Dear Friends,
The end of the year is fast approaching, closing out what has been another challenging stretch for many in greater New Haven. While the pandemic has been a major disruption for all of us, the negative impacts have fallen disproportionately on those at the low end of the wage scale, on women, and on people of color.
The good news is that you, as a United Way donor and supporter, continue to be part of the solution. Together, we helped more than 100,000 people in our region this past year by feeding thousands who didn’t know where their next meal was coming from, connecting hundreds of families to safe housing, promoting children’s emotional well-being, supporting enrichment opportunities for at-risk youth and working collaboratively to reconnect students chronically absent from school. And, together, we provided direct financial assistance to almost 3,000 ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) households.
This is the kind of impact that gives me hope. At the same time, I know we can, and must, do more to build a stronger, more equitable community that offers opportunity for everyone.
As you think about the year ahead, I invite you to consider what you can do to make this vision a reality.
Together, we can do more than recover back to the pre-pandemic status quo — let’s make it an opportunity to “recover up” into a better future, for everyone. Our community is counting on us.
With gratitude and optimism,
