CDG Receives the Arnold Addison Award

The State College Borough held its annual ABC Dinner to celebrate the local authorities, boards, and commissions that take the time and put in the effort to improve the community.

The Community Diversity Group was awarded the Arnold Addison Award (time mark 23:00) presented by Borough Council Member Nalini Krishnankutty. This award was established by the "State College Borough Council in 2007 “to recognize a person or group who has done something to promote the welfare of the community through town-gown relations.”

Our group is so thankful to be recognized!

View the award ceremony here!

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

May has been recognized as Mental Health Awareness Month since 1949! While mental health is important year-round for everyone, May gives us a unique opportunity to shine a light on mental well-being, challenge societal stigmas, and advocate for accessible care. At CDG, we know that mental health doesn’t exist in a vacuum - it is deeply connected to personal identity, systemic barriers, and the lived experiences of each of us.

What can you do to spread mental health awareness and advocate for equitable mental healthcare?

Educate Yourself: Learn how poor mental health affects an individual and consider doing research on how systemic racism, anti-LGBTQ+ bias, ableism, ageism, and other forms of oppression interact with mental health.

Amplify Voices: Listen to the stories of community members who navigate mental health challenges and the issues they’ve faced working within systems that weren’t built with them in mind. With permission, share their experiences to help educate others.

Check In With Your Community: Isolation can deepen struggles. Make space for conversations about mental well-being with compassion and without judgment.

Advocate for Change: Whether by volunteering, donating, or advocating, your action can help build a community where everyone has the chance to thrive.

Join Us in Cultivating Inclusion During Centre Gives May 14–15

Greetings!

In these challenging times, the mission of the Community Diversity Group (CDG) has never been more vital. As national policies increasingly roll back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, our commitment to fostering inclusive communities in Centre County remains steadfast.

Amid these national developments, local organizations like CDG play a crucial role in upholding the values of diversity and inclusion. Through our programs like the Cultural Empowerment for Women Luncheon Series, Community Diversity Conference, and Multicultural Unity Fair, we strive to create spaces where every individual feels seen, heard, and valued.

From 8 AM on May 14 to 8 PM on May 15, CDG will participate in Centre Gives, a 36-hour online giving event hosted by the Centre Foundation. This is an opportunity for our community to come together and support organizations that make a tangible difference in promoting inclusivity and understanding.

Here’s how you can help:

  • Donate: Visit our Centre Gives page during the event to contribute.

  • Share: Spread the word by sharing our mission and Centre Gives page with your network.

Your support during Centre Gives will enable us to continue our essential work, ensuring that Centre County remains a place where diversity is celebrated and inclusion is a lived reality.​

Thank you for standing with us.

Warm regards,

Carol Eicher, Board Chair
Naana Nti, Board Vice-Chair & Programming Chair
Kim Frankenfield-Pro, Interim Marketing Chair & Chair of Grants
Monica Wright, Board Secretary
Sara Dowhower, Board Treasurer
Kevin Kassab, Board Fundraising Liaison
Pamela Robb, Board Outreach Chair

RECAP: 2025 APIDA Spring Festival

The Community Diversity Group proudly supported the 3rd Annual PSU APIDA Spring Festival on Saturday, April 12th! Our booth was right next to the United Nations Association of Central Pennsylvania in MLK Plaza.

Watch video coverage of the event on C-Net.
https://tinyurl.com/2uv384fc

Learn more about the PanAPIDA Circle on their Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PanAPIDACircle ‘

Learn more about Penn State APIDA Caucus on their Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/psuapidacaucus/

For Archival Purposes: Statement Related to George Floyd

Dear Friends:

As members of the Community Diversity Group, we strive to create a welcoming community for a breadth of diverse populations in the Centre County Region. It’s at times like these when we realize how far we have to go. Adding Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and others to an unending list of names, including Osaze Osagie - lives taken tragically at the hands of law enforcement.  Our hearts are heavy and souls weary as community members who identify as Black, African-American, or otherwise from the African Diaspora are once again subjected to video evidence of enduring historical injustice and violence. We share the grief, anger, and anguish of his family and all those who have been impacted by his murder.

We unite in solidarity with those demanding justice and the dismantling of a system of oppression that spans hundreds of years. We condemn the actions of police brutality and the culture of white supremacy that perpetuates the systemic oppression that suffocates so many of our brothers and sisters. 

Our work will not be done until that system has been dismantled. In the days and weeks to come, we will work to earnestly renew our commitment and calls to action. But for now, we center your experiences and your needs. We will continue to mourn with you and honor the sacred tears of those whom we join in the fight against injustice.  We march with, beside and around you. We amplify your voices, your wisdom, and your truth.

In humble solidarity,

The Community Diversity Group

For Archival Purposes: Check Out Project Spoonies!

Project Spoonies is a community organization dedicated to providing support for individuals with chronic illness and educating the community at large about living with chronic illnesses and disabilities.

We created this organization in the hope to offer support and advocate for community members with chronic illnesses and disabilities. Project Spoonies was founded by those who have first-hand experience of living with chronic illnesses and we hope that we can use our experiences to help create community and empower one another. Follow us to keep updated on our journey and any events that may be happening!

https://www.facebook.com/ProjectSpoonies

UPDATE: This project is currently on hiatus

Thank you to FirstEnergy for your generous support of diversity and inclusion in our community.
Take a look at their Diversity and Inclusion initiatives!