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Greensboro, NC (October 4, 2021) – United Way of Greater Greensboro’s Young Leaders (YL) Affinity Group will host their annual Trunk-or-Treat on Saturday, October 23, 2021, 2 to 4 p.m. in the United Way parking lot located at 1500 Yanceyville Street, Greensboro. This year’s event will require attendees to follow several safety precautions, offer candy and COVID-19 vaccinations.

United Way, in partnership with Starmount Healthcare, is offering a vaccination booth during the event for anyone age-appropriate who would like to receive a COVID-19 vaccine to protect themselves and the community. Booster vaccines will be available as well.

After last year’s event was cancelled due to COVID, YL leadership was determined to bring back Trunk-or-Treat this year so that children and families could once again have a safe alternative to trick or treating. 

“We have several precautions in place this year to ensure everyone’s safety while still being able to provide the festivities they have come to expect over the years,” said Young Leaders Chair, Marcus Thomas. 

Some of those precautions include masks being required for attendees, hand sanitizing stations, reducing the number of trunks to allow for social distancing, and more.  

“Our community is a top priority. We want to ensure the wellbeing of everyone involved while raising awareness about United Way’s mission to end poverty in the Greater Greensboro community. This event allows us to do that,” Thomas said. Volunteers are still needed to donate candy, host and decorate trunks, and more. If you are interested in volunteering for this event, please visit www.UnitedWayGSO.org/Volunteer or reach out to United Way’s Marketing and Communications Manager, Taylor Chapman at TaylorChapman@UnitedWayGSO.org.

Khari Garvin Selected to Lead Organization Efforts to End Poverty, Public Invited to Meet Garvin at Virtual Lunch and Learn August 12

GREENSBORO, NC (July 20, 2021) – United Way of Greater Greensboro (UWGG) announced today that Khari Garvin has been named President and CEO and will begin leading the organization’s strategy to end local poverty on July 26. The public is invited to meet Garvin during a virtual lunch and learn, August 12, noon to 1 p.m. by registering at www.UnitedWayGSO.org/CEO. 

Garvin, whose career in anti-poverty programs began with the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Head Start program, has more than 20 years national, state, and local experience designing and leading systems serving children and families in low-income communities.

Immediately prior to joining UWGG, Garvin served as Executive Director of Save the Children’s $30 million portfolio of regional Head Start programs where he managed over 400 staff serving children and families living in poverty in communities across six states.

Garvin led the implementation of Great Expectations, a $40 million, 10-year signature initiative of the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, which helps children enter Kindergarten and emerge prepared for continued learning and success. 

His impressive experience also includes leading the state office of the North Carolina Head Start system, comprised of 55 affiliate grantee organizations including public school systems, community action agencies, county governments, and private non-profits that served over 28,000 children and families in all 100 counties. 

Garvin, who currently lives with his wife in High Point, also has experience working with Greensboro-based Guilford Child Development, where he served as Assistant Head Start/Early Head Start Program Director.

“I am excited to return to Greensboro and continue my life’s work and dedication to serving children and families. I look forward to maintaining and creating meaningful relationships and high-impact partnerships as we bear down with the greatest weight possible this community’s efforts of ending poverty,” said Garvin.

“I am a staunch advocate for people who may be discovering their voice, or who have been overlooked. Poverty should not be a final destination for anyone, and I am confident this community has what it takes to create a future where all community members have the ability to achieve their dreams.”

Garvin, who earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Emory University, and Master of Science in Education from Southern Illinois University, replaces Michelle Gethers-Clark who was hired in April by Visa, Inc. to serve as Chief Diversity Officer and Head of Corporate Responsibility. 

In April, UWGG formed a diverse eight-member search committee comprised of current and past board members, and announced it was working with Charles Aris Executive Search of Greensboro to conduct a national search for a new President and CEO.

Charles Aris received approximately 300 applications, had meaningful conversations with over 100 candidates, and ultimately provided the UWGG search committee with a shortened list of the most qualified candidates.

The UWGG search committee conducted two interviews with the shortened list of candidates and invited finalists to in-person meetings where each candidate was asked to conduct a presentation on relevant topics.

After meeting with additional community supporters, Garvin was selected and approved as President and CEO by the UWGG board of directors.

Garvin joins UWGG a short time before it is expected to announce a new community-developed, measurable Bold Goal aimed at helping a specific number of households leave poverty by certain date. The Bold Goal was developed over the past year with the input and collaboration of thousands of people.

