16 May

School Year in Review: Career Speakers

Many students in our community often times do not have the resources available to gain exposure from professional role models essential for developing career interests. Through our Stay in School program, we aim to help bridge that gap by coordinating Career Speakers to visit with small groups of Waukegan students. Career Speakers are successful local professionals who demonstrate the value of staying in school and illustrate the direct connection between academics and future success.

We focus our Career Speaker efforts on two specific student groups at Abbott Middle School in Waukegan; Young Ladies of Distinction and Young Men of Vision. These two organizations share the goal of closing the achievement gap by working to increase the amount of students who graduate and progress to their next level of education. This past school year, several volunteer speakers came to visit with these two student groups. Read on to learn more about each Career Speaker.

Young Ladies of Distinction

Carlotta Roman

Training Manager VCI Academy at VW Credit

Carlotta Roman went above and beyond as a Career Speaker. During her visit, she connected with the young ladies (pictured above) and helped them find what inspires them.

Karin Lowery

Chairperson and Second Vice-President & Actuary of Trustmark Companies

Karin Lowery shared her experience working at Trustmark Companies.

Dr. Sherry Pray

Chiropractor at Lake Forest Family Chiro PC

Dr. Sherry Pray shared her experience as a chiropractor. A life size model of the human spine was used so that Dr. Pray could demonstrate her profession in front of the girls.

Cinthya Barrera

Engineering Plant Manager at Procter & Gamble

Cinthya Barrera discussed her experience working at Procter & Gamble as well as her career journey.

Kimberly Taylor Smith

Director of Employee and Community Engagement at AbbVie

Kimberly Taylor Smith spoke about her move to Georgia, and then to New York, all by herself.

Susie Lees

Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary at Allstate

Susie Lees told her personal story of success in front of the group. The message she wanted the girls to take away from her story was on the importance of working hard, being respectful and not letting fear hold them back.

Kenji Kuykendall

Senior Manager, Site Communications & Engagement at Pfizer, Inc.

Kenji Kuykendall spent part of her day with the girls to share her experience working as a senior manager at Pfizer, Inc.

Adilene Dominguez

Becton, Dickinson and Company

Adilene Dominguez shared her personal success story with the Young Ladies of Distinction and encouraged the girls to stay motivated and work hard.

Young Men of Vision

LeBaron Moten

Deputy of Facilities and Support Services for the Waukegan School District

LeBaron Moten spoke to the students about the importance of active listening and how they can respond to information when they take time to process it.

Sum Cunningham

Mayor of Waukegan

Mayor Cunningham met with the student members to talk about leadership. While he was there, he also shared details of the history of Waukegan, the qualities of great leaders and he reminded the students to stay committed to their goals.

Mike Zafirovski

Former President and CEO of Nortel, and former President and COO of Motorola

Mike shared his experience to the group about his big move from Macedonia to the United States and how he experienced adapting to a new environment. He also talked about his involvement with sports and how that shaped him as a leader.

Scott Jones

President & CEO of Cancer Treatment Centers of America at Midwestern Regional Medical Center.

Scott Jones spoke to the student members about hard work, goal-setting and the importance of having a positive attitude.

Bob Mayo

President & CEO of Mayo Consulting Group, and Vice Chairman Emeritus of Cancer Treatment Centers of America

Bob Mayo shared the story of his career journey with the students.

Demar Harris

Director of Programs and EEO Officer at Lake County Workforce Development

Demar Harris shared his personal success story to the group. He highlighted the importance to the development of a contingency plan in the working environment. Demar’s new mentee from the group is a young man named Jordan and he is an aspiring entrepreneur.

23 Oct

Photo Recap: UWLC Executive Forum

by Marketing DepartmentCategories: News

Here are photos recapping our UWLC Executive Forum held in October 2017 that included a panel discussion on technology’s role in business innovation.

To view the full photo album from our Executive Forum at Independence Grove, click here.

19 Oct

Event Recap: UWLC Executive Forum

by Marketing DepartmentCategories: News

On Wednesday, October 18th, United Way of Lake County hosted an Executive Forum at Independence Grove in Libertyville. Over 120 business executives and community members gathered to hear from a panel of industry leaders sharing insights on evolving technologies that have led to innovation in their industries.

