The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic crisis are presenting challenges to humanity at a scale not seen in generations. Since lockdown measures have been taken across the United States, unemployment is at an all-time high, with over 50 million people seeking unemployment benefits since the start of the pandemic; the demand for food aid has increased as much as eightfold; and community organizations, including food banks, across the nation are overwhelmed with increased demand for their services.

The CARE Package Relief program provides life-saving food and services to the most vulnerable communities in the United States, while putting people back to work. CARE Package Relief builds partnerships with gig economy platforms (e.g. DoorDash, TaskRabbit, Lyft) to provide local service organizations the surge workforce needed to reach radically more people in need, and resource their ability to book this work as paid on-demand jobs. It addresses multiple challenges facing stakeholders across the system. This week we are celebrating the second year anniversary of the CARE Package Relief program and are happy to announce that we have served over 12 million meals to families in need, and put $2 million dollars into the pockets of gig workers in 7 cities.

Before we get started I want to share this amazing video with you all that highlights the program’s history and impact.

*play video

So, in today’s conversation we will give space to amazing and pioneering people who played an integral role in launching CARE’s first domestic program, CARE Package Relief.

Let me introduce you to our speakers.

Mother Earth is clearly urging a call to action. Nature is suffering. Oceans filling with plastic and turning more acidic. Extreme heat, wildfires and floods, as well as a record-breaking Atlantic hurricane season, have affected millions of people. Even these days, we are still facing COVID-19, a worldwide health pandemic linked to the health of our ecosystem.

Climate change, man-made changes to nature as well as crimes that disrupt biodiversity, such as deforestation, land-use change, intensified agriculture and livestock production or the growing illegal wildlife trade, can accelerate the speed of destruction of the planet. This is the first Mother Earth Day celebrated within the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Ecosystems support all life on Earth. The healthier our ecosystems are, the healthier the planet - and its people.

For this International Mother Earth Day, let's remind ourselves - more than ever - that we need a shift to a more sustainable economy that works for both people and the planet. Let’s promote harmony with nature and the Earth. Join the global movement to restore our world!

So, in today’s conversation we will give space to amazing and pioneering women who are keeping communities and the climate at the center of their work in hopes of creating a healthier environment for all.

Time and time again, sports and sports-based programs have shown to be central to promoting inclusion and creating opportunities for individuals as a means to establish mutual trust and create healthier communities.

More than six hundred million people tuned in to watch FIFA’s World Cup Final in 2010.  This amazing figure is one of the many statistics that demonstrate how sports captivate our lives. Across the world, athletic competition activates a collective spirit that enhances community participation among children, adolescents, and adults. In 2000, at the inaugural Laureus World Sports Awards, Nelson Mandela, declared that, “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to unite in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than governments in breaking down racial barriers. It laughs in the face of all types of discrimination.”

So, in today’s conversation we will give space to amazing and pioneering women who are creating a space in the sports and fitness world for social justice and social change.

April 2022 marks the official 21st anniversary of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Even before its official declaration, SAAM was about both awareness and prevention of sexual assault, harassment, and abuse. Looking at the history of the movement to end sexual violence, it’s clear why: It’s impossible to prevent an issue no one knows about, and it’s difficult to make people aware of a problem without providing a solution. The two work in tandem, and they always have. From the civil rights movement to the founding of the first rape crisis centers to national legislation and beyond, the roots of SAAM run deep.

As long as there have been people who care about making the world a better place, there have been individuals advocating for sexual assault prevention. In the United States, movements for social change and equality began to gain traction in the 1940s and 50s with the civil rights era. Although open discussion of the realities of sexual assault and domestic violence were limited at these times, activists for equal rights began to challenge the status quo. In the United States we are currently celebrating the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women’s Act (VAWA), but it’s important for us to highlight that throughout the world activists are continuing to fight to make spaces safer for women and in every community.

So, in today’s conversation we will give space to amazing and pioneering women who are fighingting against sexual assault, harassment and abuse and raising awareness throughout their communities.

