BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The United Way of Buffalo & Erie County has launched its "Join the Fight" campaign and is looking for your help in support of long-term COVID-19 relief.
UWBEC says its Join the Fight campaign will take lessons it has learned during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure those throughout Buffalo and Erie County have access to the following:
- Information and resources associated with safe and affordable housing.
- Nutritious food.
- Access to high-quality child care.
- Opportunities for workers to build skills to secure employment or advance in the workplace.
The campaign will also pay close attention to the impact the pandemic and shutdown has had on marginalized communities.
UWBEC says it received a matching grant of $100,000 from Independent Health on February 1 to encourage support for the campaign from individuals and companies.
“At Independent Health, we’ve long had a clear sense of priorities for our community, and the obstacles presented this past year by the COVID-19 pandemic have brought our mission into sharper focus. As a community-based health plan, I firmly believe we can have the greatest positive impact on this region by addressing the disparities that exist in health and access to the healthcare system, which the pandemic has made even more acute. We are honored to join the fight with the United Way on this vital community campaign,” said Michael W. Cropp, M.D., President and CEO, Independent Health.
Independent Health says it will match all gifts dollar for dollar up to $100,000.
"As we begin to emerge on the other side of the pandemic, it is clear there is a lot of work ahead of us if we are going to rebuild an equitable and more resilient community," said Michael Weiner, President & CEO of United Way of Buffalo & Erie County. “We are so grateful to Independent Health for joining the fight and rallying the whole community to match contributions to our Join the Fight campaign. As a result of their generous contribution, we will be better positioned to continue to respond to the needs of our citizens and help build an equitable and more resilient community."
To "join the fight" you can visit the UWBEC website to donate and learn more.
