Greensboro Recognizes March 1 as LIVE UNITED Day

GREENSBORO, NC (February 22, 2023) – Residents are invited to celebrate LIVE UNITED Day with the City of Greensboro and the United Way of Greater Greensboro by helping create a unique piece of art that displays the phrase “LIVE UNITED.” Residents are invited to paint their fingertips on the artwork from 11 am to 2 pm on March 1, at the Greensboro Cultural Center, 200 N. Davie St.

Those who participate will be treated to free Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream. After March 1, the artwork will travel to various municipal buildings where City employees will be encouraged to leave their own individual marks. The completed work will be presented to the Greensboro City Council and eventually placed on display at the Melvin Municipal Office Building.

United Way President & CEO Hired for Government Role in Washington D.C.  

Khari Garvin will leave United Way of Greater Greensboro March 3, Executive Team Member, Nadine Malpass Will Serve as Interim CEO 

GREENSBORO, NC (February 16, 2023) – United Way of Greater Greensboro (UWGG) announced today that Khari Garvin is leaving as the organization’s President and CEO, effective, March 3, to take on a new government role in Washington D.C. A formal announcement about Garvin’s new role will be released by his future employer during the week of February 27. 

Nadine Malpass, UWGG’s current Chief Development Officer, will serve as Interim CEO upon Garvin’s departure. 

“I am eternally grateful to the community for its support during my time at United Way and count myself blessed to have been part of an organization that is without a doubt making a positive impact in the lives of local children, adults, and families. Thanks to the ongoing leadership of our board and extremely talented staff, the great work of United Way will continue,” said Garvin. “The new federal government role in Washington D.C. is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for which I am grateful and feel compelled to pursue.”  

Garvin, who joined UWGG in July 2021 with more than 20 years of national, state, and local experience designing and leading systems focused on anti-poverty, is leaving behind a lasting legacy of local impact including: 

  • Launching the organization’s community-inspired and developed Bold Goal to help 3,000 households leave poverty by the year 2030 
  • Launching the organization’s Guilford Success Network focused on connecting people to integrated services digitally and in person 
  • Leading UWGG during its Centennial year, and 
  • Committing that UWGG will publicly report its outcomes related to ending local poverty twice a year, which will be accomplished in a midyear update scheduled six days after his departure. 

“United Way of Greater Greensboro found a strong and thoughtful leader in Khari Garvin. He embraced our mission, accelerated our work and, with a committed staff, created a strategy to measure and achieve United Way’s bold goal of reducing poverty in greater Greensboro. Khari has inspired our community, investors, and strategic partners around this goal, and, while his departure to serve in Washington, D.C. will leave big shoes to fill, Khari has helped to build and motivate a strong team to continue the work,” said UWGG Board Chair, Davida Martin. 

Martin, and Michele Deuterman, who serves as both UWGG Board Vice Chair, and Chair of UWGG’s Human Resources Committee will soon announce plans to conduct a CEO search for Garvin’s successor.  

Nadine Malpass will serve as the organization’s Interim CEO.

During the transitional leadership process, Malpass will assume the organization’s interim leadership role of CEO, until a new President and CEO is hired. 

Malpass will continue reporting to Garvin until his last day and will transition to reporting to Martin, until a new President and CEO is hired. 

As Interim CEO, Malpass will serve as the voice of the organization with the Board of Directors, staff, community members, and key volunteers and will ultimately support the transition of the new UWGG President and CEO. 

“Nadine has been selected with the full confidence of the board of directors to lead organizational operations,” said Martin.   

Since 2017, Malpass has managed UWGG’s Resource Development Department, creating and deploying strategies to grow new investor relationships, and annual giving including major gifts, corporate gifts, and foundation grants. 

Malpass has served on UWGG’s executive leadership team, reporting directly to the President and CEO, served as a member of the strategic planning committee, and leads the resource development committee. 

In 2020, Malpass’ leadership contributed to UWGG receiving a $10 million gift from national philanthropist, MacKenzie Scott, the largest gift in organizational history. 

Immediately prior to joining UWGG, Malpass spent 17 years rising through the ranks of the American Cancer Society, eventually serving as the Director of Community Engagement for North and South Carolina. 

As the Director of Community Engagement for the American Cancer Society, Malpass led the integration of community engagement, health systems, and corporate partner activities with a combined revenue portfolio of $18 million.  

