We are pleased to share our second annual report for 211 that summarizes the tremendous impact 211 continues to make, including another 50,350 connections to critical services and help!
The report is now available for download and provides a snapshot of the demographic data and top needs requested from 211 between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021. The goal of this report is to share an overview of 211 data on top community needs and the populations we serve in Lake County, as well as trends and highlights throughout the year.
Last month, we celebrated the second anniversary of 211 services for Lake County with a 90-minute virtual event highlighting 211’s measurable year-two results and impact. We are thrilled with the number of community members who joined us to learn more about 211 and how it is benefiting Lake County. We are grateful to our host/moderator, expert panel, and 211 leadership team who shared data, insights and real-life stories of how 211 is making a difference every day.
In case you missed it, you can watch a recording of the event on YouTube below.
You’re Invited: Power of the Purse!
Join Women United on Sunday, November 7, for their signature fundraising event, Power of the Purse!
Women United has a virtual option available again—an online buying and bidding shopping experience that includes dozens of designer bags, silent auction purses, baskets and items. Get your ticket today!
100% of all proceeds and items purchased will support early education programs in Lake County’s most vulnerable communities through the Little Kids, Big Futures Fund.
Hispanic Heritage Month Book Drive
Earlier this month we launched a Hispanic Heritage Book Drive to put books by Hispanic/Latinx authors, featuring Hispanic/Latinx characters and influential figures, into the hands of eager young readers in Lake County. The books will be donated to local elementary schools, increasing children’s access to books promoting a positive equity message.
If you’d like to support the book drive, you can make a gift below.
Celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month
LGBTQ+ History Month is in October and each year it is marked with events celebrating the history and achievements of the LGBTQ+ community. When the observance was started, it mainly served as a call to action for the movement and its prosperity. But over the years, LGBTQ+ History Month has evolved into a national collaborative effort to bring extraordinary figures from the LGBTQ+ community into the spotlight. At United Way of Lake County, we are celebrating by learning the history and are a sponsor of LGBTQ+ Center Lake County’s fall fundraiser.
At United Way, we celebrate unique and diverse identities and experiences. We believe that all people deserve fairness, justice and security. We create a welcoming environment in which everyone feels valued and respected. We commit to aligning our culture and business practices to advance diversity, equity and inclusion to better address our community’s needs.
We would like your opinions!
The Center for Governmental Studies at Northern Illinois University is conducting a survey to find out about awareness, usage, and opinions of a new service for Lake County individuals and families. The survey takes about 5 minutes to complete. The survey results will be used by the sponsor of the survey to help plan for the future of the service.
If your household is one of the limited number of households that is randomly selected to participate, please complete the survey. Your responses to the survey are very important to us. Your responses will be confidential. All information provided will be reported in summary form only. No information will be reported that will identify individual survey respondents.
Thank you for your participation.
Introducing Our Interns
We are excited to welcome our interns—Demetrius Nance, Humera Khaleel and Marissa Gomez!
Both Humera and Marissa are interns with our Success By 6 team. Humera’s work will be focused on Early Learning Clubs, Bright By Text, and Kindergarten Readiness Calendars. Marissa will be working with our Better Together families by providing necessary resources and assisting with kindergarten readiness. As part of our 211 team, Demetrius will be working in community engagement, focusing on Black and veteran communities.
Diversity, equity and inclusion are at the heart of what it means to LIVE UNITED.
We celebrate unique and diverse identities and experiences. We believe that all people deserve fairness, justice and security. We create a welcoming environment in which everyone feels valued and respected.
We commit to aligning our culture and business practices to advance diversity, equity and inclusion to better address our community’s needs.
View our anti-racism statement, goals and DEI Committee members below.
You’re Invited: Power of the Purse!
Join Women United on Sunday, November 7, for their signature fundraising event, Power of the Purse.
After an online event in 2020, we expect to be in person with CDC protocols in place. Those who attend the in-person event will enjoy a champagne brunch and a fun-filled afternoon of games, prizes, and special surprises. We will also have a virtual option again this year; an online buying and bidding shopping experience that includes dozens of designer bags, silent auction purses, baskets and items.
100% of all proceeds and items purchased will support early education programs in Lake County’s most vulnerable communities through our Little Kids, Big Futures Fund. Since 2014, Women United has distributed $850K to worthy nonprofits to ensure children living in Lake County’s most vulnerable communities are prepared for kindergarten and ready to succeed.
