By: Jennifer Aufill

On Thursday, Dr. Wen illuminated the ways in which health ties into all the other foundational aspects of stability at the United Way of Central Maryland (UWCM) 91st Annual Meeting. Dr. Wen joined the UWCM Board of Directors, President and CEO Mark Furst, members of the UWCM’s six Community Partnership Boards, community leaders, and family stability partner organizations to talk about “The Power of Partnerships.”

Dr. Wen shared how the Baltimore City Health Department acts as a convener, bringing different stakeholders together to create lasting change for families and individuals in our city. For example, B’more for Health Babies, an initiative led by the Baltimore City Health Department, works in collaboration with more than 150 private and public partners, and has achieved a 23 percent reduction in infant mortality since the program’s inception in 2009. The success of this program is largely due to the combined and coordinated efforts of providers, government agencies, and community organizations.

The central tenant of United Way’s work is the Family Stability Initiative—which is a theory of change that focuses on building strong, stable communities by supporting strong, stable families. For the past 90 years, the organization has committed to helping families faced with poverty to obtain access to healthy affordable food, healthcare, affordable housing, and education. UWCM works to understand the community’s needs, help those who are most vulnerable, and facilitate conversations between donors and the community so they can come together to make informed choices. These partnerships result in a multitude of comprehensive services for Baltimore families.

United Way believes that no need has one solution, and in order to focus on what matters most, Baltimore organizations need to work together and pull together resources. “The health and wellness of our residents requires an interdisciplinary approach,” Dr. Wen concluded. “Stable communities and our residents’ health, education, housing, and income are all inextricably linked. The power of partnership creates change.”