On Tuesday, March 18, Valley of the Sun United Way hosted our annual We Are United Breakfast. The event was an incredible success, bringing together over 500 corporate and nonprofit partners, community representatives and elected officials for a celebration of our organization’s work towards achieving Mighty Change.
As the attendees entered the ballroom of the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown, the energy was joyous and filled with excitement for a morning of comradery, collaboration and charitable giving. The theme of this year’s event was WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT!
Guests were greeted by the event’s emcee, Olivia Fierro, an Emmy Award-winning member of the Women United Steering Committee with decades of television news expertise.Running the show with ease, this was her sixth year as the event’s emcee.
As attendees received light refreshments, Matt Feeney, who sits on our Board of Directors, took to the stage to highlight Valley of the Sun’s community outreach initiatives, particularly ones focusing on third grade literacy.
As part of Valley of the Sun United Way’s plan for Mighty Change, our organization has put forward extensive efforts to improve education by closing opportunity gaps and ensuring children read at grade level by the third grade. Highlighting this, guests were given the opportunity to write “Words of Encouragement” letters in books that were then donated to schools around the community.
Following that, our President and CEO Carla Vargas Jasa spoke about the achievements Valley of the Sun United Way has committed to and accomplished in the areas of education, housing & homelessness, health and workforce development.
Alongside the delicious breakfast that was served, guests were able to hear about the creation of Literacy Hubs at multiple schools around the community. The Literacy Hub at Lattie Coor School was the highlight of the event, showcasing how United Way and our partners are meeting the community to directly address inequities and needs.
Hearing from special guest speaker and Principal of Lattie Coor School, Geovanni Orozco, the audience learned about how the Hub provides the opportunity for teachers to connect with families to develop substantial relationships. Each quarter, Lattie Coor hosts a family-oriented event at the Hub. These events then connect families with additional resources for health care, financial literacy and educational tools. Furthermore, the Hub works to develop a sense of cohesive community between families, students and educators.
The school continues to see vast improvements, including higher test scores.
The event closed out with remarks from our Board Chair, Latasha Causey.
Thank you to the many sponsors who helped make this event possible and continue to make Mighty Change for the initiatives and growing list of community partners Valley of the Sun United Way supports.
