Our United Way has a long and proud history in Philadelphia and the surrounding communities: nearly 100 years of service to our region. As we get ready to bid farewell to our home of 50 years, it seems appropriate to reflect on the history and proud legacy that will be the fuel that drives United Way forward as we begin to write the next chapter of our story. As I look around the halls of 1709 Ben Franklin Parkway, I’m struck at all the history these walls contain, and I’m grateful for all that’s been accomplished here.
We must first look at where we have been, and reflect on the very first person to commit resources to United Way in support of a shared vision; the first person who gave their time and talent to bring this organization to life.
It is important to consider where we are currently: the moment that is now and the team that is here today; the board members and donors and community members who are rallying behind us as we evolve; a team that accepts new challenges and new ways of being.
We will always have gratitude for the enormous impact our employees and our organization has been able to make from within these walls. As we close the door on one chapter of our United Way story, I want to encourage all to take a moment to reflect on the doors opening as we continue to write our organization’s story.
We must finally take a look at where we are going; new technology that will enable us to reach new audiences, an invigorated culture built on development, organization-wide accountability and achievement, and new work that puts us closer to our goal to end poverty.
The move comes after nearly two years of planning and the 2018 sale of the building on the Parkway. The decision to leave the Parkway was not an easy one, but it was essential to ensuring we are best positioned to continue our work and partnerships for another 100 years.
What is truly exciting are the ways this move will allow us to better serve the community and fight poverty. From our new home, we will drive more investments deeper into work that fights poverty in our region. You will not have trouble finding us as we will remain centrally located so we can easily connect and work closely with partners from all sectors, while fostering a deeper sense of collaboration and teamwork through the organization. We will be able to break down silos and drive innovation, strategy and vision to fight poverty and ignite programming that helps to strengthen the nonprofit sector as a whole.
Need to get a hold of us? Great! Our new physical address is 1800 John F Kennedy Blvd, Suite 1200, Philadelphia, PA 19103. You can also reach us by mail at P.O. Box 787897, Philadelphia, PA 19178-7897. Need to call us? That number is still the same at 215-665-2500 or email us at . We look forward to hearing from you and serving you in our new space!