As an agency we commit to using our voice and platform to fight against injustice. While we may not have the solution to change the world, we do have the power, resources, and heart to change ourselves and our community.
With this commitment and urgency in mind, we are taking the following steps to bring about equality, civility and justice for all:
Listen with our Hearts – Valley Youth House will provide opportunities for youth, families and staff to openly discuss how the issues of racism and discrimination have impacted them personally. By providing Safe Spaces for people to share, we will build understanding and compassion for each other as a foundation for our continued work.
Plan with our Heads – Valley Youth House staff will work with youth and community leaders to develop an annual strategy to address issues of diversity, equity and inclusion both within our agency as well as in our local communities. We will share these plans publicly and hold ourselves accountable to improve the climate and reality within our agency and our respective communities.
Speak Up with our Voices – We are committed to making Valley Youth House an actively anti-racist organization. This means we will actively speak out and address acts of racism, racist comments, and racist practices, policies and procedures. We know that racism and injustice disproportionately impacts many of the youth that we serve, and we will advocate for them with our public officials and the general public.
RECENT STEPS TOWARDS GOALS:
1) Staff & Board Forum held in response to the death of George Floyd
2) Youth Forum held in response to the death of George Floyd
3) VYH Employee Climate Survey facilitated by 501 Commons, results shared with all staff and Boards, and corresponding three-part review and discussion Town Halls
4) Observance of Juneteenth 2020
5) Winds of Change Response Project in collaboration with VYH Wellness Committee & Art@ Program
6) Removal of the word “Chief” from employee titles
7) Formalization of employee and client affinity groups related to DEI
8) Creation of MLK Observance Guide 2021 for youth, staff, and community
9) Hired new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer
DIVERSITY & INCLUSION COMMITTEE
CHAIR
Dr. Donald Outing
Vice President for Equity & Community
Adjunct Professor, Department of Mathematics
Lehigh University
pronouns: he/him/his
COMMITTEE
Victoria Brifo
Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
Air Products
Egypt Graham
Founder & Owner
Planning 2 Perfection
Kevin Greene
Chief Operations Officer
Faces International
Kristen Leayman
Diversity & Inclusion Manager
Olympus Corporation Of The Americas
pronouns: she/her
Marci Lesko
Executive Vice President
United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley
Richard C. Liu, MPH
Associate Director, Global Marketing, Virology
Merck & Co.
pronouns: he/him/his
Natasha Ljuljic
Talent & Diversity Specialist
Air Products
Tom Lynch
Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer
PPL Corporation
Dr. Erica Patterson
Director, Contracts Management & Supplier Diversity
Philadelphia Gas Works
Forrest Patterson
Managing Director
JP Morgan
Victor Salicetti
President & Owner
AmericaVen
Alma Scott-Buczak, SHRM-SCP SPHR
Associate Vice President, Human Resources
Lafayette College
pronouns: she/her
Carolyn Stennett
Vice President Human Resources
Victaulic
pronouns: she/her
STAFF ADVISOR
Shawn Mack
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer
Valley Youth House
Pronouns: he/him/his
smack@valleyyouthhouse.org
STAFF ON COMMITTEE
Tom Harrington
President & Executive Director
Valley Youth House
Pronouns: he/him/his
Elizabeth Allen
Staff Development, Supervisor
Valley Youth House
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Megan Alnutt
Executive Assistant to the President
Valley Youth House
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Reek Bell
Office Manager & Assistant to VP of Philadelphia
Valley Youth House
Pronouns: they/them/theirs
Kylin Camburn
Case Manager at Project Silk Lehigh Valley
Valley Youth House
Pronouns: she/her or they/them
RECENT NEWS
Valley Youth House’s Project Silk Staff Members Highlighted in Good Morning America’s Inspiration List: Who’s Making LGBTQ+ History Now!
Valley Youth House is excited to announce that two of our Project Silk staff members, Chloe Cole-Wilson and Kenny Screven, were highlighted in Good Morning America’s GMA Inspiration List: Who’s Making LGBTQ+ History Right Now! Kenny nominated Chloe for her passion, dedication, and advocacy in her everyday work to empower and support the LGBTQ+ youth […]
Juneteenth 2021 Resources
On this day, we honor and celebrate the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. Although the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by Abraham Lincoln two years earlier, news regarding the emancipation of slaves had been suppressed by slave owners who were waiting for the war to end. Juneteenth originated in Galveston, Texas in 1865 when General Granger […]
Statement on the Derek Chauvin Trial Verdict
From the desk of Thomas R. Harrington, President & Executive Director, Valley Youth House: Yesterday, a Minnesota jury found Derek Chauvin guilty on all charges in the death of George Floyd. This historic trial and conviction should remind us of the value of every human life. However, we recognize that this case is just the […]
Statement Against Anti-Asian Hate and Violence
From the Desk of Thomas R. Harrington, Executive Director & President, Valley Youth House: At Valley Youth House, we are saddened, angered, and disheartened by the hate targeting people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent nationally since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the recent hate crime against the Asian American & […]
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