HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH
Rita Ribeiro Leads UWGMC to Help At-Risk Populations
By Diane C . Walsh Contributing Editor
As the first Latina board president of the United Way of Greater Mercer County ( UWGMC ), Rita Ribeiro says her Hispanic heritage has made her extremely sensitive to needs of the at-risk community and she is committed to developing programs that will have the most impact on them .
“ With every breathe I take every day , I want to make a difference ,” says Ribeiro , who grew up in Brazil and has traveled extensively throughout North America and Latin America during her career .
“ I am very hypersensitive to the needs of the underserved and disenfranchised populations . As a Latina , I personally relate to the issues faced by my community and recognize the urgent intervention needs related to food insecurity , housing and access to education and healthcare ,” she explains .
Ribeiro is a bilingual marketing leader with 20 years of experience in the national and international healthcare industry . She is a Diversity and Inclusion advocate and a corporate social responsibility strategist . At Bristol Myers Squibb , she leads oncology digital engagement and serves as corporate responsibility lead for the Organization for Latino Achievement .
Throughout her career she worked on campaigns that United Way orchestrated with employers to raise funds for its mission . Her enthusiasm led Sandra Toussaint-Burgher to recruit her to the UWGMC . Toussaint-Burgher is president and CEO of the UWGMC and the first African American to serve in that role . “ From the moment I met her I knew I had to figure out how to get her on the board ,” says Toussaint-Burgher .
Ribeiro credits Toussaint-Burgher with recasting the board as a more diverse , engaged and younger group . She says it now represents the “ fabric of Mercer County — a true mosaic of professional and ethnic backgrounds .” Ribeiro succeeds Jennifer Woods , training and development officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation , who now serves as a board advisor .
UWGMC is unique , they explained , because it includes urban , rural , high- and low-income areas with a diverse pool of constituents and supporters . Mercer County is also home to nearly 60,000 households which are financially vulnerable and their needs have increased greatly with the pandemic ’ s pressures .
Since the organization was founded about 130 years ago , Toussaint-Burgher says its mission has shifted from its primary focus on fundraising . The president likes to say the United Way is no longer aloof , surveying the community from an “ ivory tower .” Instead , she and her board members are committed to “ rolling up our sleeves ” to help .
Ribeiro and Toussaint-Burgher are most proud of the strategic planning done by UWGMC to identify areas where they offer
“ As a Latina , I personally relate to the issues faced by my community and recognize the urgent intervention needs related to food insecurity , housing and access to education and healthcare .”
value and can continue to be relevant . One program that Ribeiro points to with great pride is the college prep course offered free of charge by the UWGMC .
The new board president grew up as the oldest of three children and she was the first person in her family to graduate from college . She earned
Rita Ribeiro her bachelor ’ s degree while working fulltime . She later attained a master ’ s degree in business administration with an emphasis on marketing , which served her well as she advanced through her career .
“ I understand the life-changing power of higher education ,” Ribeiro explains , as she discussed how the college prep course provides essay writing workshops to help students with college applications . It also assists in navigating them through the financial aid application . “ Students from low-income backgrounds are not completing their FAFSA [ financial aid applications ], in disproportionate amounts compared to higher-income students ,” she added , noting “ the gap is only widening when you factor in the pandemic .”
The UWGMC carefully developed its programming because it did not want to duplicate efforts by other social service agencies . They believe their free tax prep program , known as VITA , serves a special niche . Toussaint- Burgher says not only are clients completing their tax returns , they are also learning about other services and program available on the local , county and state level , which will benefit the entire family .
Toussaint-Burgher and her new board president say they are committed to keeping UWGMC nimble to respond to the needs of the community as they arise . Ribeiro ’ s term will expire in June but the CEO said she wants to extend her time beyond the ordinary limit . “ I ’ m not going to let her go ,” says Toussaint-Burgher .
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