Community Conversations
United Way’s Community Conversations is a public forum for information and dialogue on issues affecting our Northeast Ohio community. They cover a wide range of topics, focusing on equitable and continual policy solutions.
United Way of Greater Cleveland continues to be committed to serving as a convener and giving voice to the crises in our urban and rural communities to allow prosperity and equal opportunity to exist for all.
This virtual series is free and open to the public.
2024 Sessions
When Social Security is Not Enough: Accessing Older Adult Services in Northeast Ohio
December 10 @ 12 p.m.
As the number of households headed by people aged 65 and over continues to increase, more older adults struggle to make ends meet even with the help of Social Security. In Cuyahoga County, 51 percent of older adults do not have the financial resources to afford necessities like food, health care, and housing, while in Geauga County, the number is 40 percent. In Cleveland, the number of older adults living in poverty increased by 18 percent from 2021 to 2023, according to The Center for Community Solutions.
Even though there are programs and resources available to assist the older adult population, these services can be difficult to access and navigate, especially for those without Internet or access to transportation, who are experiencing social isolation, or who are living with a disability.
Moderator Drew Maziasz of Ideastream Public Media will lead a panel of experts in a discussion on the current and emerging needs of older adults in our communities, programs designed to assist older adults and tips on navigating the service system, and policy recommendations to address the growing population of older adults living in poverty.
Panelists include:
- Orion Bell, President and CEO, Benjamin Rose
- Mark Dorony, Program Manager, United Way Services of Geauga County
- Fatima Perkins, Director of Community Outreach and Advocacy, Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging
The event is free, but registration is required. Reserve your seat here.
2024 Sessions
Our discussion on Imagining a New Path to Prosperity in Cleveland: Universal Basic Employment focused on an innovative pilot program that seeks to create sustainable wage jobs by investing in people, neighborhoods, and businesses.
Thank you to moderator Abbey Marshall from Ideastream Public Media, Devin Cotten, CEO of Universal Basic Employment, Emily Campbell, President and CEO of The Center for Community Solutions, and Cleveland Councilwoman Stephanie Howse-Jones for a lively and informative conversation.
In addition to Universal Basic Employment, the conversation touched on the current situation in Cleveland, the second poorest large city in America, and Cuyahoga County, where more than 200,000 of our community members live below the poverty level.
Here are some additional resources that focus on the issue, courtesy of The Center for Community Solutions:
- 5 Things about poverty in Cleveland
- Poverty Speaks: Making Tough Choices 2023
- Cleveland is again the second poorest city, but there is some good news on race and gender
- How can we lift an Invisible Child out of poverty?
To learn more about Universal Basic Employment, visit their website.
Our discussion focused on the current state of affordable housing in Northeast Ohio, along with some available programs that help address housing affordability, and programmatic and policy recommendations to increase affordable housing options.
Thank you to moderator Abigal Bottar from Ideastream Public Media, and panelists Ayonna Blue Donald from Enterprise Community Partners, Dawn Farrell from the Geauga Metropolitan Housing Authority, Sara Parks Jackson from Cuyahoga County’s Department of Housing and Community Development, and Aaron Pechota from The NRP Group, for a lively and informative conversation.
Our discussion focused on the current state of affordable housing in Northeast Ohio, along with some available programs that help address housing affordability, and programmatic and policy recommendations to increase affordable housing options.
Thank you to moderator Abigal Bottar from Ideastream Public Media, and panelists Ayonna Blue Donald from Enterprise Community Partners, Dawn Farrell from the Geauga Metropolitan Housing Authority, Sara Parks Jackson from Cuyahoga County’s Department of Housing and Community Development, and Aaron Pechota from The NRP Group, for a lively and informative conversation.
Previous Sessions
The 2023 Community Conversation series focused on the end of pandemic-era enhanced food assistance; the release of our Community Needs Assessment; how to access utility assistance and the impact the loss of utilities have on health; and navigating city, county, and state governments and communicating with local government officials.
2023 Sessions
February 28, 2023
At the end of February, an estimated 1.5 million of Ohio’s poorest households will lose at least $95 worth of food a month. In May, 200,000 Ohioans will be at risk of losing Medicaid coverage due to federal legislation that passed in December 2022 ending COVID-19 pandemic policies. A panel of experts from Cuyahoga County discussed the impacts of these changes on individuals, families, and organizations, what people can do to make sure their food and healthcare needs are met, and projects and initiatives that help address reductions in public benefits.
Moderator:
Taylor Wizner, Reporter/Producer, Ideastream Public Media
Panelists:
Kevin Gowan, Director, Cuyahoga County Job and Family Services
Tiffany Scruggs, Vice President of Client Services, Greater Cleveland Food Bank|
Andy Trares, Deputy Director, May Dugan Center
June 15, 2023
For decades, Cleveland has topped national charts in the number of working adults, children, and older adults living in poverty. A panel of local experts discussed: the findings in the 2023 Community Needs Assessment; what has improved and the barriers to success over the past three years; how organizations are addressing these issues to help improve the health, economic, employment, and educational outcomes for Greater Cleveland residents; and growing the existing strengths and assets in the community.