Our Panelists Included:

Pictured from left to right: Vice Admiral (ret) Philip Cullom, Chief Innovation Officer (2014-2017), U.S. Navy, Jeff McRae, SVP – Strategy & Strategic Ventures, Allstate, Glenda Abbott, Director – Quality Assurance, Diagnostics Division, Abbott, Alex Wuerful, VP – Global Marketing and Commercial Operations, AbbVie and our Moderator, Dave Hoyt, Corporate VP, Daugherty Business Solutions.

Our objective for this event was to expand and inspire thinking about the technology and innovation evolving now and the development of our youth critical for tomorrow. Topics discussed included: Internet of Things (IoT), Digital Engagement, Big Data/Analytics and Cognitive Computing in various fields.

United Way’s Board Chairman, Andrew Warrington, shared how United Way of Lake County has broken from its traditional business model to shift its focus on developing programs to disrupt the cycle of poverty in Lake County, IL. As a result, United Way has developed more than a dozen unique and meaningful programs to address formerly unmet community needs. To learn more about our programs, click here.

18 Sep

Summer 2017: Donation Drives

by Marketing DepartmentCategories: News

Throughout the summer, companies and local organizations around Lake County hosted donation drives collecting items such as, school supplies, furniture, clothing and much more. United Way of Lake County was able to find a home for these donated items with local schools and community organizations to help children and families in need of these items. #VolunteersInAction

Pfizer

Pfizer held a professional clothing drive and donated the pieces to College of Lake County. Donated clothing will be given to students that attend workshops in which they will learn how to be a professional in the workforce as well as how to conduct themselves in interviews.

AbbVie

AbbVie’s Rova – T group stuffed animals and donated them to our Success by 6 Program’s Kindergarten Countdown Camp.

Medline Industries, Inc.

Medline Industries, Inc. donated school supplies to the Lake County School District.

Nike

The Nike Factory Store at Gurnee Mills Outlet Mall donated twice during the summer with various items that will be distributed to students in need across the county.

Rising Sun

Rising Sun’s Masonic Lodge donated 331 pounds of food and raised $134 for the Lord of Glory food pantry.

Guaranteed Rate

Guaranteed Rate donated school supplies to the Back-to-School Festival in Waukegan at Miguel Juarez Middle School.

Sysmex America

An effort to get children school supplies at Greenbay Elementary School in North Chicago, Sysmex America had their school supply drive in early August. Just in time for back-to-school season!

Marytown – The National Shrine of St. Maximilian Kolbe

From bookshelves to canopy tents, Marytown Shrine in Libertyville donated supplies to United Way of Lake County’s Better Together program at Greenbay Elementary School in North Chicago and other local organizations in Lake County! A shout out to MP Services for providing a truck for transportation..

Menards

Menards, located in Fox Lake, donated boxes full of school supplies to Little Fort Elementary School.

Aptar Group Inc.

Aptar Group Inc. donated school supplies to John Clark Elementary School in Waukegan. A motivated and fun group of employees took time out of their day to drive to Clark Elementary to drop off school supplies. While they were there, the students excitedly shared their academic goals with them.

MEDLINE and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago

Assistant Principals, Ms. Sheri Rosen & Ms. Holly Kaprosy graciously accepted school supplies that were donated by MEDLINE & Catholic Charities. They were thrilled to see a variety of backpacks and school supplies that the students at West Elementary School in Zion will be able to use immediately.

Protective Asset Protection

Protective Asset Protection located in Bannockburn, Illinois for donating school supplies to Carman-Buckner Elementary School in Waukegan!

18 Sep

United Way Days Recap: August – September 2017

by Marketing DepartmentCategories: News

Summer is coming to an end, but that hasn’t stopped the following companies from volunteering their time revitalizing school grounds, supporting local organizations and making the community a cleaner environment. We would like to thank and recognize these companies for encouraging their employees to take time out of their workday to create lasting change in Lake County on our United Way Days recap blog! #VolunteersInAction

O.C. Tanner

On August 14, a group of employees from O.C. Tanner and their families spent the day creating an Early Learning Trail for students at West Elementary School in Zion.

