United Way of Greater Cleveland’s Public Policy Vision is to make Greater Cleveland the best place to live, work, gain an education, and raise a family. To address the long-term systemic issues that plague our community, we engage in public policy and legislative advocacy at the city, county, and state levels.
As part of our advocacy efforts, United Way hosted a legislative breakfast on February 2 that brought together members of our Public Policy Committee, Board of Directors, and senior leadership to meet and share information with nine Ohio House and Senate members who represent Cuyahoga and Geauga counties.
The hour-long session focused on educating the legislators on United Way’s current priorities and projects targeting critical issues in Greater Cleveland, including United Way 211, Geauga County’s Bridges@Work program, the Collaborative Approach to Public Goods Investment, and our data analytic capabilities.
Those programs represent just a few examples of the ways that United Way is working with community partners to create solutions that can eliminate the root causes that leave far too many residents just one step away from financial disaster, reduce their reliance on government assistance programs, and create pathways to economic equity and mobility.
Working Together on a Solution
The group also discussed how United Way can collaborate with the legislature statewide to address many of the same health and human services issues that United Way is addressing locally. That collaborative work aligns with United Way’s goal of:
- working in partnership with government officials to find solutions;
- serving as a resource for reliable real-time data; and,
- creating scalable solutions to address the root causes of economic instability and community crises.
During the Q&A session, several legislators spoke highly of United Way 211, a vital and comprehensive source of information about local resources for community members. Legislators were also interested in utilizing data from 211 callers to help promote legislation to increase utility assistance programs, as this continues to be one of the primary needs in the community.
United Way will continue to engage in public policy and advocacy work at the local, state, and federal levels by leveraging our experience, knowledge, community partnerships, and influence to inform legislators as they make critical decisions regarding the policies that impact all of Greater Cleveland.
By doing this important work, United Way remains committed to achieving measurable and sustainable change in economic equity and mobility in the communities we serve.