Whether you join us in person or online, you will have many opportunities to shop, support children’s education and have fun! Buy your ticket today!
Join Us Tomorrow to Celebrate Two Years of 211
We are proud to celebrate the second anniversary of 211 services for Lake County. Join with community leaders and stakeholders on September 23 to learn how 211 has grown to become a lifeline for people across the county seeking help meeting basic needs.
You’ll hear about 211’s measurable impact, data on community-specific needs, and the results we have seen in year two during this critical time of the pandemic. You’ll also hear stories of how 211 has made a real difference for community members, employers, agencies and local government. Marc L. Jones, Waukegan Township Supervisor, will moderate a panel of local leaders discussing how 211 more efficiently guides people to resources to help improve lives, including a more in-depth discussion on the top needs and solutions to address them.
Help us recognize the incredible support and collaboration of so many individuals, employers, community leaders and partners who have joined with us to bring this vital service to Lake County, and celebrate the results we’ve achieved together.
Women United Brightens a Waukegan School
Women United members recently took on an Early Learning Trail volunteer project at Clearview Elementary School in Waukegan. They painted paths marked by numbers, letters and shapes to help students at Clearview develop social, cognitive and kinesthetic skills in a playful and safe space. Thank you to all the women who braved the heat to make Clearview an even better place to learn and play!
Company Spotlight: Aon
Aon and United Way of Lake County have been working together to improve lives in Lake County for nearly a decade. We are grateful to the Aon colleagues who have volunteered their time on dozens of projects in our neighborhoods and schools—from creating and painting early learning trails at local schools to organizing school supply drives.
During this challenging year, Aon colleagues stepped up to support our School Supply Drive benefitting Waukegan Public Schools and other local school districts. Several colleague groups organized donations of school supplies and volunteered their time at a massive distribution event this past August. The participation of our partners helped us surpass our goal of 800 backpacks by almost double!
We are fortunate to have Aon’s Michelle Hansen, Senior Partner in Aon’s Wealth Solutions business, as a member of our board of directors and our Women United affinity group. Michelle’s energy and enthusiasm for our mission reflects how Aon colleagues represent the best of the firm by demonstrating a commitment to service that extends beyond their day-to-day business responsibilities.
We look forward to continuing our partnership with Aon on our shared goal to enrich and improve lives in Lake County.
If you would like to learn more about volunteering with your organization through United Way of Lake County, please contact Bobbi.Selvik@uwlakeco.org.
Launch a Workplace Giving Campaign
Change doesn’t happen alone. Your organization, large or small, can help us create a stronger Lake County through a United Way workplace campaign. Whether your campaign is virtual or in-person, we’ll provide you with the tools you need to plan, coordinate and implement a successful fundraising campaign.
Is your organization ready to LIVE UNITED? We’ll help you get started.
Get Involved with Leaders United
Leaders United is a caring group of young professionals committed to generosity and volunteerism in Lake County, IL. They are on a mission to engage young leaders in creating a positive impact in Lake County through giving, advocating and volunteering. Together, they support one another, have fun and strengthen our community!
This summer, we had the goal of collecting and distributing 1,000 backpacks full of school supplies to Waukegan Public School students. It took 90 volunteers more than 180 hours to organize the supplies and pack the backpacks, resulting in nearly 1,500 backpacks distributed!
We are thrilled to have such dedicated supporters who helped us every step of the way—by providing supply and monetary donations as well as volunteering to pack, sort and distribute supplies. The School Supply Drive was a huge community effort, and we couldn’t have done it without their support.
Thank you to everyone who made this very special day a great success! Now more Waukegan Public School students are prepared to start in-person learning this Fall with all the supplies they need.
We are raising funds through August 31 to continue our outreach to assist students in neighboring communities. Learn more here.
211 Lake County has reached 100,000 contacts milestone!
United Way of Lake County’s 211 has reached the 100,000 contacts milestone, demonstrating its vital role in connecting people seeking help and support in Lake County to available resources. In less than two years following its launch, the community has embraced this new service as Lake County’s one-stop shop for help, and awareness continues to grow.
211 is an easy-to-remember, three-digit number that connects people to expert, caring help, including the best local resources. The information and referral service accesses a database of more than 1,500 health and human service organizations serving our community, as well as federal, state and local aid.
211 is multilingual with English and Spanish speaking staff, as well as an interpretation service for over 150 languages. Two-way texting is available in English and Spanish. It’s always open, always confidential, and always free.
