Arlington Thrive recently launched a series of organizational interviews and client listening sessions with partners and community members most impacted by inequities in Arlington. We asked:
- How have clients experienced inequities in Arlington?
- What barriers do they face to achieve economic and social stability?
- How can Thrive and other agencies improve access to resources?
- What strategies already work?
The responses offer a candid look at how marginalized groups experience Arlington — and how Thrive and other nonprofits can adapt to better serve them.
The listening sessions, graciously funded by a small grant from Arlington County, allowed Arlington Thrive to work with other safety net organizations in Arlington and their clients to take stock and identify areas where we could be letting our neighbors down by not accounting for their barriers to access.
“Equity begins with listening. These conversations remind us that Thrive’s role is not only to respond in crisis, but to stand beside communities working toward lasting stability.” – Melanie Anderson, Executive Director.
Across marginalized groups: returning citizens, immigrants, domestic violence survivors, and people with disabilities – the findings, while jarring, are instrumental in developing the compass we need to support a resilient, thriving Arlington.
