United Way of Western Connecticut

United to Help Hard-Working, Struggling Families

Like us, you believe that people who work hard should be able to pay their bills and lead a decent life.

Based on that core belief, United Way of Western Connecticut made a strategic decision in 2015 to focus on the hard-working, struggling families in the 15-town region we serve in Fairfield and Litchfield counties.

These are the 40% of our friends and neighbors who must make difficult choices in their lives with limited resources, a population we call ALICE: Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed.

Who is ALICE? ALICE is our co-worker, friend and neighbor who works hard, yet can’t afford necessities like housing, food, childcare, health care, and transportation. Learn more about ALICE research here.

We’re the only organization focused exclusively on helping this population.

After conducting more than 50 community conversations and evaluating more than 500 surveys, we decided to help hard-working, struggling families by focusing on the following:

• Increasing access to affordable, quality care and education.
• Increasing access to fresh, healthy food.
• Giving people tools to help them save and become more financially stable.

The challenges these families face are complex. Solutions require bringing multiple partners to the table, and developing new technologies to address their needs.

Diversity Statement - United Way of Western Connecticut

As a non-profit organization continuously seeking to maintain quality service to our community, the United Way of Western Connecticut places high value on the concept of diversity.

United Way of Western Connecticut values the uniqueness of the individual, the power of the collective good and the importance of communities. We promote a climate that welcomes, understands and respects the diversity of our donors, staff, volunteers, agencies and community. Dimensions of diversity include but are not limited to race, ethnicity, cultural orientation, national origin, language, religious belief, disability, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, age or any other legally protected basis in accordance with applicable federal, state or local laws.

The Board of Directors and senior management team will provide leadership to ensure an environment that values diversity and operates in accordance with the following guiding principles:

• We are committed to inclusiveness as a core operating principle for our organization.
• We value, respect and embrace diversity and are committed to incorporating practices that enhance diversity into all areas of activity, including the recruitment, employment, training, and promotion of staff and volunteers, as applicable, from diverse backgrounds.
• We will not engage in or tolerate any form or act of discrimination or harassment, and shall be vigilant against any such conduct.
• We shall be open and accessible to all.
• We shall demonstrate fair treatment for all.

We shall review our relevant policies and procedures annually to ensure that our commitment to inclusiveness is being fulfilled.

United Way of Western Connecticut, Inc.