United to Thrive: Following EMBARC’s example on equity, diversity, and inclusion
Guest Blog by Elisabeth Buck, President of United Way of Central Iowa
During the past decade, I’ve had the privilege to get to know EMBARC staff members and see them in action. On one of those memorable occasions, Henny Ohr, EMBARC’s executive director, advocated for culturally relevant options for refugees and immigrants at local food pantries. That experience helped open my eyes to the diverse needs and contributions of new Iowans.
I’ve learned so much from Henny and the EMBARC team since the organization became a funded partner of United Way of Central Iowa in 2014, and it's been a pleasure to support EMBARC’s work in my own small way. Both personally and professionally, I'm excited by how EMBARC has raised the voice of communities from Burma here in Iowa.
EMBARC’s model as a grassroots advocacy organization, led by and for refugees in the state of Iowa, is a shining example of how to effectively advocate for a marginalized population—by empowering community members to share their own personal needs, perspectives, and talents. The success EMBARC has seen illustrates what success can look like for our entire central Iowa community as United Way implements its new strategic focus, United to Thrive.
The Five Elements of a Thriving Community
Back in 2008, United Way of Central Iowa set the Community Goals for 2020 in the areas of education, income, and health. Since then, we’ve been leading the work to accomplish these goals through a collective impact model and have seen significant progress in each area. We’ve recognized, however, that it’s challenging to treat education, income, and health as individual issues, siloed and unrelated to the others. These focus areas are intimately intertwined in our personal and professional lives and even in our national, state, and local systems.
As 2020 approached, United Way of Central Iowa established a strategic priority team to determine our focus beyond the Community Goals. Hearing from the community was crucial in determining our way forward, so we recruited a volunteer advisory committee from across the community that included people who were close to our work, and a few “new friends.” We launched a campaign of town halls, focus groups, and surveys. We recruited folks with lived experience in poverty and individuals who had used our funded programs. We also handed out printed copies of the survey at local food pantries.
In sum, we made a concerted effort to hear from new and different partners about the biggest issues currently facing our community. The result was United to Thrive, launched in January 2021, which aims to foster an equitable, engaged, and empowered community here in central Iowa.
The framework includes five interconnected areas of focus:
Essential Needs: Central Iowans live in stable, healthy places with the essential supports they need to thrive.
Early Childhood Success: Central Iowa children start out healthy and ready to learn.
Education Success: Central Iowa youth are academically successful and have a plan for their future.
Economic Opportunity: Central Iowans have sufficient income and opportunities to build wealth.
Health & Well-Being: Central Iowans have physical and mental well-being.
Under each of these elements are key indicators of success we are currently using to create data-driven metrics to help us measure the real impact of our collaborative work.
Looking Through an Equity Lens
As you’ll notice in the graphic above, the five elements of the framework are encompassed by an equity circle, representing the equity lens we’ll use to inform our strategic and resource investment decisions.
This focus on equity came about after a deep dive into our community’s data, analyzing the significant inequities and disparities that exist in central Iowa. In far too many cases, certain marginalized segments of our population, including people of color, refugees and immigrants, and those struggling with poverty, are experiencing more challenging lives than the majority of central Iowans.
For our community to truly thrive, we need a diverse array of programs run by diverse leadership. EMBARC is a terrific example of that diversity, especially as young refugees and immigrants from the community gain experience as RISE AmeriCorps members, staff members and leaders at EMBARC. These up-and-coming leaders are essential to our community-wide efforts to address the unique and significant challenges refugees and immigrants face when arriving in a new community, as well the systemic barriers for those who speak and read languages other than English.
Iowa’s population, culture and economic growth depends on immigrants and refugees settling here. To thrive, our state needs a diverse population to help us meet our workforce and education needs in the state.
We’re all richer when our community is more diverse.
Leaders for the Future
As our central Iowa community continues to change and evolve, organizations like EMBARC will bring crucial new perspectives on how to foster equity and engagement. EMBARC strives to empower refugees, immigrants, and individuals of color—helping them develop a sense of purpose and leadership skills. These individuals create a positive ripple effect, inspiring others around them to advocate for themselves, their neighbors, and their communities.
It’s not only natural, but essential for the community being served to have a chance to lead the conversations and make the decisions that impact them and their livelihood. That is happening at EMBARC, and it’s what we are trying to achieve through our work at United Way.
As president of United Way of Central Iowa, I look forward to working alongside EMBARC and other organizations committed to equity. It’s my hope that they continue their essential work in the community. Central Iowa can’t thrive without them.
Please consider a monthly donation to support EMBARC’s advocacy and equity work throughout the state of Iowa.