United Way of Buffalo & Erie County

Please join us in welcoming Taylor Hunter, our newest Account Executive! Born and raised in Buffalo, Taylor is active in our community—she’s involved with Harriet Tubman 300, Inc; is a Foundation Advisor for Western New York BloodCare; and serves as a Trustee for the Tapestry Charter School Board of Trustees. Prior to working with us, Taylor was the Communications and Development Coordinator at Cradle Beach. “I am very excited to join United Way of Buffalo & Erie County to build relationships in my community and make an impact on the community I serve!” We’re thrilled that Taylor’s part of the team and we can’t wait to see all of the extraordinary things that she accomplishes!

Congratulations to Mercy Hospital on the grand opening of the Mercy Baby Café! We were thrilled to mark National Breastfeeding Month with a ribbon cutting for Erie County's sixth Baby Café, the first to serve the population of South Buffalo. United Way of Buffalo & Erie County is proud to support this initiative, as we work to close gaps and open opportunities for families at every stage of life. In 2014, UWBEC and our partners in the Starting Line: Healthy Births coalition collaborated with the NYS Department of Health to establish the first Breastfeeding Friendly Continuum in New York State. Thanks to grant funding from the DOH, we've expanded our efforts to create accessible, supportive spaces for pregnant and nursing mothers, with the ultimate goal of reducing racial and ethnic disparities in feeding. Learn more about the grand opening from WGRZ: https://lnkd.in/eAzpBbRY

We were happy to host the latest Employ Buffalo Niagara Community Coalition meeting. By teaming up with employers and community leaders, we’re raising awareness and creating real solutions for issues impacting ALICE households. Together, we're working to increase economic mobility for all in our community.

WNY Girls in Sports took adventure to new heights at The Strong National Museum of Play’s Ralph Wilson Skyline Climb! With support from founder Mary Wilson, this courageous group of girls, aged 9-12, conquered the course, boosted their athletic abilities, and cheered each other on every step of the way. The girls even challenged our Director of Education, JoAnna Rozier-Johnson, to tackle the climb, proving that age is no barrier to pushing our limits and embracing adventure. #WNYGirlsInSports

Join us as we celebrate World Breastfeeding Week, which this year runs from August 1-7. The United Way of Buffalo & Erie County would like to thank the Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH) Commissioner, Gale Burstein, M.D., M.P.H., for supporting, promoting and protecting breast/chestfeeding.

Did you know? 211WNY is part of a nationwide system that helps people overcome complex, non-emergency life challenges like employment and job training, health and mental health assistance, financial coaching, affordable housing, and more. 211WNY is for everyone, regardless of income level, and it’s available 24/7/365. When you call 2-1-1, an actual human being will pick up the phone, talk with you, and connect you to the local resources you need. You can also contact 211 by texting your ZIP code to 898211 (available M-F from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.) or send in a request online. We are proud to make this service available to all Western New Yorkers! Learn more about 211 at 211wny.org.

Last week, we went to Washington, D.C. to meet with members of Congress and advocate for the health, education, and financial stability of every person in Buffalo and Erie County. Trina Burruss, our President and CEO, was joined in Washington by Kathy Jamil, our Chief Program Officer, and Jerome Singletary, our Director of Equity and Advocacy. They met with our Congressional delegation to discuss: 💡 Providing federal support for 211; 💡 Preserving and strengthening SNAP to help families living in financial hardship; 💡 Expanding and enhancing the Child Tax Credit to help 400,000 children; and 💡 ALICE households, or those that are Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. It’s an acronym that represents the financial struggles of more than 40% of people right here in Buffalo and Erie County—people who are at the very heart of our work. And that’s not all! Our team also participated in an Executive Branch Partnerships Summit and mini-fair hosted by the U.S. Department of Commerce to learn how to partner with federal agencies via resources, grants, technical assistance. Stay tuned, there’s more to come! #UWAdvocate #SNAP #ChildTaxCredit #CTC #EarnedIncomeTaxCredit #EITC

Congratulations to our own JoAnna Rozier-Johnson on receiving the 2024 Brenda W. McDuffie Presidential Award of Excellence from the Buffalo Urban League Young Professionals! We’re proud of you and grateful for everything you do to advance the work of United Way of Buffalo and Erie County!

Have you met ALICE? ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. It’s an acronym that represents the struggles of more than 40% of people right here in Buffalo and Erie County—and those folks are at the very heart of our work. To help our community better understand the struggles of ALICE households in our community, we offer The ALICE Experience: An interactive simulation that lets participants experience the tough decisions that ALICE families make daily. Available in-person or virtually, The ALICE Experience lasts 60-90 minutes. Request your session 👉 https://lnkd.in/gsP_yqm4

Next Generation United is thrilled to announce the 2024 Pitch10 Finalists! Drum roll, please! You can learn more about these organizations at Seneca One on September 25th and vote for who you’d like to see win a grant to continue their amazing work! Tickets on sale soon. Thank you to our Prize Pool Match Sponsor Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, Title Sponsor Empower Federal Credit Union, Presenting Sponsor Seneca One, Prize Pool Sponsors Rich Products Corporation, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western New York, National Fuel Gas Company & Canisius University -- Wehle School of Business and Voting Sponsor, BankOnBuffalo! More opportunities to be involved are available. DM us for more info!