Baxter International – Finance Volunteer Week

To start off Baxter’s volunteer week on August 14, a group of employees went to the Native Seed Nursery at Rollins Savanna Forest Preserve to collect native seeds and assist with weeding seed beds. The seeds that the group collected will be used to restore preserves across Lake County.

A group of Baxter employees spent the afternoon at Captain James A. Lovell Jr. Federal Health Care Center – VA in North Chicago. There the volunteers helped organize games such as Bingo for nursing home veterans on August 14.

On August 15, a group of Baxter employees spent the morning with NorthPointe Resources to help add beauty to a group home where people with disabilities live. Volunteers helped with the general yard work clean-up such as weeding, trimming, and spreading mulch.

Early afternoon on August 15, a group of Baxter employees volunteered to help the Northern Illinois Food Bank in Park City with sorting, labeling and packing items such as frozen meat, oatmeal, produce and more!

A group of Baxter employees went to the south unit of the State Beach Park to assist with a beach cleanup on August 16.

On August 17, another group of Baxter employees volunteered at Northern Illinois Food Bank in Park City. The efforts that the volunteers do will help NIFB to be able to distribute the product to their network partners.

To end Baxter’s volunteer week, a group of employees went to A Safe Place, an emergency shelter, on August 18. Volunteers helped clean and throw out unused items, and also created a more welcoming environment to serve their clients.

United Way of Lake County

On August 21, a group of United Way of Lake County employees put on their LIVE UNITED t-shirts and served as volunteers at the welcome back picnic for the Waukegan Public School District teachers and staff that was held at the Waukegan High School – Washington Campus. They were also joined by volunteers from the Navy and the community.

United Way of Lake County employees served as bilingual volunteers for Catholic Charities’ Christmas Gift Program. The volunteers helped with the intake process and translated the Christmas wishes for the families. The program provides gifts to needy families, children and seniors throughout Lake County by matching the needs of the disadvantaged with individual donors, churches, corporate donors, schools and other donor groups.

Hollister Incorporated

A group of Hollister employees spent their afternoon at Captain James A. Lovell Jr. Federal Health Care Center – VA to help organize Bingo for nursing home veterans on August 24.

ITW – Buehler

On September 14, ITW-Buehler employees volunteered at the Northern Illinois Food Bank in Park City to help organize packaged goods to be sent out to the organization’s network partners.

15 Sep

Bear Down: United Way’s Partnership with the NFL

by Marketing DepartmentCategories: News

At United Way of Lake County, we believe that preparing children to thrive in school is the best way to disrupt poverty. That’s why we engage in activities that are focused on ensuring children are ready for their first day of school, students are reading at grade level, and that youth is graduating from high school with a plan for their future.

We appreciate the time you’ve spent with us to learn more about United Way of Lake County and our mission to build a stronger community for generations to come.

This past Sunday United Way of Lake County staff had a table at the Chicago Bears home opener game against the Atlanta Falcons. Our staff passed on materials on United Way’s education programs and also held a raffle for a football autographed by Offensive Lineman, Kyle Long.

For over forty years, the NFL and United Way have partnered to strengthen communities across America. As the longest running collaboration between a major sports league and a nonprofit — the partnership provides a powerful vehicle for change in communities. Locally, United Way of Lake County and the Chicago Bears joined forces to create opportunities that encourage young people to get active and maintain healthy relationships.

Thank you Chicago Bears for having us and we look forward to continuing to work with you!

17 Aug

United Way Days Recap: July 2017

by Marketing DepartmentCategories: News

This summer, companies have been busy volunteering their time revitalizing school grounds, reading to preschoolers and assembling literacy kits for children in the community. We would like to thank and recognize the following companies for encouraging their employees to take time out of their workday to create lasting change in Lake County! #VolunteersInAction

Baxter International

Kindergarten Countdown Camp had pleasant surprise when Baxter interns came by on June 29 to be the children’s Reading Buddies for the day at Lyon Magnet Elementary School in Waukegan.

Abbott

On July 14, a group of employees from Abbott spent their day repainting an Early Learning Trail for the students of Whittier Elementary School in Waukegan.

ITW Construction

Employees from ITW spent the day at Lyon Magnet Elementary School in Waukegan to revamp the school’s Early Learning Trail and painted their Peace Room on August 1.