Malpass is an inspirational leader with a proven ability to work collaboratively and strategically with boards, volunteers, and staff to drive revenue goals and productivity.   

Additionally, Malpass has served as an Adjunct Professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Hampton, Virginia where she created curriculum and instructed at both undergraduate and graduate levels for Human Resources Administration studies. 

Malpass is currently an executive board member for The Servant Center and Greensboro Housing Coalition and a former commissioner on the Greensboro Criminal Justice Advisory Commission. 

Malpass’ educational background includes graduating with a Bachelor of Science, Human Resource Management from Saint Leo’s College and graduating with a Master of Science, Human Resource Management from Troy State University. 

“I am honored to lead United Way during this transition and with the supportive talents of our board and staff, we will continue to deliver on our commitment to serve our community, partners, and the children, adults, and families who need our collaborative support,” said Malpass. 

VOLUNTEERS UNITED – Meet Rashanda Harris

“One of my favorite sayings is derived from the scripture Luke 12:48: ‘To whom much is given, much is required’ – it is a constant reminder that I am responsible for using my God-given talents, skills, and abilities to benefit others, said Rashanda Harris.

There is no doubt Rashanda has used her gifts in amazing ways to support United Way’s efforts to help the local community for over 19 years.

While working at Lincoln Financial Group, Rashanda has supported and chaired many functions of fundraising activities through her company campaign, volunteered during Days of Caring, hosted a trunk during Trunk-or-Treat, and been a member of Young Leaders Affinity Group.

And that’s not all…

As the nation celebrates Black History month throughout February, Rashanda’s latest volunteer role seems even more timely and impactful. Last month Rashanda began chairing United Way’s African American Leadership (AAL) Affinity Group.

“I am passionate about equality, representation, disrupting stereotypes and being an advocate for others and the work that United Way does allows me to mobilize my energy and enhance my commitment.”

AAL is focused on empowering and inspiring communities of color to lead community-wide change that ENDs poverty.

Rashanda says she volunteers with AAL because she “believes in the adage that it takes a village – collective effort matters!” She went on to say, “volunteering allows me to hold myself accountable for being a member of the village that supports and drives initiatives such as the African American Male Initiative for those in our community.”

She hopes to continue partnering with community leaders to turn United Way’s vision into reality by focusing on initiatives that lead to ending generational poverty.

And with Rashanda as the leader of AAL, that hope is fueled by a local leader with nearly two decades of United Way experience.

“I hope that we continue building resilience. Be the change we want to see by not only learning but living compassionately, promoting, and supporting equality, continuing to use our voices and remaining committed to giving and volunteering so that our community thrives.”

If you’d like to learn more about United Way’s AAL Affinity Group, visit: https://www.unitedwaygso.org/african-american-leadership/

United Way Receives $1 Million Federal Grant Supporting its Guilford Success Network

Funding secured by Congresswoman Kathy Manning will be used for job counseling, career training, and supportive services to help local people leave poverty   

GREENSBORO, NC (January 11, 2023) – United Way of Greater Greensboro (UWGG) is receiving a $1,000,000 federal grant to support job counseling, career training, and supportive services offered through the organization’s Guilford Success Network. The funding was included in a recently approved bipartisan omnibus bill which included funding for community projects in North Carolina’s Sixth District introduced by Congresswoman Kathy Manning (NC-06).  

UWGG’s Guilford Success Network is a community-inspired, research-based system that leverages technology to deliver coordinated support services for low-income residents – empowering them to achieve their economic goals and attain sustainable economic stability. The success of the project is achieved through three central objectives:  

  1. Build a coordinated community of practice and services, supported by a technology-based platform to establish a virtual network.
  2. Engage residents as participants in the Guilford Success Network, paired with live coaches and coordinators, to develop customized household plans for transitioning out of poverty that include connections to the integrated services provided through the Guilford Success Network.
  3. Deliver, measure, and report outcomes for participants as they achieve their goals for long-term economic stability.  

UWGG creates, connects, and leads community partnerships that equip and empower people to leave poverty. According to Khari Garvin, UWGG President and CEO, the Guilford Success Network is part of the organization’s multi-faceted strategy to address local poverty. 

