by WHAM
Tue, June 25th 2024 at 3:41 PM
Hundreds of representatives from non-profits across the region gathered at Finger Lakes Community College in Canandaigua to network and learn how to make an impact in their community, June 24, 2024. (Photo by Jackie Napier/WHAM)
Canandaigua, N.Y. – Numerous non-profits gathered at Finger Lakes Community College Tuesday for workshops and sessions on making change.
United Way’s 2024 Non-Profit Summit marked the second year of the event, bringing in more than 200 people from various organizations across the six county region.
“It’s an opportunity for a non-profit professionals to connect, to learn from one another, to gather some critical resources so that they can continue to do their critical work,” explained Erin Bombard, the Director of Marketing and Communications at the United Way.
The non-profit’s goal is to use local resources to ensure everyone in the community can thrive. Tuesday’s summit is an effort to expand on that.
“There’s a lot of interconnected complicated issues within our region, and when we come together and gather all of our resources together we’re really able to make a substantial difference,” said Bombard.
Keynote speaker Arel Moodie talked about the power these organizations have, and how they can connect a region.
“What we really talked about was the idea of what brings people together,” he said. “It’s very easy to get lost in today’s society with the work we’re doing but the non-profits here do such amazing work so it’s all about creating togetherness.”
Moodie also spoke about how this event, and others like it, can be a guiding force in changing an entire community.
“My favorite part about speaking at events like this is I get to influence the influencers,” said Moodie. “The collective group of the people represented here impact tens of thousands of people’s lives.”