United Way, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Corporate Leaders Convene in New Orleans.

Leaders Meet to Strategize Long-Term Recovery and Financial Stability for the Gulf Coast Region

NEW ORLEANS -- United Way of America met today for the first time with leaders from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and executives from many of the nation's largest corporations to discuss collaborating cross-sector to address the long-term social and economic needs of the Gulf Coast region.

"We're here to reaffirm our commitment to the people of the Gulf Coast. United Way has put a stake in the ground around long-term recovery, and thanks to the generous support of our National Corporate Leaders and others, we will continue to be a constant and very visible partner to these communities," said Brian Gallagher, president and CEO of United Way of America. "As individual organizations, over the past three years, we've learned a lot about response and recovery. Collectively, across sectors, we believe we can be even more effective."

United Way has consistently focused its nationwide network and significant resources in the Gulf Coast, raising more than $28 million through the 2005 United Way Hurricane Response and Recovery Fund which was invested in 73 communities in partnership with 66 local United Ways and 14 other charitable organizations. Funds have been focused on creating long-term partnerships, filling gaps in community infrastructure, strengthening case management, building 2-1-1 and creating long-term financial stability.

"The Business Civic Leadership Center has a lot of respect for what United Way is doing in New Orleans and around the country, and we appreciate the opportunity to be involved with this meeting," said Stephen Jordan, BCLC executive director and participant in the events. "This gathering of nonprofit, business and government leaders allows us to focus on ways to build better public-private partnerships that will help our communities."

Part of United Way's continued work in the region will center around Financial Stability, a new initiative bringing together government, business leaders and other nonprofits with proven strategies for addressing the root causes of poverty and helping hardworking families increase income, build savings and gain and sustain assets. The benefits are far-reaching as financial stability creates a stronger, more crisis-resistant workforce for employers and increases home and business ownership.

"As a United Way partner, we are proud to be here volunteering and strategizing in New Orleans and honored to work with such significant leaders who are all committed to the same goal of long-term recovery in the region," said Lisa Proctor, Community Relations and Volunteer Programs Manager for J.C.Penney Company Inc. and the Chair of the United Way National Corporate Leadership Advisory Council which convened this meeting.

Meeting participants included: Stephen Jordan, Vice President and Executive Director of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Business Civic Leadership Center (BCLC), Brian Gallagher, President and CEO of United Way of America and Gary Ostroske, CEO of United Way of Greater New Orleans. Corporate leaders included: UPS, 3M, Bank of America, Cargill, GE, IBM, ITW, Johnson & Johnson, J.C.Penney, Kellogg Company, Microsoft Corporation, Nationwide, Pfizer Inc., Qwest Communications International, Inc., Target, Wachovia Corporation, Williams, Xcel Energy, The Boeing Company, The Dow Chemical Company, Wells Fargo, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., Fluor Corporation, Hewlett-Packard Company and SUPERVALU INC.

In addition to participating in the strategy meetings, many United Way National Corporate Leaders also volunteered yesterday at Just the Right Attitude, an East New Orleans food bank. These United Way National Corporate Leaders and their employees and retirees have also generously contributed to recovery in the region. For a complete list of United Way National Corporate Leaders, visit: unitedway.org/ncl/leaders

About United Way

United Way is a national network of more than 1,300 local organizations that work to create lasting positive changes in communities and people's lives by addressing the underlying causes of the most significant local issues. While local United Ways tackle issues based on local needs, common areas of focus include helping children and youth succeed, improving access to health care, promoting financial stability, and strengthening families. For more information about United Way, please visit: www.unitedway.org.