Assistance League Minneapolis/St. Paul DEI Initiatives

 

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is becoming an increasingly valued part of our community. Our chapter is committed to addressing this topic because:

      • We want to update our chapter values within the context of a society greatly in need of action toward anti-racism, inclusion, and equality for all.
      • We want to have those from other races and cultures help us look through a different lens so we can better understand what help is needed in our community.
      • We want all to feel welcomed in our chapter.
      • It is just the right thing to do! And it is the right time to do it!

While our chapter has had committees in place in the past to discuss the topic of DEI, during the summer of 2020, our board voted to put a more formal DEI Ad-Hoc Committee in place. The committee is chaired by the VP of Strategic Planning and includes 5 voting members and an Advisory Council member.

Because of the complexity of the topic, the committee decided to focus on “Embracing and Educating” as the goal for this year. With this focus in mind, the DEI Committee has accomplished the following during our 2020-2021 fiscal year:

      • Added a DEI Resource page to our members-only website. This page discusses why DEI is important, lists important DEI definitions and has links to books, movies, websites, and documents pertaining to the subject
      • Developed a detailed DEI SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) pertaining to areas within our chapter. This analysis is being used to help us implement DEI practices within our organization as well highlight what we are currently doing well.
      • Updated our Values Statement and added a DEI statement. These statements were formally approved by our chapter members in January and posted on the public page of the ALMSP website.
      • Worked with Strategic Planning to get a DEI topic of discussion added to the Fall Advisory Council Meeting.
      • Christina Haddad Gonzales, Richfield Public Schools Director of Student Support Services and a Community Faculty Member at the University of Minnesota, presented at our March Chapter meeting about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). The presentation was inspiring, thoughtful and very much appreciated by our members.

On-going initiatives in 2021-2022:

      • Working with Strategic Planning to ensure that action items are added to our current Strategic Plan to integrate DEI in our chapter. In addition, educating and advocating to include DEI goals and action items when our new Strategic Plan is put in place next year.
      • Keeping the topic of DEI in front of membership by presenting at monthly Chapter Meetings and/or writing articles for the chapter newsletter.
      • Working with the Chapter President to bring in outside speaker(s) to further educate members about the importance of making diversity, equity, and inclusion part of our chapter culture.
      • Continuing to collaborate with and listen to our community partners to adapt our programming to meet current needs.

Member Approved Values and DEI Statements

Our Values

Assistance League Minneapolis/St. Paul supports and serves our community by developing and utilizing the talents of our dedicated volunteers who are committed to our chapter values of Ethics, Leadership, Accountability, Respect and Teamwork.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statements

Assistance League Minneapolis/St. Paul is actively pursuing greater diversity and inclusion within our community partners, membership, and other stakeholder groups. We are committed to increasing our cultural competence and to developing practices that promote anti-racism, inclusion, and equity for all.