MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. WEEK OF ENGAGEMENT EVENTS

mlk jr statue

Honoring Martin Luther King Jr.’s Equity Legacy

Join United Way of the National Capital Area’s (United Way NCA) 2022 Martin Luther King Jr. Week of Engagement from Jan. 17 through Jan. 22, 2022.

During this weeklong series, United Way NCA will carry out Dr. King’s legacy by learning, listening and serving the community to fulfill United Way NCA’s mission – to reduce disparities and increase equity for every member of our community.

After nearly 50 years of improving the health, education and economic opportunity of our community, we continue to commit ourselves to creating a more equitable region. At United Way NCA, we make room for all who are ready to join us on this journey. We will continue to take bold strides and commit resources to attain equity for everyone. When none are ignored, all will thrive.

Week of Engagement Learning and Service Events

Monday, Jan. 17

Take our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion vocabulary quiz to test your knowledge of important equity terms. How familiar are you with terms like BIPOC, gender nonconforming and cultural appropriation? You can find out by taking the quiz here. There are 37 questions in total.

 

Tuesday, Jan. 18

Volunteer to build a United Way NCA financial literacy kit. Dr. King knew that economic opportunity was essential for achieving equity and to break the cycle of generational poverty. Financial literacy kits provide a mechanism for families and youth to talk about their finances and savings. This fun arts-and-crafts activity helps benefit individuals and our community members seeking to stabilize their finances and lives. Financial literacy kits include a ceramic savings bank, which can be personalized and decorated with words of encouragement and fun designs. Along with the savings bank, community members will also receive a children’s book focused on the importance of financial literacy and how lifechanging it can be when taught at a young age.

 

Wednesday, Jan. 19

On Monday, you tested your knowledge of equity. Now, it’s time to continue your equity journey by signing up for our 21 Day Race Equity Journey. Over the course of 21 days, you will receive a daily e-newsletter, which will discuss and explore topics that vary— from race equity, socioeconomics, health and education. The journey will unpack how equity plays a role in determining outcomes of people through different stages of life depending on their intersections of race, gender, sexuality and/or socioeconomic standing.

 

Thursday, Jan. 20

Listen to The Way Forward podcast episode, “Equity in Economic Opportunity for the National Capital Area.” Bank of America for Greater Washington DC and United Way NCA have a unique opportunity to provide equitable services, training and information to the Asset Limited, Income Constrained, and Employed (ALICE) residents in the 11 jurisdictions served across the region. For this episode, President & CEO of United Way NCA Rosie Allen-Herring sits down with Larry Di Rita, president of Bank of America for Greater Washington DC. Together they discuss the priorities and commitments that drive their work for the DC region, the multigenerational impact and what is yet to be done.

 

Saturday, Jan. 22

Volunteer with us at our Choose Healthy Life COVID-19 vaccination event on Jan. 22, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. United Way NCA’s partnership with Choose Healthy Life is a response to the disproportionate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Black community and expands access to free COVID-19 testing, contact tracing, vaccines and other health services to underserved communities. United Way NCA is partnering with a local church to offer vaccinations to those in need on Jan. 22. Volunteers will assist with things such as event setup, crowd flow, data entry and teardown to close out the event. Note that there will be only five volunteers per shift required.

 

To see all United Way NCA volunteer opportunities, register on the Get Connected platform here.

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