Brian Pierce, Chair, UWGG Board of Directors, who served on the search committee said, “Khari is tremendously experienced in the work of addressing poverty. His drive and motivation for what he does is infectious and inspiring.”

“Khari is a strategist and a leader. He will help United Way and our community develop ways we can continue to reach for and measure our progress in this fight against poverty. Khari is uniquely equipped to help bring our community together to produce the outcomes we all want to achieve.”

END LOCAL POVERTY: United Way of Greater Greensboro is leading a movement to end local poverty. We create strategic partnerships and initiatives that are coordinated and work with children, adults, and families across the entire community. More than 57,000 people are living in poverty in the greater Greensboro area. In the City of Greensboro, one out of every four children, lives in poverty. The federal government defines poverty as a family of four earning $26,500 per year. According to local self-sufficiency standards, many four-member households need to earn around $60,000 to meet basic needs without subsidized assistance. www.UnitedWayGSO.org Local impact for 99 years and counting.

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GREENSBORO, NC (March 16, 2021) – United Way of Greater Greensboro (UWGG) announced today that Michelle Gethers-Clark is leaving as the organization’s President and CEO, effective, April 16, to become the Chief Diversity Officer and Head of Corporate Responsibility for Visa, Inc. 

In this newly created role, Gethers-Clark will be responsible for further elevating Visa’s approach to inclusion and diversity as a business imperative. Her role will include leading a team of more than 60 professionals worldwide who are responsible for social impact efforts to drive inclusive and equitable growth with a focus on small and micro businesses. 

In addition, Gethers-Clark and her team will lead initiatives to support Visa being a responsible, ethical and sustainable company. She will start her new role on May 3 and will report to Alfred F. Kelly, Jr., the CEO of Visa, Inc.   

Since joining UWGG in 2012 as a consultant, and then being named President and CEO in 2013, Gethers-Clark and her team have generated and distributed $90 million in financial revenue to social impact programs focused on producing positive life, health and economic outcomes for children and families in the Greensboro/Guilford County community.

In addition, under her leadership, UWGG transformed its 99-year-old regional business model from general grantmaking to a single-issue focus of solving generational and systemic poverty with significant results. To achieve this shift, the United Way team convened and galvanized stakeholders to address racial, income, wealth and social inequity through partnerships with corporations, donors, volunteers and community-based organizations. 

“I’ve been blessed to work with a tremendous team at United Way. The 26 extraordinary staff members and 34-member board of directors, were willing to boldly change the way we support our community. I thank each of them for this work on behalf of those we serve,” says Gethers-Clark. “I know the power and passion of this community will continue to push forward on the path to end poverty under the leadership of our board and in partnership with the entire United Way team.” 

UWGG Board Chair, Kim Gatling says, “Michelle’s inspiring and transformational leadership has created a lasting impact that will be carried forward in the greater Greensboro community for years to come. Thanks to her collaborative efforts, thousands of local children and families have received life-changing supports and the hope they deserve. Thanks to her solid strategies, existing and future United Way leadership will continue creating partnerships that produce meaningful, equitable and lasting impact. Speaking on behalf of the entire United Way board and team, we are excited for Michelle and wish her all the best in her new global-impact role.”

Gatling and Michele Deuterman, Chair of UWGG’s Human Resource Committee will soon announce plans to conduct a CEO search for Gethers-Clark’s successor. 

END POVERTY: United Way of Greater Greensboro is leading a movement to END poverty. We create strategic partnerships and initiatives that are coordinated and work with children adults, and families across the entire community. More than 57,000 people are living in poverty in the greater Greensboro area. In the City of Greensboro, one out of every four children, lives in poverty. With community support, we’re connecting people to opportunities like housing, jobs, education and healthcare. The federal government defines poverty as a family of four earning $25,750 per year. According to local self-sufficiency standards, many four-member households need to earn around $60,000 to meet basic needs without subsidized assistance. www.UnitedWayGSO.org Local impact for 99 years and counting.

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United Way is leveraging $1 million of recent $10 million MacKenzie Scott Gift to help households recover from the economic impacts of COVID-19

GREENSBORO, NC (March 15, 2021) –United Way of Greater Greensboro (UWGG) is pleased to announce it is leveraging the first $1 million of philanthropist MacKenzie Scott’s recent $10 million gift, by seeking grant applications for innovative solutions to address housing disparities as part of the organization’s focus on ending poverty.