“Everything we do is aimed at helping local children, adults, and families leave poverty. Our approach is research-based, and our funded partnerships either help place people on pathways out of poverty, or they help people leave poverty altogether. The Guilford Success Network will help people find their pathway out of poverty, leading them to living wage employment,” said Garvin.   

“On behalf of the people whose lives will be positively affected by the services provided by this funding, we are tremendously grateful for Congresswoman Manning’s ongoing support of our efforts to serve local households impacted by generational poverty,” added Garvin.  

The grant funding was included in a bipartisan omnibus bill which included Congresswoman Manning’s request for $25.56 million for 15 Community Funding Projects in North Carolina’s Sixth District.  

“I’m proud to secure federal funding for the United Way of Greater Greensboro to implement job counseling and career training services to empower community members to get and retain good-paying jobs,” said Congresswoman Manning (NC-06).  

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END LOCAL POVERTY: United Way of Greater Greensboro creates, connects, and leads community partnerships that equip and empower people to leave poverty. 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. Our strategy builds pathways out of poverty by: Helping youth transition from cradle to career, Helping adults land jobs and increase income, Providing access to basic needs and healthcare, and Bundling services that eliminate barriers at our nationally recognized Family Success Centers and innovative Guilford Success Network. With the community’s support, we will achieve our BOLD GOAL: As a community united in equity and lasting solutions, 3,000 households will leave generational poverty by 2030. The federal government defines poverty as a family of four earning $27,750 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 

United Way of Greater Greensboro Seeks to Engage Volunteers During National Mentoring Month

Greensboro, NC (January 6, 2023) – January is National Mentoring Month, and this year United Way of Greater Greensboro (UWGG) is seeking community volunteers to mentor local youth through its Mentoring Matters initiative. 

UWGG’s Mentoring Matters initiative works to increase the number of mentors and improve the effectiveness of mentoring programs in the greater Greensboro area. A key component of the local program includes United Way’s African American Male Initiative (AAMI), which has been offered in partnership with Communities in Schools at Wiley Elementary, Jackson Middle, and Smith High Schools for over 11 years.  

Many AAMI youth who began being mentored in elementary school maintained their mentor relationships through high school, and credit the program for providing them a pathway to graduation and college. Research shows mentors play a powerful role in helping youth make responsible choices, attend and excel in school, and reduce or avoid risky behaviors.

Mentored youth are:

  • 55% more likely to enroll in college
  • 81% more likely to participate regularly in sports or extracurricular activities
  • 78% more likely to volunteer regularly in their communities
  • More than twice as likely to hold a leadership position in a club or sports team

Mentoring relationships are at their best when connections are made between a caring adult and a young person who knows that someone is there to help guide them through those real-life decisions. 

“The mentoring relationship is powerful. And, while children and youth are resilient, the consistent presence of a mentor helps build trust and confidence. Mentors create a safe space for mentees to fail and try again. The key is to understand that both the mentor and mentee are on a journey together that will have hills and valleys. Working through them together is the reward,” said Traci McLemore, Chief Community Impact Officer, United Way of Greater Greensboro.

To learn more about UWGG’s Mentoring Matters initiative and to find volunteer opportunities, please visit www.UnitedWayGSO.org/Mentoring-Matters.

United Way of Greater Greensboro Accepting Strategic Partnership Applications for Annual Grant Funds

New process allows organizations to align their services with two poverty-combatting funding opportunities

GREENSBORO, NC (October 28, 2022) – United Way of Greater Greensboro (UWGG) is pleased to announce it is accepting strategic partnership applications for annual grant funds to help local children, adults, and families leave poverty. This year the competitive application process has been updated to allow organizations the ability to apply for two distinct grants for program services that are Poverty Relieving or Poverty Ending.

Poverty Relieving grant funds are open to programs or collaboratives providing services that help people find and stay on pathways out of poverty. Poverty Relieving grants will be awarded to the following areas of impact:

  • Cradle-to-career supports to ensure that children and youth are hitting major milestones, from the time they are born until they find a career, on the path to leaving generational poverty.
  • Basic needs and access to healthcare services to address households’ foundational needs to keep them on the path out of poverty.
  • Financial stability to help adults maintain their progress and build toward self-sufficiency by safeguarding income and building assets.

