Lubbock Area United Way Hosts Legislative Briefing

More than 50 nonprofit leaders, community members, and elected officials attended a Legislative Briefing hosted by Lubbock Area United Way today. The purpose of the event was to brief both elected officials and the community on issues that affect our region; particularly in the areas of Pre-K education, child abuse and neglect, mental health services, and the foster care system.

Speakers representing United Way and the 23 Community Partner Agencies spoke about the needs and challenges facing our community. Speakers included: Ruben Gomez, representing The Parenting Cottage; Desiree Nunes, representing Child Protective Services; Harold Stoudt, representing Family Counseling Services; and Vanessa DeLeon, representing Early Learning Centers of Lubbock.

Adrianna Cuellar Rojas, CEO of United Ways of Texas moderated a Question and Answer session with elected officials Senator Charles Perry, Representative John Frullo, and Representative Dustin Burrows.

The central message of the event was that nonprofits can and should be public policy advocates in addition to providing direct services to the community.

Lubbock Area United Way’s 23 Community Partners work daily in Lubbock and surrounding communities to assist people with needs such as affordable child care, crisis situations, character development, adult literacy, job training, and youth mentoring.  A complete list of the Community Partners and the services they provide can be found online here.