United Way & Berrien Community Foundation host speaker Rich Harwood on “HEALING & HOPE” Tour at Mendel Center
The renowned speaker and founder of the Harwood Institute for Public Innovationdiscusses his groundbreaking new report, Civic Virus: Why Polarization Is a Misdiagnosis.
United Way of Southwest Michigan is proud to collaborate with Berrien Community Foundation to bring partners from across Southwest Michigan together to hear from Rich Harwood, speaker and founder of the Harwood Institute for Public Innovation. Harwood is touring the country to help Americans make sense of what’s really going on in our communities and create a hopeful path forward together. The Harwood Institute is an organization working to stimulate community-led change.
The event was attended by about 200 who gathered for breakfast on Wednesday, October 12 in the Grand Upton Hall at the Mendel Center on Lake Michigan College’s campus in Benton Harbor. Harwood’s keynote presentation was followed by a question-and-answer session with Harwood, giving participants the chance to share what kind of community they want to live in and learn how to get involved in creating it.
“This was an incredible opportunity to bring our community together, focus on what matters most, and get in motion to create meaningful, lasting change,” said Lisa Cripps-Downey, President of Berrien Community Foundation.
Heather Cole, Director of Advocacy and Public Innovation at United Way, said, “Through United Way’s ‘turning outward’ work and community conversations, we heard you when you told us you wanted a more connected community, better ways to communicate and network together, and to be included in more conversations and involved in more decisions. In response, we are focusing on learning how to build this kind of community—one that meets the aspirations and needs of all those who live and work in Southwest Michigan.”
“Turning outward” is a step-by-step process developed by the Harwood Institute. “Turning outward” entails taking steps to better understand communities, changing processes and thinking to make conversations more community-focused, being proactive to community issues, and putting community aspirations first. United Way of Southwest Michigan is committed to building a “Turned-Outward” network in our community.
“United Way has been working with Rich Harwood and the Harwood Institute for several years now. Rich is a wonderful leader and is dedicated to transforming communities and building empathetic, skilled leaders who can help people unleash their potential to create better lives for their families and neighbors,” said Anna Murphy, President & CEO of United Way of Southwest Michigan.
ABOUT RICHARD C. HARWOOD
Rich is an author, speaker, and innovator. For over three decades, he has devoted his career to revitalizing the nation’s hardest-hit communities, transforming the world's largest organizations, and reconnecting institutions to society. Over the past 30 years, Rich has developed a philosophy and a practice by which people can learn to solve common problems, create a culture of shared responsibility, and deepen Civic Faith. The Harwood practice of Turning Outward has spread to all 50 U.S. states and 40 countries around the world. Dedicated to providing a trusted civic voice, Rich has helped people in communities work together to overcome immense challenges using the Harwood approach. In Newtown, Connecticut, after the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Rich helped the community collectively decide the fate of the school building. An inspiring and sought-after speaker, Rich regularly keynotes major conferences and events. He has written six books, including the Amazon bestseller, Stepping Forward, and the newly released, Unleashed: A Proven Way Communities Can Spread Change and Make Hope Real for All. Rich has authored scores of articles and reports, and regularly appears on national media including NPR, MSNBC’S Meet the Press Daily, CNN, PBS NewsHour, and C-SPAN. Recently, he became a regular contributor to The Christian Citizen, a publication which provides insight on issues of justice, mercy, and faith.
ABOUT BERRIEN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
The Berrien Community Foundation is a center of philanthropy in Berrien County holding endowment and other funds to support programs and projects throughout Berrien County and beyond. For more than 65 years, BCF has helped concerned individuals establish their own charitable giving legacy and achieve their charitable goals. BCF works to connect the power of people who care with causes and organizations that strengthen our communities. Learn more at berriencommunity.org
ABOUT UNITED WAY
United Way of Southwest Michigan fights for the Health, Education, and Financial Stability of every person in every community. We have the influence and relationships to make sustainable change a reality. By harnessing resources from corporate, nonprofit, and public partners, we provide immediate assistance to our most vulnerable populations while addressing the root causes of our community's longstanding challenges and changing lives for the better. To join the fight—through giving, advocacy, and volunteering—visit www.uwsm.org.