Ruth Richardson

Access to legal counsel is vital for ensuring justice, particularly for Black people who disproportionately face unjust evictions and legal challenges. Communities are advancing by enacting laws that provide legal support to those who need it most. 🗣️ Join the conversation on why expanding legal representation is fundamental to justice for Black communities. Learn more and get involved: 📅 RSVP: bit.ly/4dbxWU1 🏛️✊🏾

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Thank you Denver7 (KMGH-TV) & Micha Smith for covering the concerns that STAR and the STAR Community Advisory Committee have about mayor Johnston’s new office of Neighborhood Safety that will be housed in the Office of Social Equity & Innovation. This will mean that STAR (the alternative to police emergency response system and program)- which already* has its own community advisory community of leaders could be moved to this office. The Office of Social Equity & Innovation is in the beginning* stages of its own community engagement plan - which means appointing 12-15 community members to that board. The SCAC (Star Community Advisory Committee) will hold electeds accountable to preserving this community wisdom and autonomy if we are not integrated into the Office as the body we are as is. Any alternative to policing initiative should be overseen and led by community - STAR was created from Denver Alliance for Street Health Response -who hosts the SCAC now. Denver Alliance for Street Health Response does many aspects of public health and community safety in the community - including the emergency response line and that is why this community advisory committee (SCAC) was intentionally curated. Erasing that work is a dishonor to community, and the work and labor that DASHR and dozens of community leaders have supported since 2018. DASHR has ensured that the program has evolved and is consistently being improved with partners. We see new offices and initiatives happen with new administrations, but we need to remain diligent in keeping the #communityleadership that has been curated, and protected (and promised by Denver City Council) alive and central to STAR. That does not include having (appointed) 12-15 people represent all neighborhood safety initiatives on one community advisory committee (including STAR) - that means preserving and integrating the SCAC with this new office. We look forward to ongoing conversations with Dr. Ben Sanders - the chief of the Office of Social Equity & Innovation, mayor Johnston & the administration to see how they plan to protect & integrate what the community has led and driven since its establishment in their plan. Preserving community leadership is a leadership characteristic we are hopeful that can be reflected in the Johnston administration. #copolitics #denvercolorado #mayorjohnston #NeighborhoodSafety #copolitics #LocalNews #alternativetopolicing #DASHR Vinnie Cervantes Follow DASHR for updates and info #LocalIssues #CommunityLeadership Vinnie Cervantes https://lnkd.in/eR4GyQN7

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Access to high‐quality child care is necessary for Kansas children and our economy to be able to thrive. It is critically important for working parents of young children to be able to find quality affordable child care because it aids healthy child development and allows them to return to the workforce. Recently, legislators agreed on bipartisan legislation to improve Kansas’ early childhood system by unifying services into a new Office of Early Childhood. The bill expands a child care and dependent care tax credit, which will make child care more affordable. The bill also creates a Licensing Specialist Certification that will streamline the child care inspection process, benefiting providers and families.   This bill is not perfect but rather a compromise that will improve the system and make care more affordable.   The good news is that the Kansas House of Representatives passed this legislation with overwhelming bi-partisan support before they adjourned in early April.   Now, we need Kansas to urge Senators to vote YES on this compromise when they return from April break. https://lnkd.in/gvqQdvt5

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From 2019 through 2021, I had the opportunity to create an opioid overdose prevention training program that reached diverse audiences within St. Louis County including faith-based institutions, rehab centers, transitional houses for women that had been previously incarcerated, schools, and community champions. I also created a county-wide Narcan® distribution program where St. Louis residents could pick up the live saving drug, no questions asked. Although some of you may know me most recently for the work that I've been doing in the chronic disease prevention, food access, and nutrition spaces in Louisiana, I've still kept my ear to the ground (as my grandmother would say) about the opioid epidemic in the US. According to the Mayo Clinic Health System, more than 1 million Americans have died from drug overdoses since 1999. In 2023, 112,000 people were lost due to opioid overdose with 88% of those deaths occurring because of synthetic opioid use. I've shared this article below because opioid overdose is still very much an issue in our communities and an issue that I am passionate about solving. Naloxone saves lives! Drug addiction is an issue that impacts all of us. #opioidoverdose #naloxone #Narcan #opioidepidemic #naloxonesaveslives #reducingstigmasaveslives #substanceusedisorder #addiction #opioidaddiction