Poverty Ending grant funds are open to programs or collaboratives providing services that offer clear ways for people to leave poverty by increasing and maintaining their annual household income above the federal poverty threshold. These programs will support United Way’s Bold Goal efforts to help 3,000 households leave generational poverty by 2030. Poverty Ending program examples include but are not limited to:

  • Services and supports that connect adults to jobs that offer family-sustaining wages
  • Skills and career development programing

Volunteer-led committees will review applications and select programs based on their abilities to produce defined outcomes that help UWGG achieve its efforts of the Bold Goal. This “open funding” model allows UWGG to invest donor gifts into local programs with proven solutions that help to end poverty.

Strategic partner grant funding will begin July 1, 2023. Application deadlines vary by grant. Grant seeker information sessions for each funding stream will occur in early November.

Interested organizations can visit www.UnitedWayGSO.org/Grants to access all grant information and register for grant seeker information sessions.

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END LOCAL POVERTY: United Way of Greater Greensboro creates, connects, and leads community partnerships that equip and empower people to leave poverty. 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. Our strategy builds pathways out of poverty by: Helping youth transition from cradle to career, Helping adults land jobs and increase income, Providing access to basic needs and healthcare, and Bundling services that eliminate barriers at our nationally recognized Family Success Centers and innovative Guilford Success Network. With the community’s support, we will achieve our BOLD GOAL: As a community united in equity and lasting solutions, 3,000 households will leave generational poverty by 2030. The federal government defines poverty as a family of four earning $27,750 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

Community Support of MeaningFULL Meals Food Drive Especially Needed This Year

Greensboro, NC (June 28, 2022) – United Way of Greater Greensboro (UWGG) is mobilizing the community throughout July with its annual MeaningFULL Meals program in partnership with The Volunteer Center (TVC) of the Triad and BackPack Beginnings (BPB).

Nine years ago, UWGG and TVC started MeaningFULL Meals as nutrition project that seeks food donations to help feed school children in need during summer break – and this year, the need is greater than ever before.

According to the USDA, food prices have increased 10% during the past year. Many local food pantries in Guilford County, are reporting their use is up 24% over a year ago.

According to BPB, their overall food donations are down by a staggering 50% over this time last year, making this year’s MeaningFULL Meals drive especially needed.

BackPack Beginnings joined the partnership seven years ago and serves as the recipient of all food donations, dispersing them to children and families in the community.

Everyone in the community is invited to participate throughout the month of July.

Visit www.UnitedWayGSO.org/Volunteer to learn more and choose from two easy options:

  1. Simply host a drive in July and drop off your donations at BackPack Beginnings by August 5.
  2. Bring your own food donations to The Volunteer Center of the Triad on July 22, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. – everyone dropping off donations will get FREE ICE CREAM!

“The Volunteer Center of the Triad is so excited to partner with BackPack Beginnings and United Way of Greater Greensboro again this year for MeaningFULL Meals. With the community’s help, we can fill the shelves and help feed students and their families over the summer months,” said Audrey Amos, Director of Community Engagement, TVC.

United Way of Greater Greensboro Launches Guilford Success Network to Help Households Leave Poverty

Greensboro, NC (June 28, 2022) – Today United Way of Greater Greensboro (UWGG) launched Guilford Success Network (GSN), a county-wide, mobile friendly network that will connect people to services and coordinators who help them identify, track, and achieve their personal goals of becoming financially stable.

Facebook Photo Album Here.

Since 2014, UWGG’s single focus has been to reduce the number of people living in generational poverty. GSN is one of UWGG’s strategies to achieve that goal.

During today’s launch event, attended by nearly 100 community members and partners, Greensboro Mayor, Nancy Vaughan, said, “For a lot of organizations, when they talk about ending poverty, it’s just a tagline and a way to raise money. But United Way has really put action behind those words for many, many years.”

GSN is initially launching as an 18-month pilot project with core partners serving the Greensboro area and will expand county-wide over time. GSN partners will learn to identify people who may benefit from joining the Network and people who wish to join will be connected to a coordinator. After the pilot phase, people will be able to access the Network through an online portal.

UWGG’s GSN launch falls within the organization’s yearlong centennial celebration, and during the kickoff event, Khari Garvin, UWGG President and CEO said, “As we continue to celebrate 100 years of transforming your compassion into community change, I am excited that in a year of celebrating our past, we are yet again making history. Today, we are officially launching a new pilot project that will give our community another tool to leverage in our collaborative efforts to help households leave poverty. Together, we can, and I know we will, continue to move families out of poverty.”

