Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Mission Statement

The Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO) was established in 1965 as part of the Economic Opportunity Act and War on Poverty. Our organization believes that addressing the fundamental issues of economic and social inequalities includes identifying and creating ways to build the core values of diversity, equity, and inclusion into our policies and practices. We are committed to serving the underserved, those with low socio-economic status, people with disabilities and those with different gender-identities, sexual orientations, languages and religions, national and racial-ethnic origin, and the Black Indigenous Populations of Color (BIPOC).

CVOEO considers racism a public health emergency. As an anti-racist organization that supports the Black Lives Matter movement, CVOEO aims to better the social determinants of health for BIPOC and for individuals that belong to any of the groups described above. CVOEO asserts the inclusion of all is the fundamental operating principle for building a more just and equitable society.