In this episode of The Way Forward, United Way of the National Capital Area's President & CEO, Rosie Allen-Herring speaks with Bank of America's Barry James and Hasan Oberoi on financial education, workforce development and economic opportunity, especially for marginalized people and how their intersectional identities impact their financial stability.

Bank of America for Greater Washington DC and United Way of the National Capital Area have a unique opportunity to provide equitable services, training, and information to the Asset Limited, Income Constrained, and Employed (ALICE) residents in the 11 jurisdictions served across the region. ALICE represents the growing number of individuals and families who are working but are unable to afford the necessities. With Bank of America’s decades of expertise and commitment to economic opportunity and empowerment, this partnership is crucial in supporting and advancing equity across communities.

For this episode, President & CEO of United Way NCA, Rosie Allen-Herring, sits down with Larry Di Rita, President of Bank of America for Greater Washington DC. Together they discuss the priorities and commitments that drive their work for the DC region, the multigenerational impact, and what is yet to be done.

This year's tax season is one of the most important to date. In this episode of The Way Forward, we speak with Jim Shanahan, Deacon at Catholic Charities, and Joseph Leitmann-Santa Cruz, CEO & Director of Capital Area Asset Builders, about how to navigate the current tax season, including this year's changes to tax credits and what all those stimulus checks mean.

Today we're talking with Ja'Sent Brown at DC Central Kitchen as we look toward mitigating hunger in the region during and beyond the pandemic. 

While COVID-19 continues to spike, the support we extend to our students during this time goes a long way in mitigating the long-term impact of distance learning. Identifying the “Opportunity Gaps” while they are unignorable allows education systems to innovate in ways they were not able to before, not because they can but because they must. You can play a role too! Support United Way of the National Capital Area’s innovative work bolstering equity in education by supporting our Stuff the Bus Drive and by learning more about  our community schools. 

The only way forward for the region is by working together to bring innovative solutions to tough challenges. When resources are combined across government, nonprofit, and business in support of the community, issues like hunger become surmountable. To help feed families and individuals and families in Prince George’s County, support the Stand Up and Deliver program today with a donation!

Improving lives by reducing disparities requires us to look deeply at the gaps that are widening those who are served well from those who are underserved and innovating, meaningful, and sustainable solutions. As your United Way, we are committed to making bold strides to achieve equity in the health, education, and economic opportunity of those National Capital Area residents for whom we serve. 

To learn more about the Financial Empowerment Centers, please visit https://financialempowermentcenters.org

This episode of The Way Forward examines how a wide casting and deeply rooted system of inequity across communities of low wealth contributes to higher Covid-19 cases and mortalities rates. The episode will examine how structural conditions engender low-income communities.

For more information, please visit unitedwaynca.org