Stories

Hello and Aloha!
 
I am delighted to be in Portland having recently joined United Way of the Columbia-Willamette (UWCW) as its President and CEO in mid-December of 2019. Previously, I was with Aloha United Way in Honolulu.
 

United Way of the Columbia-Willamette (UWCW) is pleased to announce that its Board of Directors has unanimously selected Cindy Adams to be the organization’s next President and CEO. Cindy will assume her new role on December 16, 2019.

I've been in Portland, Oregon almost 20 years now, half of my lifetime, so to say the least, I consider Portland my second home. And I want to make sure that I leave this place better than when I first got here, so I began volunteering.

I've come to the understanding now that life is not about me, it's about we.

At United Way, we are working hard to build a region that lives up to the ideals of inclusion, opportunity and racial equity. We believe hate has no place in our communities. Now, more than ever, is the time to stand united. That’s why we’ve joined a coalition of our community partners, local businesses and Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, in publicly denouncing the groups planning to spread hateful rhetoric and violence in Portland on August 17.

One year ago, Taji and Britt, two Portland high school students entering their senior year, sat down to complete a custom curriculum inspired by the community around them; a curriculum dedicated to training the Portland Police Force to interact with youth in more effective and impactful ways.

United Way of the Columbia Willamette is committed to a fair and accurate census count. We recognize that many key safety net programs which support our kids and families are funded via census data including SNAP, school lunches, Head Start, short-term rental assistance and many more programs.

June 20 marks World Refugee Day, an international day commemorating the resilience, courage, perseverance and impact of millions of refugees globally.