Dear Uplift Community,
When I left Uplift’s East Falls office on the afternoon of March 11
th
, I had no idea that the next four months would be filled with such extraordinary events as we have seen throughout our community, our country, and around the world. I’ve been heartened by the ways we’ve worked together to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe; horrified by the number of Black lives cut tragically short by racist systems; and inspired by the work to change these systems.
At Uplift, we serve children in Philadelphia grieving the loss of someone they love. What that looks like demographically is that our service population is
84% Black, 8% White/Caucasian, 7% Hispanic/Latino, with 1% identifying as of another ethnicity. We are determined to create the safest and best experience possible for the children and families with whom we work. As part of this effort, we are dedicated to becoming an antiracist organization and having earnest discussions about how to create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment for our families and team. We are establishing a standing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force comprised of staff and Board members that will lead these discussions, make decisions, and implement changes for Uplift. We look forward to keeping you updated on these efforts.
The future is still uncertain for many businesses and non-profits like ours. We don’t know when we can open our offices or when our next in-person groups will take place. But we are charging ahead and making plans for continued impactful work, including maintaining virtual family and school groups and extending our work with the Philly HopeLine. We view this time as an opportunity to reach more children and families through remote support. As always, thank you for your support that enables Uplift's work with Philadelphia’s grieving youth!
With Gratitude,