Moderator:
Marlene Harris-Taylor, Director of Engaged Journalism, Ideastream Public Media
Panelists:
Gregory L. Brown, Executive Director, PolicyBridge
Emily Campbell, Chief Operating Officer, The Center for Community Solutions
Jacob Duritsky, Vice President, Strategy & Research, Team NEO
Our September 14 discussion on The Social Impact of Utility Debt highlighted how utility affordability affects our Greater Cleveland neighbors, from the stress of immediate costs to long-term health implications, and ways utility assistance programs can help. United Way is committed to easing the burden of high utility costs and utility debt through United Way 211 and partnerships across the community.
Moderator
Stephen Langel, Health Reporter, Ideastream Public Media
Panelists
Dr. Jacklyn A. Chisholm, President and CEO, Step Forward
Genevieve Birkby, Program Manager, UH Rainbow Connects
Tonja Stewart Shaw, Senior Outreach and Education Specialist, Ohio Consumers’ Council
Our discussion on Local Government 101: What Your Elected Officials Can Do for You focused on the best way for residents to communicate and engage with their local government officials as they navigate city and county governments.
Moderator:
Abbey Marshall, Government Reporter, Ideastream Public Media
Panelists:
Blaine A. Griffin, President, Cleveland City Council
Pernel Jones Jr., President, Cuyahoga County Council
The 2022 Community Conversation series – Raising Our Voices – addressed key issues community members raised as significantly impacting the Greater Cleveland area. These issues include guaranteeing equitable access to high-quality education and health and mental health services, addressing systemic racism in the community, and ensuring community voices and needs are heard through voting and civic engagement.
2022 Sessions
February 9, 2022
Our February conversation focused on the continued impact the ongoing pandemic is having on the education of children in Northeast Ohio. As new COVID-19 variants emerge, urban and rural communities still face challenges in providing adequate, accessible, and appropriate learning opportunities for students and their families.
Our panel of education experts discussed the challenges with remote learning, social isolation, hybrids, family stress, and workforce shortages that continue to impact children’s educational outcomes.
Moderator:
Jenny Hamel, Education Reporter, Ideastream Public Media
Panelists:
Jennifer Felker, Superintendent, Geauga & Lake Educational Service Centers
Eric Gordon, Chief Executive Officer, Cleveland Metropolitan School District
Shari Obrenski, President, Cleveland Teachers Union
Andrea Pollock, Director, Chagrin Falls Park Community Center, Family and Community Services, Inc.
Thea Wilson, Ed.D., Vice President for Children and Families, Step Forward
March 31, 2022
Ohio legislators have introduced bills aimed at banning the teaching of critical race theory and divisive concepts focused on nationality, color, ethnicity, race, or sex, within primary, secondary, and higher education, state agencies, and political sub-divisions.
Our panelists discussed the potential implications of these bills within their own organizations and the communities they serve and the intended impact of these bills in the education and non-profit sectors.
Moderator:
Rick Jackson, Senior Host & Producer, WVIZ PBS & WCPN NPR
Panelists:
John Corlett, President & Executive Director, Center for Community Solutions
Blaine Griffin, Ward 6 Councilman & Council President, Cleveland City Council
Ayesha Bell Hardaway, Associate Professor of Law, Case Western Reserve University School of Law
Meryl Johnson, District 11, Ohio State Board of Education
The COVID-19 pandemic had a devastating impact on the mental health and well-being of communities across the country, including Ohio. Moreover, the pandemic exposed the preexisting disparities in access to behavioral health care services, especially with the expansion of telehealth regulations both at the federal and state levels.
Our panel of local experts discussed COVID’s impact on community mental health, service delivery opportunities and barriers, and long-term programmatic and policy strategies at the local and state levels to adequately address the ongoing behavioral health needs of members of our community.
Our panelists discussed Ohio’s new general assembly and congressional redistricting process, which was first implemented in 2021 after voters approved constitutional amendments in 2015 and 2018 implementing the redistricting processes. The discussion also focused on lawsuits following the redistricting process; the impact of Ohio’s new district maps in Northeast Ohio on fair and equitable representation, especially for majority-minority communities; and ways proposed voter laws at the state and federal level will impact redistricting, voter registration, and voter access, such as Ohio HB 294, the federal John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021 and federal For the People Act of 2021.
The 2021 Community Conversation series focused on the Cleveland Consent Decree, which was entered into in May 2015. The Consent Decree stemmed from a 21-month-long investigation that determined the Cleveland Police Department had engaged in a pattern of excessive force. As part of the Consent Decree, the City agreed to make sweeping policy changes in how the Cleveland Police Department interacts with the community.
Five years after the City of Cleveland and the U.S. Department of Justice entered into the Consent Decree, United Way of Greater Cleveland and the Cleveland Branch of the NAACP partnered on an 11-month series of conversations about the Consent Decree and its ramifications for our community.
Signature Sponsor
Our Community Conversation series is made possible in part by our Signature Sponsor, Rockwell Automation.
Information and Resources
Important Help Lines
Utility Support
Access to Free Food
- Greater Cleveland Food Bank’s food locator map
- May Dugan Center’s produce and food distributions
- Hunger Network’s food pantry or hot meal map
- Produce Perks – Access fresh fruits and vegetables when using your EBT card and receive additional items at participating grocery stores and farmer’s markets.
How to Connect with Local Government
Cleveland City Council
- Main Website
- Find Your Ward and Council Member
- Newsletter Sign Up
- Public Comment via Internet
- Public Comment via Phone: 216-664-4198
- Cleveland City Council’s YouTube Page
Cuyahoga County Council
Individuals Without Internet Access
Call 2-1-1 or Greater Cleveland Food Bank’s Help Center at 216-738-2067.
