The Dorothy O. Jackson Society supports the mission of United Way by:

• Increasing understanding of United Way’s work on underlying community problems
• Building bridges between business and community leaders and minorities
• Increasing the number of minority leadership givers

Dorothy Jackson is considered Akron’s "goodwill ambassador". For almost 20 years, Jackson served as Deputy Mayor of the City of Akron. She was the first African-American woman to serve in an Akron mayor’s cabinet. Jackson retired in June 2003 but continues her community activism.

Prior to becoming Deputy Mayor, Jackson worked twelve years with Goodwill Industries, followed by a sixteen-year career with the Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority as the Social and Tenant Services Administrator.

Jackson has won many awards over her decades of service to the community, including the Bert A. Polsky Humanitarian Award, the Ohio Black Women’s Leadership Caucus Rosa Parks Award, United Way’s Distinguished Service Award, and the Urban League’s Community Service Award. She has also been inducted into the Ohio Women’s Hall of Fame. A 28-unit handicapped housing development was named Dorothy O. Jackson Terrace in her honor. The Jewish National Fund named a park in Israel in her honor and she was inducted into African American History Makers.

Photos from the November 2009 Dorothy O. Jackson Society Thank You Event

Photos from the June 2009 Dorothy O. Jackson Society Reception

Key Components

Membership Means...

How is United Way Helping Local Minority Populations

Dorothy O. Jackson Society Committee

Join Now

GIVE
To increase the number of minority donors giving at the $1,000 leadership level and encourage participation in United Way’s Young Leaders Society, The Women’s Leadership Giving Society and The Tocqueville Society.

ADVOCATE
To provide information through social, personal development and networking events to minority leaders and prospective donors on how the minority community participates in and benefits from the United Way.

VOLUNTEER
To encourage participation in United Way’s decision making process. Volunteer opportunities include United Way’s Impact Councils, Community Investment Teams, Day of Action and Project Blueprint.

• Increasing your impact to our community through your gift to United Way
• Being recognized as a philanthropic individual and a community leader in our annual Leadership Directory
• Interacting with diverse groups of community leaders to effect lasting change in our community

• United Way is Helping Improve Neighborhoods
United Way is making lasting change in the Summit Lake neighborhood. Through grassroots efforts, United Way and several other organizations and religious leaders are increasing opportunities for home ownership, instilling community pride, creating job training opportunities and much more. United Way is also initiating a Neighborhood Leadership Development Program in University Park, Summit Lake, Lakemore, Barberton and Buchtel Cluster communities to help improve conditions in Summit County’s depressed neighborhoods.

• Born Learning^TM Program, Playgroups, and Materials
The Women’s Leadership Giving Society of United Way has taken the lead role in promoting Born Learning and developing educational and interactive programs for parents to teach their child from birth to prepare them for kindergarten. The Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority offers learning playgroups, with other parents and children - currently at Honey Locust Gardens, Summit Lake Apartments, Colonial Hills, Joy Park, Valley View, and Maplewood Gardens. Booklets on how to teach a child, fact sheets, DVDs, and more, are available at the 17 Akron-Summit County Public Libraries. A free "Recipes for Learning" booklet is offered to WIC participants at the Akron, Barberton, or Summit County WIC locations.

• Felon Re-Entry Initiative
United Way is assisting with programs being provided to assist convicted felons with re-entry to society. The programs help them obtain job skills, counseling and interview skills, reducing the likelihood of additional criminal behavior. Major partners in this effort are the Urban League, Goodwill Industries and Mature Services.

The following percentages illustrate an overview of United Way services provided to individuals identified as members of racial minorities*:

• 44% of clients using vocational programs provided by Mature Services, Goodwill Industries and the Urban League

• 64.8% of those using neighborhood organization services provided by EACH, YMCA and the Urban League

• 51.5% of recipients of crisis intervention services provided by Battered Women’s Shelter, ACCESS, YWCA and Legacy III

• 70% of recipients of emergency assistance services

• 17% of people seeking Family Planning Services at Planned Parenthood

• 37.5% of the children receiving funded day care

• 38% of recipients of financial assistance for medical care

• 60% of the individuals receiving alcohol/drug abuse prevention and treatment

• 77% of the individuals receiving legal services

* These figures only reflect clients specifically identified as belonging to a minority, many services are provided without knowledge of ethnicity.

For more information on the Dorothy O. Jackson Society please contact Diontre Earl, Resource Development Director at 330.643.5514 or email dearl@uwsummit.org