In December 2020, Scott gifted over $4 billion to 384 nonprofits across the nation. UWGG was one of only two United Ways in North Carolina to receive funding. At the time, UWGG announced plans to utilize the funds to make innovative and transformational investments in solutions that work together to end poverty across the entire community.

In the spirit of supporting collaborative impact and responding to the ongoing economic impacts of COVID-19, UWGG is seeking:

Requests for Proposal: Housing and Community Recovery Grants 2021-2022.

Interested organizations can visit www.UnitedWay.GSO/Our-Grants to access additional information and application documents.

Proposals must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on April 30, 2021 to support 300 households in Greater Greensboro to achieve one or more of the following:

• Secure permanent housing.
• Maintain permanent housing.
• Purchase home as first-time homebuyers.

Strategies to achieve these goals can address gaps in existing services and resources. The scope of services can include,but are not limited to, the following:

• Rental and utility assistance and eviction prevention
• Foreclosure prevention and mortgage assistance
• Case management and supportive services
• First time homebuyer assistance

Grants will be awarded for a minimum of $100,000 not to exceed the available pool of $1,000,0000.

“We are thrilled that through this investment, 300 households will be provided with extra support in helping them to recover from the impacts of COVID. An investment of $1,000,000 by UWGG will help our city build a future that leaves poverty behind through permanent, stable housing,” says Frank McCain, UWGG Vice President, Community Investment & Impact

“Stable housing is the foundation of well-being. The temporary and permanent housing industry in Greensboro is rocky at best. Research has solidified the housing industry as an economic engine and if history repeats itself, will propel our post COVID-19 recovery. In the past, communities that made investments in housing its’ residents have experienced economic recovery after virtually every major downturn.”

Why is UWGG issuing the RFP specific to housing?
While significant and needed federal funds have entered the community for rental and utility assistance, gaps in assistance remain. There is a need for unrestricted and flexible funding. 

Eviction moratoriums will eventually end. And the housing disparities that existed before COVID-19 must still be addressed. UWGG wants to support permanent housing along a continuum – from short-term crisis assistance all the way to home ownership, a critical strategy for building the wealth and assets needed for ending generational poverty.

Why is UWGG leveraging $1 Million of the grant money?
There is no better opportunity than now to strategically leverage the Mackenzie Scott gift. The funds allow UWGG to make larger, high-impact investments in innovative solutions that will accelerate the recovery of our community, post COVID-19. The UWGG investment will stimulate a longer-term impact.

Gift will be used over the next three years to make innovative investments to lift local children and families out of poverty

Greensboro, NC (December 16, 2020) – United Way of Greater Greensboro (UWGG) has received a $10 million gift from MacKenzie Scott, renowned philanthropist and novelist, to invest in efforts that lift local children and families out of poverty. The gift is the largest received in UWGG’s 98-year history. 

“We are honored to have our work of ending local poverty acknowledged in such a remarkable way. This historic moment gives us encouragement to innovate further in the work that the greater Greensboro community has entrusted us to complete,” said Michelle Gethers-Clark, President and CEO, UWGG. 

UWGG will utilize the funds over the next three years to make innovative and transformational investments in solutions that are working together to end poverty across the entire community. 

Scott has committed to giving the majority of her fortune to philanthropic causes, and UWGG’s gift is among $4,158,500,000 she recently gifted to 384 nonprofits across the nation. In a statement released HERE, Scott announced she and a team of advisors researched thousands of nonprofits before selecting those receiving gifts.  

“They took a data-driven approach to identifying organizations with strong leadership teams and results, with special attention to those operating in communities facing high projected food insecurity, high measures of racial inequity, high local poverty rates, and low access to philanthropic capital. Because our research is data-driven and rigorous, our giving process can be human and soft,” said Scott. 

Prior to the pandemic, over 57,000 people in the greater Greensboro community were living in poverty, including one out of every four children in Greensboro. The federal government defines poverty as a single person earning $12,760 or a family of four earning $26,200 per year. 

According to Gethers-Clark, being selected to receive Scott’s gift was made possible thanks to the hard work and dedication of local community members and corporations who have supported UWGG over the past 98-years. 

“To be selected as one of 384 organizations across the nation is humbling and affirming. This is a moment to celebrate and double-down as a community. These dollars are going to be used to make smart investments in our community,” said Gethers-Clark, who added, “We are confident this monumental gesture will inspire others to learn about and support the work of UWGG.”