Women’s Leadership Council of United Way of Lake County

On August 4, a group of members from our Women’s Leadership Council went to Elmwood Elementary in Zion to spend the day to revamp their Early Learning Trail.

12 Jul

United Way Days Recap: June 2017

by Marketing DepartmentCategories: News

During the month of June, several companies have been busy volunteering their time revitalizing school grounds, reading to preschoolers and assembling literacy kits for our Kindergarten Countdown Camps. We would like to thank and recognize Aon, BMO Harris, Quill and Snap-On Credit employees for taking time out of their workday to create lasting change in Lake County. Scroll down to view the United Way Days that took place at the start of the summer.

Snap-On Credit

On June 7th, a group of employees from Snap-On Credit spent their day repainting an Early Learning Trail for the students of Carman-Buckner Elementary School.

Aon

On June 13th, employees from Aon tended the school garden and repainted an Early Learning Trail for students to learn and play on at Greenwood Elementary.

BMO Harris

On June 14th, BMO Harris employees devoted their time to pack and decorate early learning material kits for this year’s Early Learning Clubs at the BMO Harris Call Center in Buffalo Grove.

Quill

Quill.com Customer Service Team members volunteered to prepare and decorate 150 literacy kits for the students to use this summer at our Kindergarten Countdown Camp.

25 Jan

Holiday Donation Drives

by Marketing DepartmentCategories: News

“You make a living by what you get; you make a life by what you give”

December is the time of the year when snowy neighborhoods dazzle with lights, Christmas trees display in the front window with gifts and families decorate their lawns with lights. Between all of the celebrations, this time of the year always inspire us to give back to those in need with everything that is important in their life – warm clothes for winter, food for holiday meals, books and gifts for children.

This past holiday, several companies and organizations brought many smiles to the community through the spirit of giving:

Aptar’s Food Drive for Libertyville Township Food Pantry

Associated Bank’s School Uniform Drive for Carman-Buckner Elementary

Fresenius Kidney Care’s Winter Clothing Drive for One Hope United

Fuji American Corporation’s Holiday Donation Drive for Glenwood Elementary

Pfizer Inc.’s Toy Drive for A Safe Place

United Way of Lake County’s Winter Clothing Drive for Oakdale Elementary

There are a few companies that held donation drives without photos, but we’d definitely like to thank AbbVie, BMO Harris Call Center and LG Electronics for their generosity this holiday season!

There are several ways your company or organization can get involved to make lasting change in Lake County. Visit www.LIVEUNITEDlakecounty.org/for-companies to learn more.

16 Nov

Contributions from Baxter will Expand Home Visiting Program in Lake County

by Marketing DepartmentCategories: News

DEERFIELD, Ill., November 15/16, 2016 – United Way of Lake County will expand its high-impact program, Success By 6 Home Visiting, which provides at-risk children with early intervention services and healthcare to ensure they reach age-appropriate developmental milestones, with the support of a $25,000 contribution from Baxter International. The contribution will support a holistic approach to caring for families by providing a Home Visiting nurse and caseworker to perform safety assessments and wellness checks for more than 10 families.

Josephine, the family’s Home Visiting nurse, checks Jamileth’s blood pressure and weight. She coaches the family on diet, nutrition, portion sizes and physical activity. She assesses Jamileth’s gross and fine motor skills development. Josephine also monitors the health of Jamileth’s mom, Maria. Maria is pregnant and has diabetes. Maria says, “together, I feel we are moving forward as a team.”

More than 83 percent of Home Visiting families have a combined annual income of less than $29,999. Eligible families with infants and pre-school age children who are struggling with poverty, and who have limited access to health and community services, are assigned a Home Visiting caseworker and a nurse immediately upon their acceptance to the program. The consultation with Home Visiting staff is designed to improve developmental skills and healthcare needs that will prepare participating children for entry into school, and teach parents the skills to foster their child’s physical and intellectual growth.

“Baxter is dedicated to sustaining access to care in our local communities through engaging partnerships that meet critical health needs in a practical manner,” Alice Campbell, senior director, global community relations at Baxter, said. “This United Way program helps ensure these families receive access to quality care and services that will enhance the lives of both parent and child.”

