Letter to our supporters
from
One World One Family Board of Directors
Please take a few minutes to read this
important communication.
Hello!
Many of you are aware that One World One Family was the first group to organize the observance of Martin Luther King Jr in Chelsea in 2002 – over 20 years ago! Through the years OWOF has been integral to steering social justice efforts in our community. It is not uncommon for OWOF to be on the receiving end of requests that include phrases like, “I am not sure if there is anyone else/any other group to bring this (issue) to…” We can’t speak for everyone involved over the years, but we think it would be safe to say that it is a weighty, yet beautiful, honor to serve the area in this capacity.
In 2020, the OWOF board reorganized and recommitted to addressing some of the difficult areas that the current culture wars have been propagating. Over the past three years OWOF’s consistent leadership has helped our area in the following ways:
- Sponsoring Indigenous People’s Land Acknowledgement Day, Civility Month activities, Restorative Justice education, and greatly expanded, collaborative MLK Jr Day events
- Supporting community efforts in Diversity Equity and Inclusion, Police Reform, Housing Advocacy, and LGBTQIA rights.
- Maintaining a newsletter to share resources and information and keep you aware of what’s going on;
- Hosting non-violent communication workshops, group gatherings, messaging campaigns, and social media sites.
Our current mission statement reads: One World One Family is committed to justice and equity for all. We work to be anti-racist and to oppose discrimination in any form. We engage and empower people to have an impact and change systems to ensure everyone can participate fully in a diverse society. This work is definitely not completed, but we are proud to see the changes happening in our community. We believe these are due in part to OWOF’s efforts over the long term.
OWOF has earned a place at the table in our town. At the same time, initiatives like Civility Month, MLK Jr Day, and municipally organized housing, policing, and civil rights working groups are wonderfully part of the fabric of our community now, supported by a multitude of groups, businesses, and individuals; they are no longer reliant on OWOF alone to push and carry this load.
That said, the next step in the life of our non-profit is still unfolding. With some of the burden lifted of being the only champion for some of these activities, OWOF is free to examine how we might be most effective within our mission going forward. We are not going anywhere, but we do need some help.
While our all-volunteer board and supporters give their time, expertise, and financial support; we need to ask the community to help support OWOF as well. Much of our programming has been supported by partner group and individual donations per project, but we do have nominal annual costs that include a post office box, website, and Chamber membership.
If you can support OWOF so that our volunteers can concentrate on programming, partnerships, and grant writing, paying the bills would be one less worry. Thank you for considering a donation today. Ideally, we’d like to raise $1000 to put toward operating costs and have a little bit of a cushion in the bank in case we are in the position to help a cause and purchase signs, flags, books, etc.
Can you donate $25, $50 or $100 today? Checks can be made payable to OWOF and mailed to PO Box 31, Chelsea, MI 48118 or donations can be made via PayPal. We’re @owofchelsea Thank you!
The One World One Family Board of Directors
