The DEI committee is celebrating Hispanic Heritage month with a series of Salsa lessons and a catered luncheon. Many of the DEI committee members also participate in the newly formed Wellness Committee. Both committees wanted to provide a cultural recognition event that achieves the goal of connecting people with an authentic, celebratory experience that incorporates some element of wellness for our Child and Family Services (C+FS) community. Salsa seemed like the perfect way to engage staff in a meaningful way.
Additionally, C+FS appreciates every opportunity to support local, BIPOC-owned small businesses as a form of impactful community engagement. Our luncheon, provided by KP Smokehouse, will feature pastelillos, rice and beans and a riff on Pollo Guisado – a rich braised chicken stew. These opportunities to serve the WNY community mean everything to small business owners, who thrive off our continued support and recognition.
The DEI committee is also supporting the recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). The DVAM webinar represented a joint effort between C+FS Haven House, the Office of Equity and Inclusion, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to bring together panelists who can speak to the specific experiences of culturally specific communities and how they influence access to domestic violence services. The panelists represented Indigenous, LGBTQ+, People with Disabilities and Muslim communities, providing an important conversation on how culture can color the experience of domestic violence survivors. The webinar discussed what we can do to support more equitable and inclusive experiences to help survivors heal.