Share Believes Every Person Counts.
As many of you may have read or noticed on our Facebook page or website, Share has a new mission statement: Share believes every person counts. Together we pursue a stronger community by building relationships, advocating for equitable access to housing and food stability while empowering every individual to grow and thrive.
The new mission statement is the culmination of work that sought input from dozens of stakeholders, including clients, staff, volunteers and community members. The process was overseen by a committee including Amy Reynolds, deputy director, and Matthew Lennick, Elizabeth Fitzgearld and Pat Nuzzo, all Share board directors.
The committee was focused on full representation in the process, acknowledging that “the best way to deliver services is to consult the people we want to serve, so the best way to put our mission into words is to have honest and difficult conversations with those same people.”
“It was important that we made a strong statement about equity and inclusion. That was a key piece we talked about all the way through and heard in every forum where we had the discussion,” said Lennick.
“In light of the social and political environment we find ourselves in, we believed it was our responsibility to reevaluate our reputation and our role in our community. In doing so, we put in intentional language that was affirming our commitment to equity and calling out, especially, the resilience of our clients,” shared Fitzgearld.
“This mission is more inclusive, focusing on who, what, why and how. It takes the whole community, and it benefits the whole community when every person counts,” added Nuzzo.
“We are proud of our 40 years of service to our community, but this is a different time, a different space and we are going to continue to evolve,” said Reynolds.
Additional articles in the 2021 Spring edition include: Thank You, Dee Sanders!, Share Marks Changes in Leadership, Volunteer Spotlight: Karen Leffel, Volunteer to Feed Our Community, Share Summer Meals Program, Meet Katie Guidotti: Serving Through AmeriCorps, Q&I Meals For Those in Need, Programs Reimagined With Focus on Our Mission, Become a Monthly Shareholder, Donor Spotlight: Medical Teams International, New Warehouse Open Hours, Mark Your Calendar to Support Our Appeal for Meals: Make a Donation June 6 to 12.
Click here to download a PDF version of the 2021 Spring Edition of Sharing Lives to read all the stories from this quarter.
