Carlee Alm-LaBar, President and CEO of United Way of Acadiana ("UWA"), is our guest. As a young woman who first moved to South Louisiana for Teach for America teaching High School Math in Churchpoint in 1998, Carlee has proven that her heart is dedicated to public service and in leaving things better than she found them.

Many knew Carlee as a candidate in the 2019 Lafayette Parish President's race. Prior to that she worked with Southern Lifestyle Development and served as Head of Development and Planning for Lafayette Consolidated Government. She also served as assistant to City-Parish President Joey Durel, overseeing communications and community relations for LCG, and spent eight years working in the nonprofit sector at the Community Foundation of Acadiana and Acadiana Youth.

On the volunteer front, Carlee served as chair of the Leadership Institute of Acadiana, the parent organization of Leadership Lafayette; in Junior League of Lafayette, she served as chief financial officer and communications vice president; she was a long-time board member of Lafayette Youth Soccer Association and was honored as a Woman Who Means Business and a "Top 20 Under 40" young professional. She organized and led the Fix the Charter group, a citizen-driven effort that supported the reorganization of our Lafayette Consolidated Government into two separate city and parish councils.

In late February 2020, she started her new post at the helm of UWA, which was two weeks before the COVID shutdown turned our world upside down. Carlee has been focused on disaster relief ever since. The economic devastation wreaked by the COVID disaster has shone the light on the importance of UWA's work in giving people the "building blocks for a better life."

"Most of my career has been in service to others so the transition to United Way of Acadiana has been an easy one." UWA has been a perfect fit for Carlee's talents and drive to better the community.

Carlee had to quickly learn how to manage staff who were working from home while also navigating fundraising responsibilities in an environment that precludes in-person events. UWA has focused on using resources wisely in its outreach to the community; they have recently partnered with Court Appointed Special Advocates of South Louisiana ("CASA of SoLA") which is now located on UWA's campus. Carlee explains that "this is a great opportunity for cross-collaboration in helping our most vulnerable.....foster children who are in need of advocates."

With its focus on "Education, Earnings and Essentials," UWA partners with other community non-profits in coordinating volunteer resources and ensuring that basic needs are met. The organization not only funds other deserving non-profit "partners" which have been vetted for effectiveness, but it also provides direct services in areas of need that are not being met by other non-profits. Carlee explained that our region has approximately 100 to 150 active and viable non-profits; some have employees and are run as a business, while others thrive on volunteer efforts to get the job done.

United Way of Acadiana is a Nonprofit Multi-Tenant Center with Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana, American Red Cross, Louisiana Emergency Medical Units (LEMU), and the Lafayette Public Library System.In addition, the Multi-Tenant Center provides a community training room for non-profits and government agencies to host trainings and meetings. The room is available from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. at no cost to non-profits and government agencies and for $50 per workday for private businesses and corporations. To reserve the room, call 337.233.8302.

In October 2020 as this interview was recorded, many people were still underemployed or unemployed while also having bee...