Dr. Vanessa Allen-McCloud,
President and CEO, Urban League of Northwest Indiana
In this season of reflection and looking forward to a new year, I would like to extend our holiday greetings to all of the people of Northwest Indiana. It is our goal to continue working on those issues that affect and unite all of us in the Region by focusing on the following. We hope you will join us!
- Let us work toward social justice by being committed to equity in the workplace. Our young people and those who have not found meaningful, sustainable work need job training and opportunity that leads to employment at a living wage.
- Let us increase our commitment to diversity and inclusion at all levels in our communities. Instead of tolerating glaring inequalities, let us envision living in friendly spaces together, where our families know each other. In these spaces, our children can call each other by their first names and participate in academics, sports and clubs as equals, challenging each to do his or her best.
- Let us live in communities that support each other, where police departments function to serve and protect, where people are not intimidated by their power, where people of color are not treated differently from those who have traditionally reaped the benefits of skin privilege.
- Let us see that our young people have a fighting chance at achieving success in school. This means we have to ensure access to scholarships and college readiness programs that will level the playing field.
- Let us support fully-funded public education which remains the most important vehicle for transitioning our children at every stage of their young lives.
- Let us live as adults where we set the standard for community involvement and concern for the welfare of others. Let us be role models for our children so that they do not repeat the mistakes of the past.
- And central to all of what we do, let us be informed and accountable politically by understanding the issues before us, who and what each candidate represents and finally, by casting intentional votes for those who have our interests in mind. Helping the 1 percent to gain more power will only hold our momentum back; we need to stand united for what our communities need.
Today the impossible odds continue to pile up but so do the opportunities. And doing nothing is not an option. Silence and inaction create indifference and barriers to understanding each other. Embracing the greater good is the answer to our problems.
We encourage you to support our work and hope that you will bless us with another year of productive activity. The Urban League is a non-profit agency and we need your support.
Please consider sending a generous donation to the Urban League in the amount of $20 – $100, for our 2019 Year End Annual Fund Drive. Donations can be mailed to Urban League of NWI, located at 3101 Broadway, Gary, IN 46409. You can also donate via our website at www.ulofnwi.org, click the DONATE button, or TEXT TO GIVE: Text IMPACT to 44321.
Your financial donation to the Urban League has a direct impact in the continuation of the great services provided by the affiliate.
Of course, all donations are tax deductible. If your donation is received by December 31, 2019, we will send you a receipt and letter acknowledging your donation to use for your taxes. For more information call 219-887-9621.
Know that your support goes towards the advancement of services we provide to improve the social, educational, and economic conditions of families throughout Lake, LaPorte, and Porter counties.
