United WE Donor Feature: Michelle Wimes
Michelle Wimes has invested a large part of her life working for equity and social justice and United WE’s mission deeply aligns with her values and experiences. “United WE’s strategic and systemic approach to breaking down barriers for women, especially women of color, attracted me. United WE is not just developing programming they THINK women want and need. Instead, they are doing the research, talking to women on the ground to understand their challenges and then developing targeted solutions to address the unique challenges impacting women’s lived experiences.”
“The focus on the economic empowerment and development of women leaders is what most interests me. I grew up on the East side of Kansas City in a community that has been devastated by redlining and housing segregation. As a young woman, I did not have exposure to women leading in high positions in government or business. To have an organization focused on empowering ALL women no matter where they come from and developing the next generation of leaders deeply interests me.”
Michelle is excited to see the impact that United WE’s advocacy efforts make for women and families in our communities. “United WE is working to develop solutions for ALL women who face challenges regarding childcare, elder care, broadband access, and even networking to encourage relationships with personal bankers and financial institutions to help them accomplish their dreams. The Appointments Project which seeks to educate women on how to secure appointments to public boards and commissions and then helps them get there, is highly innovative and impactful.”
Personally and professionally, Michelle has made equity a priority. “As Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer at Children’s Mercy, my goals are to create a culture of inclusion where every single person who enters our facilities, whether they work there or are a patient there, feels like they belong and are treated with dignity and respect. We ALL deserve that.”
She also shares a few of her early volunteer experiences in other areas of equity and inclusion. “I have always been volunteering or working in the areas of equity and social justice, even since high school. Striving to meet the needs of the underserved and less privileged has always been a core value of mine.”
Michelle is enthusiastically involved with United WE as Campaign Co-Chair of the Change Can’t Wait Campaign and is also a Trailblazer and Changemaker. “This work matters to me because I have three daughters. I am focused on creating a better world for them which means eliminating barriers to their full participation in society and professional growth opportunities.” She urges others to take action to support their personal values. “There comes a time when we have to start putting our dollars behind the organizations in our community who are doing the hard work focused on the issues we care about. But don’t only give your money, get involved at the grass roots level so that you can truly make a difference!”
Thank you, Michelle, for your incredible leadership and passion for equity and inclusion! We invite you to join Michelle to support United WE through a gift of any size at: https://secure.givelively.org/donate/united-we
For questions or more information on other ways to give and volunteer, contact Robyn Kollar, Director of Annual Giving at agd@united-we.org.