United Way of Metro Chicago
I worked with nonprofit organization United Way of Metro Chicago (UWMC) as an AmeriCorps service member from 2019-2020. In their first-ever position of multimedia journalist, I was tasked with building out UWMC’s story content to incorporate multimedia components. These photo and video stories highlighted our community partners' efforts in order to update our audience of donors and volunteers on the that progress is happening in each neighborhood and identify ways in which they can extend their support. The stories were utilized by our marketing and communications team to engage with our network, as well as our resource development team in their fundraising campaigns.
For the first six months, I traveled to Auburn Gresham, Blue Island Robbins, Brighton Park, Evanston, Bronzeville, Little Village, Cicero, South Chicago, West Chicago, and Austin and wrote resident features, Q&As, and relevant issue stories. Our stories averaged 200 views total via their monthly newsletter, website traffic, and social media traffic through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
Giving Tuesday Campaign 2019
I photographed the UWMC senior team's latest headshots which you can find on their website — using the vibrant murals of Pilsen's beloved 16th Street. For their annual Giving Tuesday Campaign in 2019, I provided photography and creative direction in collaboration with the team graphic designer.
COVID-19 PSA Video
When the pandemic hit in March 2020, my regular reporting in each neighborhood had drastically changed. United Way of Metro Chicago started a COVID-19 response fund in partnership with the City of Chicago to provide local community organizations with large grant funding to allocate to their residents. To promote this fund city-wide, I produced a PSA video, which aired on live television networks: CBS (WBBM), FoxTV (WFLD), and WGNTV. I was recognized as volunteer of the week by the Serve Illinois Commission for this work.
Neighborhood Feature Series
Rounding out my service year, I created a video series to educate UWMC's audience on the history, strengths, and community efforts of each of their neighborhood network partners. These videos function effectively as "evergreen" stories because they can be shared at any time during the year.
Through this position, I learned how marketing, journalism, and community service can intertwine. While difficult at times, writing from the perspective of a large, nonprofit organization taught me how to recenter the narrative of the community resident, always. I was constantly reminded that organizing, equity, and change, are not just fluffy words to write but are small (or big), everyday actions taken by many people together. These stories that champion success over strife take time and effort and struggle. And the stories will always be there, as long as there is someone to listen.