Anyone needing help in Lake County can connect to 211 by dialing 2-1-1, texting their zip code to 898211, or visiting the website at 211LakeCounty.org.
Launch a Workplace Giving Campaign
Change doesn’t happen alone. Your organization, large or small, can help us create a stronger Lake County through a United Way workplace campaign. Whether your campaign is virtual or in-person, we’ll provide you with the tools you need to plan, coordinate and implement a successful fundraising campaign.
Is your organization ready to LIVE UNITED? We’ll help you get started.
Celebrate the Second Anniversary of 211 in Lake County
United Way of Lake County is proud to celebrate the second anniversary of 211 services for Lake County. Join with community leaders and stakeholders to learn how 211 has grown to become a lifeline for people across the county seeking help meeting basic needs.
You’ll hear about 211’s measurable impact, data on community-specific needs, and the results we have seen in year two during this critical time of the pandemic. You’ll also hear stories of how 211 has made a real difference for community members, employers, agencies and local government. Marc Jones, Waukegan Township Supervisor, will moderate a panel of local leaders discussing how 211 more efficiently guides people to resources to help improve lives, including a more in-depth discussion on the top needs and solutions to address them.
Help us recognize the incredible support and collaboration of so many individuals, employers, community leaders and partners who have joined with us to bring this vital service to Lake County, and celebrate the results we’ve achieved together.
Now Available: Kindergarten Readiness Calendars
Our bilingual Kindergarten Readiness Calendars are now available! They are free, a great resource for families, designed for preschool-age children and filled with activities to help families get ready for the first day of kindergarten. Many local libraries have these calendars available, so contact your library to see if you can pick one up.
You can also place an order to pick up calendars at our office using our online order form. They come in a box of 50. Indicate what time you would like to pick up your calendars in the “additional comments” section of the form. Pick-ups are available Mondays from 8:30-10:30am & 11:30am-1:30pm or Tuesday-Thursday by appointment only. Pick up at UWLC’s office: 330 S. Greenleaf St, Gurnee, IL.
We know that bringing new, vibrant members into the fold is the lifeblood of Women United. We want to connect with women who are starting or ramping up their careers or staying home with children, so we launched the Step Up Program.
Women 36 years old and under are eligible to participate in the Step Up Program by incrementally increasing their gift over a three-year period while enjoying membership benefits right away.
KCC Coordinator Spotlight: Stephanie Guadarrama
Here at United Way, we are fortunate to work with some of the most service-oriented and compassionate people. Today, we’d like to spotlight Stephanie Guadarrama, who has helped coordinate Kindergarten Countdown Camp (KCC), our free summer learning program for incoming kindergarten students with little to no preschool experience. KCC prepares students for a successful start in kindergarten. Students adjust to the classroom setting, practice following directions and rules, and practice key kindergarten skills such as recognizing shapes, letters, counting, and writing their names.
Read on to learn more about KCC and why the program is so important to the children and families involved, all from Stephanie’s perspective.
Company Spotlight: Baxter
Baxter’s Northern Illinois Finance Community recently partnered with us again for a week of volunteer projects, which provided 100 hours of service back into the Lake County community!
United Way coordinated projects with several community partners and Baxter volunteers stepped up to make an incredible impact. Volunteers provided support to COOL Ministries’ Food Pantry and Northern Illinois Food Bank by helping sort and organize food for distribution, they helped beautify the grounds at Lambs Farm, and they assisted GiveNKind with a digital project where they cataloged goods that have been distributed to other area nonprofits.
A huge thank you to all the Baxter volunteers—your impact on Lake County is outstanding!
If you would like to learn more about volunteering with your organization through United Way of Lake County, please contact Bobbi.Selvik@uwlakeco.org.
Intern Spotlight: Eric Jones
We are excited to welcome Eric Jones, our newest intern! We love getting to introduce new people to the work we do at United Way of Lake County. As part of our 211 team, Eric is helping set up a new site on Power BI so that more people can easily access data collected from 211. Learn more about Eric below.
Because Kids Don’t Come With Instructions
United Way of Lake County has partnered with Bright by Text to provide parents and caregivers of children prenatal to age 8 with information on child development plus local events and resources. We encourage you to try out this free service, and you can stop at any time.
When you sign up, you will receive text messages in English or Spanish that are specific to your child’s age and include local community resources targeted by your zip code. Bright by Text messages include research-based content on child development and learning, as well as information about valuable community services and events happening right here in Lake County.
To sign up, text “UWLC” to 274448; or by completing this simple form.
