These tough times are testing us all in unexcepted ways, especially because of the compounding, fast-changing nature of the crises we confront.

At the Irvine Foundation, we have been blessed to have Kafi Blumenfield as Chair of our Board of Directors. Her counsel and advice, rooted in her years of grassroots, philanthropic, and civic leadership, have been invaluable as we navigate these tough times for California and the nation.

I’m excited to share a short video from Kafi, who was elected to the board in 2015 and became Chair at the beginning of 2020. That proved to be a momentous year, with the pandemic upending our lives, magnifying and exacerbating inequities in our communities, and a racial reckoning forcing us to confront anew systemic racial barriers.

I hope you’ll take a moment to hear Kafi share her perspective on how the compounding crises affect Irvine’s efforts to achieve a California where all low-income workers have the power to advance economically. Achieving that goal is more important than ever and also faces greater challenges, as COVID-19 continues to devastate families, community health, and our economic recovery.

Fortunately, there are signs of hope and progress, with new momentum behind vaccination efforts and a new federal administration. Our new president is assembling a team dedicated to, and experienced with, rebuilding our economy and ensuring racial equity is front and center. We also appreciate the many California leaders who have joined the new federal administration.

I’m very hopeful for a more equitable recovery. And I know we at Irvine will be in a better position to support our grantees as they seek to make that a reality because of Kafi’s wise, ethical, and experienced leadership.