Data science continues to transform our world in truly extraordinary ways. Yet we all play a critical role in determining how data science and other technological innovations serve to benefit humanity in more expansive and inclusive ways..

In the social sector, we report to many stakeholders—the community where we serve and partner, staff, donors, and policymakers. Nonprofits and social businesses must be able to show what they do, and demonstrate the impact of what they do in terms of multiple factors including financial, social, and environmental.

Despite the challenges across all sectors managing data effectively, the data imperative is here to stay. The dropping cost of technology makes collecting data far more affordable and easier than in the past. Data has the capacity to make the work of social change agents more effective and will build the case for support for the best programs and enterprises.

So, in today’s conversation we will give space to amazing and pioneering women who are collecting and utilizing data to improve communities around the world.

Our conversation today will highlight the Disability Rights Movement which established civil rights for people with disabilities, opening up opportunities for them to participate more fully in society. This movement gathered speed in the 1960’s and led to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) being passed in 1990. The United Kingdom would pass a similar legislation: the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) in 1995. Many other countries across the globe followed suit with similar legislation throughout the 1990’s.

But the Disability Rights Movement fell short of examining how aspects such as the intersections of race, gender, class and sexuality play a role in the oppression of people with disabilities. That’s where Disability Justice comes into play. Disability Justice builds on the disability rights movement, taking a more comprehensive approach to help secure rights for disabled people by recognizing the intersectionality of disabled people who belong to additional marginalized communities.

So, in today’s conversation we will give space to amazing and pioneering women who are keeping the disability justice fight alive and creating a more inclusive world for all.

Valentina Tereshkova, who made history as the first woman in space, once said, “A bird cannot fly with one wing only. Human space flight cannot develop any further without the active participation of women.” Since Tereshkova became the first woman in space in 1963, women have gone on to set many records for spacewalks and long-duration spaceflight on the International Space Station. Another milestone will come in 2024 when NASA aims to land the first woman on the moon under the Artemis program, named for the twin sister of Apollo.

Women not only play a role in space exploration by being astronauts, they also work behind the scenes to make the journeys possible.Hidden Figure mathematician Katherine Johnson of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was instrumental in getting astronauts into orbit safely and helped put humans on the Moon.

So, in today’s conversation we will give space to amazing and pioneering women who are making space exploration possible and creating technology on Earth shaped by what scientists have found beyond our planet.

International Women’s Day is a global celebration of the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality.

International women’s Day has occurred for over a century, with the first IWD gathering in 1911 supported by over a million people. Today, IWD belongs to all groups collectively everywhere. Imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. Together we can forge women's equality. Collectively we can all #BreakTheBias.

So, in today’s conversation we will give space to amazing and pioneering women who are breaking through barriers and gender stereotypes to create a more equitable world for women everywhere.

Resettlement gives refugees - whose lives have been disrupted- renewed hope, and the opportunity to rebuild their lives. The UNHCR (United Nations Refugee Agency)  encourages States to establish formal resettlement programmes to increase the number of refugees who can benefit from this durable solution.

In addition to the physical aspect of resettling refugees is the importance of integration which occurs when people from minority groups, having different racial, religious, or ethnic origins, relate equally with the social structure of the host society to form a whole and to engage with the cultural, political, and social life of the host country.

So, in today’s conversation we will give space to amazing and pioneering women who are creating spaces and communities for refugees to thrive and live.

Each February, in the US National Black History Month serves as both a celebration and a powerful reminder that Black history is American history, Black culture is American culture, and Black stories are essential to the ongoing story of America.

Shining a light on Black history today is as important to understanding ourselves and growing stronger as a Nation as it has ever been.  That is why it is essential that we take time to celebrate the immeasurable contributions of Black Americans, honor the legacies and achievements of generations past, reckon with centuries of injustice, and confront those injustices that still fester today.

So, in today’s conversation we will give space to amazing and pioneering women who are highlighting black history, culture and voices through their work and accomplishments.