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"Public trust is the currency of the nonprofit sector." Independent Sector "Trust is what makes it possible for us to partner with local communities to do the hard work of systemic change. Our trusted voices as advocates for our missions help drive policy change. Our trusted status makes us an essential partner to government and industry. Trust is vital in recruiting volunteers and in the sector’s work to bridge differences in a divided America. And, without trust, raising the resources we need to do our work becomes infinitely harder." Key findings from the Independent Sector's new report include: 1) After four years of decline, trust in nonprofits has rebounded by 5 points to 57%. 2) Trust in philanthropy remains steady at 33%, lower than trust in nonprofits. 3) Americans trust nonprofits to reduce national divisions more than they trust corporations, government, or media. 4) Americans have less trust in nonprofits to advocate for public policies and conduct nonpartisan voter engagement. 5) There are clear pathways for nonprofits to increase public trust in the sector. Please reach out to discuss how together we can increase public trust in your organization's mission-driven work. https://lnkd.in/d9--XQSz

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Be A Love Warrior! Marginalized communities are more likely to experience poverty, lack of affordable housing, and discrimination in the housing market, pushing them into homelessness at higher rates. Addressing the root causes of racial disparities in homelessness requires that we embrace solutions that center Radical Love. The Supreme Court decision will lead to further stigmatization and violence on our unhoused neighbors. Embracing and protecting Radical Love is imperative. Be A Love Warrior! https://lnkd.in/gqCH4Kh4

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Today is County Health Day. Learn more about the critical public health services counties provide and federal policy recommendations in this report from our national association. https://lnkd.in/gXQdK6uY

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If your a nonprofit waiting for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) to open here’s a quick update!

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When I joined the Knight Foundation a few months ago, I emphasized the need for philanthropy to act swiftly—'at the speed of news'—to address urgent needs in real time. Today, I am proud to announce that Knight is investing nearly $7 million to help voters access accurate, independent, nonpartisan information about the 2024 elections. The loss of local newsrooms across so many American communities has a devastating impact. And it is felt acutely at times when residents most need quality information to make critical decisions — during major weather or public safety events and election seasons, for example. Without trustworthy news, voters could be in the dark about local and statewide elections and ballot initiatives. Exacerbating the challenge, the advent of generative AI has significantly accelerated the creation and distribution of mis- and disinformation, making it even more difficult for voters to arrive at fact-based decisions. To address this, Knight's grant supports a collaboration between The Associated Press and the Institute for Nonprofit News News and LION: Local Independent Online News Publishers. This initiative will make high-quality election content and services accessible to local newsrooms in battleground states. Local newsrooms will also receive the support needed to localize this information, making it relevant and accessible to their communities. Additionally, these funds will support the Knight Election Hub, a collection of 100 free and subsidized resources, including data, software, and training. As new challenges such as deepfakes arise, the Hub will continue to expand its offerings to meet evolving needs. These initiatives support local news organizations in two ways: 1) they empower them with high quality tools that provide critical information, ensuring voters can make informed decisions about elections, and 2) they enhance their capacity to engage communities beyond the election season. The time is now for philanthropy to move at the speed of news. Read more about it here: https://kf.org/461zcGi #localnews #journalismmatters Jim Brady Duc Luu Marc Lavallee

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Discover the Hidden Funding: How to Secure Grants for Your Charitable Cause Learn where to find funding opportunities for your charitable cause. Explore the Foundation Center, Grants.gov, and other strategies to increase your chances of securing grants. Start building a sustainable future for your organization. #FundraisingTips #GrantOpportunities #CharitableCauses #FoundationCenter #Grants.gov #FinancialSupport #NonprofitFunding #GrantWriting #SustainableFuture #FundraisingSuccess

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Have an employee dealing with crisis? A tragic event that impacts an employee and the people that work with them? Learn more about a free resource that can help your business and your people immediately.

