Upholding Our Promises to Our Community
At Health Net of West Michigan, we are committed to empowering our staff and community to participate in every election as a vital form of advocacy. While we uphold the values of the democratic process and acknowledge the recent election results, we absolutely refuse to compromise on our vision for health equity, our commitment to become an antiracist organization, and our WE CARE values that support that vision.
We affirm to our staff and community that everyone has the right to reach the highest level of health, to be treated with dignity and respect, and to have access to the resources they need to not only survive but thrive. Health Net of West Michigan stands to support, uplift, and advocate for those who have been historically marginalized due to race, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, documentation status, and country of origin. We are dedicated to honoring the personhood and worth of all our neighbors, partners, and employees, and we stand firmly by these principles regardless of the political climate. We stand by our values to treat all we interact with, in any capacity, with compassion and empower them with the knowledge and tools they deserve to reach their goals.
We strongly urge governmental partners, foundations, and grant-making institutions to deepen their commitments to social justice and support efforts that actively dismantle systems rooted in white supremacy and discrimination against minoritized/strategically underserved communities. Now is not the time to be silent or retreat into ‘safer’ funding priorities. Instead, it is a critical moment to stand behind the collective vision of equitable outcomes for our communities, grounded in a shared commitment to uplifting our collective humanity and social impact. The work of institutions, organizations, and individuals dedicated to social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion is more essential than ever as national policies threaten to undermine these efforts.
We invite those who share our sentiments to partner with us as we continue to stand with our neighbors and take action to continue to reduce barriers to transportation, housing, food resources, and healthcare services, working towards the goal of a community where everyone has the fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible.