Health is Equity and Justice

The Y’s commitment to equity and justice was furthered through a range of initiatives in 2022. Surveys, observation kits, insight circles, and training from outside facilitators were deployed to assess our progress and create a Race Equity Toolkit. We reached out to the voices of the impacted and those we serve to better meet their needs. Y Community Conversations hosted meaningful dialogue and provided a space for much-needed discussions on social justice issues. Along with continued efforts to diversify participation in all Y programming, pilot programs were rolled out that included one for Queer/Trans, Black, and femme youth to reclaim the outdoors as places in which they can be their authentic selves and community-centered volunteer efforts were mobilized.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service - Addressing Food Insecurity A day off for some, a day on for Y volunteers. Our MLK Day of Service was Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Poor People’s Campaign and saw 500 neighbors helped thanks to the efforts of our community, as well as staff from Bank of America and Starbucks. The day got underway with education about Dr. King’s campaign and the critical role Black women leaders like Ella Baker played in the civil rights movement. We then listened to a video programming where we learned from Dr. Dorceta Taylor, who taught about how food insecurity persists as an intentional and systemic form of discrimination before we addressed it by providing mutual aid to our community with freshly made burritos, weekend meal backpacks, and care packages.