional feminist, poet and civil rights activist A discussion of privilege and oppression is not complete without a broader discussion of intersectionality, a concept that helps us…

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Day 6: What is Power, Privilege and Oppression?

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Day 6: What is Power, Privilege and Oppression? Our goal is to create more equitable and just communities. To do this, we need to have some shared language to understand what barriers and opportunities exist. You may have heard conversations using the terms power, privilege, and oppression. Let’s explore a few definitions to get us…

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Responding for ALICE: Mini-Grants Presented

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United Way of South Central Michigan has awarded 21 mini-grants to organizations in Battle Creek and Kalamazoo that are striving to increase the number of households living above the ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) threshold.  “The opportunity to receive any funds of any kind is a blessing,” said Rhonda Ethridge of Life Cycles Bike4Life.…

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Jackson Nonprofits Join JobSTAR Cohorts

JACKSON – Federal funds have made it possible for eight Jackson-area nonprofits to join JobSTAR, the business resource network led by UWSCMI. Launched in 2018, JobSTAR (Support, Talent And Retention) embeds Success Coaches Scott Walker and Kristy Warner at participating organizations, connecting employees to services and support programs so they can get beyond barriers to…

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Day 5: Understanding and Reflecting on Bias

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Day 5: Understanding and Reflecting on Bias The topic of bias can sometimes be a difficult one. Most of us see ourselves, rightly so, as kind, caring individuals who try to do right by others. As we dive into this topic, I hope one thing is clear: all of us have bias. It often shows…

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Day 4: A Reflection on Identity

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Day 4: A Reflection on Identity How often do you think about your race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, dis/ability, or other social identities? Which identity/ies do you think about the most in your day-to-day? For many of us, the identities we are most aware of in ourselves are the ones that create challenges…

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Day 3: Caring for Yourself in Your Equity Journey

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Day 3: Caring for Yourself in Your Equity Journey As you go through these lessons, there are some that you might have a more personal connection to than others. There are some that might make you defensive, and some that might make you deflated. It’s important to check in with yourself to understand what emotions…

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Day 2: Why Equity?

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Day 2: Why Equity Equality means giving everyone the same resources. Equity means offering different resources to different people/groups with the goal of creating equal opportunity for success. In other words, equality is the goal we’re moving toward, equity is how we get there.  Let’s imagine that you are logging on to a virtual meeting…

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Day 1: Welcome

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Welcome to United Way of South Central Michigan’s 21-Day Equity Challenge!   We are so grateful you have decided to join us in this work. Every day at United Way, we look to partner with community members like you who are committed to a future where everyone can lead a flourishing life. To do this, we…

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