People who access the network will be connected to services and supports that are focused on three areas:

  • Work, Health & Income Supports – to stabilize people’s basic needs
  • Education & Career Advancement – to help people learn skills and land jobs
  • Financial Education & Coaching – to help people build upon their success.

GSN was developed based on community feedback listening sessions and workgroups comprised of residents with lived experience, nonprofit staff, and local government representatives.

GSN is rooted in a service delivery approach that is often referred to as an Integrated Service Delivery (ISD) model. ISD models connect people to multiple support services through sequencing and bundling so that people who need help can access what they need, when they need it. Research shows ISD strategies empower families to achieve better social, economic, and health outcomes.

UWGG and GSN partners are committed to tracking outcomes and providing annual updates. Data will be captured during intake at all partner locations and will be stored within GSN’s virtual platform.

GSN pilot partners include: GuilfordWorks, Housing Consultants Group, Triad Goodwill, Nehemiah Community Enrichment Center, The Servant Center, Welfare Reform Liaison Project, Guilford Community Care Network, and The Forge Greensboro.

During the pilot, the Network will measure household progress towards self-sufficiency. Metrics include:

  • Income
  • Educational Attainment
  • Housing 
  • Safety of Environment
  • Health Condition
  • Health Access
  • Employment
  • Work History
  • Money Management
  • Benefits

More information, including a Q&A document can be found at: www.unitedwaygso.org/guilford-success-network.

Volunteering. Making a Difference.

UWGG recently celebrated National Volunteer Week and is extremely thankful to the over 100 volunteers who took on a variety of needs, including cleaning up local parks, donating diapers and hygiene products to families in need, signing up to mentor local children, and more.

We wrapped up our week of service on Earth Day by planting 25 trees in partnership with Greensboro Housing Authority and Greensboro Beautiful, Inc. Children from The Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club of Greensboro were excited to get their hands dirty and make the area around the Caldcleugh Center even more beautiful with every tree that was planted.

Later that evening, we gathered at the Center for Visual artists and recognized some special people with LIVE UNITED Centennial Volunteer Awards. We also honored the top 3 winners of our Student Art Contest with medals and Chik Fil A gift cards.

We are so grateful for all the wonderful people who make up our UWGG community!

Public Invited to Attend United Way’s 14th Annual Conversations with Community Leaders hosted by African American Leadership, Dec. 14

Greensboro, NC (November 17, 2021) – The public is invited to attend United Way of Greater Greensboro’s 14th Annual Conversations with Community Leaders hosted by African American Leadership (AAL) on Tuesday, December 14, 2021 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 

Hosted on Zoom, this free event invites attendees to learn about and share solutions for local issues affecting the Greensboro community. This year’s event topic is “GSO Food Deserts: Pitfalls, Partnerships & Public Participation” and will include a panel discussion and Q&A. To RSVP, visit UnitedWayGSO.org/Conversation

Featured speakers include: 

Paula Sieber, the Executive Director of the Guilford Urban Farming Initiative (GUFI). The mission of GUFI is to grow local and urban agriculture, improve community health and wealth while reducing socioeconomic and health disparities, to explore concepts of food sovereignty within an urban setting while promoting food justice, environmental justice, and social justice.  

Jamilla Pinder, the Assistant Director of Healthy Communities at Cone Health. The Healthy Communities mission is to improve the health and well-being of underserved residents by offering supports and resources close to their homes and work. 

Paula and Jamilla will share their personal insights as local leaders who are working together to address food deserts and will participate in a panel discussion led by AAL Chair, Carla Banks, and answer attendee questions. 

Special thanks to the event sponsors: 

  • VF Corporation, GOLD Level 
  • American National Bank & Trust Company, SILVER Level 
  • Cone Health, BRONZE Level 
  • Greensboro Housing Authority, BRONZE Level 
  • Lincoln Financial Group, BRONZE Level 

END LOCAL POVERTY: United Way of Greater Greensboro is leading a local movement to END poverty through strategic partnerships and initiatives. More than 57,000 people are living in poverty in the greater Greensboro area. In Greensboro alone, one out of every four children live in poverty. With the community’s support, we’re connecting people to opportunities we all deserve like housing, jobs, education, and healthcare. Visit www.UnitedWayGSO.org to learn more.