What is Global Diversity Awareness Month?
Global Diversity Awareness Month is celebrated during the month of October. It provides us with a time to celebrate our heritage and learn from each other's unique experiences.
As part of Global Diversity Awareness month, we encourage you to discover, recognize, and share the diversity in your lives and community year-round.
How Diversity Positively Enhances Our Lives
Martha Pierson, a UITS employee, was recently asked how Global Diversity was an integral part of her life. Martha reflected on her enjoyment of homemade cooking and the ability to provide meals to families in need.
“A friend of mine introduced me to Lasagna Love. My experience over the past several months has been eye-opening. It is amazing how a simple meal not only shows kindness but provides support without judgment. Every recipient I have delivered a meal to has been in need, such as taking care of grandkids, loss of a job, or struggling financially. Each family has been overwhelmed with gratitude and very thankful for a homemade meal. The Lasagna Love volunteers in my community rallied together to feed all five fire departments in my town to show our support for the relentless hard work they have endured over the past 18 months," stated Martha.
Lasagna Love is a nationwide, grassroots movement that aims to impact communities by connecting neighbors with neighbors through homemade meal delivery. The all-volunteer run program abides by three simple principles: Feed Families, Spread Kindness, and Strengthen Communities.
Today Lasagna Love is represented by a nationwide collection of more than 20,000 individuals from all walks of life, different geographic locales, diverse ethnicities, gender, race, political affiliation, and socio-economic backgrounds, who have bonded in an effort to weave kindness back into the fabric of our communities by delivering one of America’s most popular comfort foods. It is predicated on a desire to help others without the expectation of gratitude or reciprocation – the very essence of giving.
Join Us in Recognizing Global Diversity this Month by Cooking a Meal
A single pan of lasagna inarguably has a positive impact on recipients contending with food insecurity, families taking care of ill parents, spouses, or children, overworked healthcare workers, people who have lost their job or working single parents or grandparents too exhausted at the end of the day to prepare yet another meal.
Although we can never know what another person is contending with in their lives, we can change the trajectory and dynamics of one’s day with an unexpected gesture of kindness–with no strings, no expectations, and zero judgment.
Sign up if you are interested in volunteering or if you know someone in need. Even one meal makes a difference!
If you have any questions about Lasagna Love, feel free to contact Martha Pierson.
Other Ways to Get Involved in Global Diversity Awareness Month
- Visit a local museum to explore exhibits on various communities, cultures, and histories.
- Support minority-owned businesses (e.g., restaurants, stores, Etsy shops, etc.).
- Watch a documentary. Documentaries are an excellent source of information and offer various community perspectives (e.g., race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, etc.).
- Learn about the various diversity awareness events happening in October, including Filipino-American Heritage Month, Indigenous Peoples Day, Italian-American Heritage Month, LGBTQ History Month, and Polish-American Heritage Month.
- Listen to music from different parts of the world.
Have Global Diversity Awareness Month events or stories you’d like to share?
Feel free to share your Global Diversity Awareness Month resources or experiences on the Slack #inclusion channel.