Celebrating Read Across America

In early March, community and corporate volunteers gathered to share the joy of reading with students at Howe Elementary in Beach Park and at Pleviak Elementary in Lake Villa.

The volunteers read stories that amplified this year’s theme, Bringing Communities Together, in both English and Spanish. Each reader shared about their jobs and roles in the community. Then all the books were given to the teachers so that they could continue to grow their classroom libraries.

Teachers love this interaction because it helps to provide a model of reading fluency, introduces new vocabulary, and helps to increase attention spans in our young learners. Our readers also help children see themselves in books, feel validated and confident, and have pride in their experiences and cultures.

Thank you to all our incredible volunteer readers for sharing their love of reading with these students! View photos from both events below.

Register for Kindergarten Countdown Camp

Kindergarten Countdown Camp (KCC) is our free summer learning program for children entering kindergarten this fall who have little to no preschool experience. Children who attend KCC will adjust to the classroom setting, practice following directions and rules, and practice key kindergarten skills. KCC is a great opportunity to get your child prepared to succeed in kindergarten.

Registration is now open for students in the Beach Park, Round Lake and Waukegan school districts. KCC in Beach Park runs from June 5 – 22, Round Lake runs from June 5 – 29, and Waukegan runs from June 5 – 29.

Interested? Fill out the form for your school district at the link below.

Another Successful Year of Mentoring Middle Schoolers

Leaders United, our affinity group of young professionals, recently wrapped up another successful year of their mentoring program called Breakfast Club with the 8th graders at Robert Abbott Middle School in Waukegan.

The students were eager to participate in each session and the conversations were meaningful. They engaged in discussions around topics to support mental wellness and social-emotional learning. We are proud that these students are leaving middle school with more of the tools they need to successfully overcome obstacles as they transition into high school.

To celebrate the students and prepare them for their next steps, each student was gifted with Waukegan High School spirit wear. Each student was also given a journal to keep track of their journey and earbuds to use for their assessments and testing. We are wishing these students much success in high school and beyond!

Thank you to Medline for your support of this program!

Women United’s Corporate Future Leaders of Color Closes Inaugural Year On a High Note

The eleven strong women who took the risk to join the first-ever cohort of Women United’s Corporate Future Leaders of Color program celebrated the end of a wonderful year with their mentors and other United Way supporters on March 14.

The program offered networking, community service, leadership, social, and mentorship opportunities to these women whose companies sponsored their $1,000 investment in Women United. Through a community service project sponsored by AbbVie, one-on-one personalized mentoring meetings, and a series of unique Success Seminars focused on strengths, these leaders grew in their confidence to step into their own leadership professionally and in the community.

Everyone involved enjoyed and learned so much from the program, and Women United is proud to announce they’ll launch a second cohort this coming fall. If you’d like to be a cohort member, mentor, or if you’re a business leader who wishes to invest in one of your up-and-coming women of color, please reach out to Jessica Ceisel at Jessica.Ceisel@uwlakeco.org.

Help Us Win $15K!

Help us win up to $15K from Old National Bank! Old National is donating $500K to community nonprofits in Illinois, Iowa, Northwest Indiana and select areas of Southeast Wisconsin. Use the link below to vote for United Way of Lake County once a day thru March 31!

Black History Month Reading Day in Waukegan

In honor of Black History Month, Great Lakes Credit Union (GLCU) partnered with us to coordinate a special reading day at North Elementary in Waukegan. This event brought GLCU readers into classrooms to share stories that celebrated Black characters, culture and traditions. GLCU sponsored all the books, which were given to the school after the event. Each student also received a copy of the book “Nigel and the Moon” to take home to build their at-home book collection and encourage reading outside of school.

Thank you, GLCU, for being such a strong supporter of Black History Month and our Lake County community!

Aon Serving the Community

In celebration of Women’s History Month, Aon volunteers spent time at Keeping Families Covered where they collected items to share with local families. During their time on site, the volunteers helped with packing diapers and sorting clothing in preparation for future community distributions.

Aon is also gearing up for their Employee Giving Campaign next month. Since 1996, Aon employees have been generous supporters not only with their donations but also with their time. Aon continues to be a great supporter of our work and events.

Thank you to Aon and all the Aon volunteers for taking the time to support our Lake County families! We would also like to thank Michelle Hansen, Senior Partner at Aon and UWLC Board Member, for helping to coordinate this wonderful volunteer event.

Honoring Gale Graves’ Impact

Gale Graves, our VP of Community Impact, was recently honored as a local hero for her work in breaking barriers and impacting the next generation of African American leaders in Lake County. Congratulations, Gale! Thank you to the scholars at Affirm Leadership Christian Academy for recognizing Gale’s impact in the community.

We’re Hiring: 211 Manager

We are seeking an innovative individual passionate about serving others to develop and lead a team in ensuring that 211 Lake County excels in the delivery of referral services and information to the residents of Lake County. The 211 Manager will be responsible for ensuring that 211 Lake County provides a positive experience for individuals, non-profit organizations and government agencies and is a valued partner to stakeholders throughout the county.