Home Visiting nurses are registered nurses through the Lake County Health Department that will provide health assessments to identify health issues, provide health and nutrition education, assess activity levels, provide mental health screenings and monitor safety issues, as well as refer families to area dentists and other health services as needed. The caseworkers are professionals in social work, assessing each child’s mental and physical health, social and emotional development issues, and working with the children on evolving their academic and social skills to foster healthy development. The caseworkers also provide tools for parents to help keep their children engaged in academics in a creative manner at home.

Teachers report that children should be at least ‘in progress’ in key kindergarten readiness skills when starting school. When beginning the program, only 11 percent of children averaged ‘in progress’ in these skills, but by the end, 99 percent of children were ‘in progress’ or better in these skills.

Every other week Carolina, the Home Visiting caseworker, visits Adamaris’ home to help her develop the academic and social skills needed for kindergarten. Carolina works with Adamaris on identifying colors, writing her name, learning the letters of the alphabet and other core kindergarten readiness skills. During the visits, Carolina also coaches Adamaris’ mom, Devona, on the skills needed to foster the healthy development of her children. Devona says that Home Visiting “helps me learn teaching techniques and shows me how I can teach my children.” (Carolina left, Adamaris middle, Devona right)

Home Visiting is one of several Success By 6 initiatives designed to promote the healthy development of children to ensure they enter school ready to learn. The Success By 6 Program aims to improve both children’s cognitive skills, as well as their social and emotional development, with the understanding that a child’s ability to interact with peers and listen to direction is crucial to his or her learning trajectory and ability to read and write. Since 2006, the Success By 6 Program has expanded to reach multiple communities in Lake County, Illinois, including Waukegan, North Chicago, Round Lake and Zion.

“As a result of Baxter’s support, local low-income children will gain the skills they need to start kindergarten ready for success, and our highest-risk families will receive early intervention support that provides a stable foundation with lifelong benefits,” Kristi Long, president and CEO of United Way of Lake County, said. “Working with our partners, we can give our children the best chance to thrive in school so they can fulfill their dreams.”

In addition to the Success By 6 Program, Baxter has supported United Way of Lake County through various contributions for more than 40 years, impacting and improving overall access to care for hundreds of thousands of lives in Lake County.

Media Contacts:

Sarah Campos, (847) 775-1038
sarah.campos@uwlakeco.org
Jori Fine, (224) 948-5166
media@baxter.com

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Tag: Corporate Support

Young Ladies of Distinction

Carlotta Roman

Training Manager VCI Academy at VW Credit

Karin Lowery

Chairperson and Second Vice-President & Actuary of Trustmark Companies

Dr. Sherry Pray

Chiropractor at Lake Forest Family Chiro PC

Cinthya Barrera

Engineering Plant Manager at Procter & Gamble

Kimberly Taylor Smith

Director of Employee and Community Engagement at AbbVie

Susie Lees

Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary at Allstate

Kenji Kuykendall

Senior Manager, Site Communications & Engagement at Pfizer, Inc.

Adilene Dominguez

Becton, Dickinson and Company

Young Men of Vision

LeBaron Moten

Deputy of Facilities and Support Services for the Waukegan School District

Sum Cunningham

Mayor of Waukegan

Mike Zafirovski

Former President and CEO of Nortel, and former President and COO of Motorola

Scott Jones

President & CEO of Cancer Treatment Centers of America at Midwestern Regional Medical Center.

Bob Mayo

President & CEO of Mayo Consulting Group, and Vice Chairman Emeritus of Cancer Treatment Centers of America

Demar Harris

Director of Programs and EEO Officer at Lake County Workforce Development

Our Panelists Included:

Pfizer

AbbVie

Medline Industries, Inc.

Nike

Rising Sun

Guaranteed Rate

Sysmex America

Marytown – The National Shrine of St. Maximilian Kolbe

Menards

Aptar Group Inc.

MEDLINE and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago

Protective Asset Protection

O.C. Tanner

Baxter International – Finance Volunteer Week

United Way of Lake County

Hollister Incorporated

ITW – Buehler

Baxter International

Abbott

ITW Construction

Women’s Leadership Council of United Way of Lake County

Snap-On Credit

Aon

BMO Harris

Quill