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Peer support is essential in mental health crisis response-- learn more about why and how TODAY, May 13 @ 12 pm ET. The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law + the National Disability Rights Network are hosting the first of a two-part series. By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to: 🟢Understand what makes peer-provided crisis services effective along the service continuum, 🟢Learn from multiple real-world successful examples of peer-led programs, 🟢Learn how to leverage federal, state, and local funding to pay for peer-involved crisis services, and 🟢Actively engage with presenters and other participants to address any questions about bringing such programs to their communities. Learn more and sign up here: https://lnkd.in/en3BysUd

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City leaders, there are some valuable insights here you'll want to keep in your back pocket. This discussion centered around health equity issues and how local governments can drive positive change. My favorite parts were the thoughtful questions posed to leaders by Megan Greig: ❓ Is your narrative one that drives solutions? How can you reshape that narrative to recognize the opportunities for change in your work? ❓ When you use data to inform policy and program development, what measures do you take to connect with your community in the process? How are community interests factored into your data collection efforts? ❓ What community engagement elements are built into your processes? How do you demonstrate to community members that their input is not only valued but a critical element of the work you do? To build the most impactful solutions, we have to ask the right questions. #HealthEquity #Questions #CityLeaders #Leadership

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I want to challenge your thinking about nonprofit organizations. Nonprofit and social impact organizations are a critical component in our society. Their services typically bridge the gaps in the communities we live in. Organizations like Life Choices SA, that provides medical services like STI testing, prenatal care, and well woman check-ups to name a few. Or the Children's Coalition of Aransas County that does grocery deliveries on Thursdays to families in need, offers childcare subsidies to families that need to go to work but can't afford childcare (that's another rant for another day), or provides diapers, wipes, and children's clothing to families in need --- no strings attached. Even the Suit Up! Program that provides a quality life skills program so that kids can get back to the basics such as ironing, healthy lifestyles, positive self image, anti-bullying, just to name a few things. These are all organizations that are meeting a critical need in our community, yet when it comes to supporting them, we have second thoughts. We question employee salaries and other overhead cost. Such things that wouldn't even be a conversation in a for profit business. Nonprofit does not mean not profitable. I say this all time. But this video so eloquently breaks this premise down. Take a moment to watch this video. I promise by the end of it, you'll have a completely different mindset about nonprofit and social impact organizations. #nonprofit #nonprofitdoesnotmeannotprofitable https://lnkd.in/gXfBSvA6

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In the efforts to help serve more, or help a community help hungry children, I wanted to share this overview of some of what our non-profit does in order to possibly help others who are thinking about doing something similar. Information sharing is key and how we grow and strengthen what we do, our resources, and create other great community support programs. Backpacks of Love, Inc. 4/26/2024 High Level Blueprint for how we serve the Children/Students in our Region 1.      Need leadership and people who care deeply about making sure that students who need food for the weekends get it. 2.      Need to formulate a plan and timeline. 3.      Need to find community connections and support such as help from local civic clubs, churches, and pantries. 4.      Need to have your own pantry or have a pantry you can help stock. 5.      Need to become a non-profit to get donations and market your organization. 6.      Need to form a strong Board of Directors 7.      Need strong financial oversight and develop reserves. 8.      Need to develop fundraising support to buy the food. 9.      Need to develop relationships with the school Superintendents. 10. Need to have volunteers to pack the bags of food, deliver them to the schools on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis. 11. Need a volunteer to train and direct other volunteers. 12. Need to connect with whomever is going to be running the program for the school. 13. Need to get the schools a waiver for the parents to sign to cover against food allergies. 14. The schools need to keep these waivers on file. 15. The schools need a contact to update them on the number of students that need food bags per delivery. Other Operations we personally do: ·      We also make non-perishables since that is a lot more complicated to manage and also expire quickly. ·      We also make sure the students we serve get the same amount of food for each weekend and that it is as nutritionally sound as possible. ·      We keep in communication with the schools to make sure everything is running smoothly. ·      We buy our food wholesale and also take food donations. ·      We market the program through a variety of means so more organizations can help us. ·      We raise money from grants, donations from private donors, business grants and support, and special events. ·      As you grow you should also have a strategic plan and a growth plan. Food deprivation is on the rise and more children/students need food now more than ever. ·      Need to be open to joint partnerships through businesses, churches, other pantries, and anyone else that would like to help your cause. To grow effectively it’s a numbers game and the more help and support you have the better. ·      As you grow and serve more areas you will eventually need staff such as an Executive Director, Fundraiser, Volunteer Coordinator and Operations, and a Bookkeeper or similar position. 

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ICYMI: Learn more about the work of Lutheran Services in America through our 2023 Annual Report - This is What Happens When We Come Together. The social service sector is vital to addressing the health-related social needs of children, youth, and families, older adults, people with disabilities, among others. Our faith-based, community centered, trusted, mission-driven members are catalyzing innovation through whole-person, whole-community efforts! 2023-LSA-Annual-Report_spread-min.pdf (lutheranservices.org)

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