On June 10, we had the pleasure of sponsoring and participating in the LGBTQ+ Center’s PrideFest in Round Lake Beach, alongside many of our community partners. On June 17, we also had the opportunity to join in Waukegan’s Pride Drive, hosted by Waukegan Friends.
While celebrating progress, we understand how far we still have to go. Across the country, the LGBTQ+ community continues to face challenges, inequities and discrimination. If you are someone whom an LGBTQ+ person trusts with their whole selves, your encouragement matters and your love makes a difference.
Celebrating Freedom on Juneteenth
United Way of Lake County gathered with the community on Saturday at the Juneteenth Festival of Lake County. Our staff and Board members participated in the Black Expo to share education opportunities and a wide range of health resources, financial assistance, employment services and more available through 211.
In celebration of Juneteenth, we honor the present and reflect on our shared history and tradition. Together, we are building a brighter, equitable future for everyone in our community to thrive.
Painting a Brighter Future
Volunteers from Great Lakes Credit Union and Snap-on Credit joined us this month to paint and revitalize the Early Learning Trails at two elementary schools in Waukegan.
Early Learning Trails are publicly accessible outdoor learning games designed to develop children’s academic readiness and encourage active movement and play. The brightly painted trails marked by numbers, letters and shapes help children develop social, cognitive, and kinesthetic skills in a fun and safe space.
Thanks to our wonderful volunteers and generous partners, children in Lake County have access to dozens of these trails. View our list of Early Learning Trail and Sensory Path locations around Lake County by clicking below.
Register for Kindergarten Countdown Camp in Zion
Kindergarten Countdown Camp (KCC) is our free summer learning program for students entering kindergarten this fall who have limited preschool experience. There are a few spots available for students in the Zion School District. KCC in Zion runs from July 10–20 (Monday–Thursday), 8:00 a.m.–Noon, and is located at Elmwood Elementary School.
Students 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.
This month we are spotlighting FedEx, a great partner of United Way of Lake County. Since 2017, FedEx employees have generously donated both their time and money to support our community. For example, just this month, an amazing group from FedEx sponsored and installed a new Sensory Path at Oak Crest School in Beach Park.
Sensory Paths are colorful and engaging pathways used by children to explore a variety of sensory experiences. These indoor paths are a great tool to help children develop motor skills, self-regulation, balance, hand-eye coordination, and spatial awareness in a playful, safe space.
The group went above and beyond by bringing in the fantastic vendor, School Specialty, who generously donated another Sensory Path at Kenneth Murphy School in Beach Park, which FedEx installed this month as well. This collaboration has genuinely touched our hearts and will have a lasting impact on the students there.
Thank you, FedEx, for partnering with us to strengthen our Lake County community for all who live and work here. If you want to join FedEx and other companies to create a successful workplace campaign or volunteer opportunity, please reach out.
Help Us Stuff the Bus!
Each year, kids across Lake County go back to school lacking the supplies needed to succeed in school. The price for essential supplies is increasing and many families struggle to afford everything on their child’s school supply list.
But together, we can make a difference!
Join our Stuff the Bus community school supply drive! By providing students with new school supplies, you’ll be helping prepare them for their academic studies, build their self-esteem and set them up for success. This is a cause worth getting involved in and we hope you’ll take part!
Now through August 15, you can contribute as an individual or your company can team up to make a difference! You can donate school supplies, make an online donation, or help us spread the word.
UW Board Member and Women United Leader Selected for the WU Global Leadership Council
Patrice Maloney-Knauff, a long-time devoted board member for United Way Lake County and founding member and leader of Women United Lake County, has been elected to the Women United Global Leadership Council.
We are so appreciative and proud of Patrice for her committed service. She will serve as one of 14 members of the Council from across the U.S. and Canada, focusing on mobilizing the power of Women United to fight for the health, education, and financial stability of every person in our local communities. Duties include providing strategic recommendations to United Way Worldwide and sharing effective practices throughout Women United.
Patrice’s initial term is for three years, which includes monthly meetings including two in person annually. She and our Manager of Donor Engagement and Women United, Jessica Ceisel, attended the first in-person session in Houston just last month. Congratulations and thank you, Patrice!
Announcing United Way of Lake County’s Core Values
As United Way of Lake County continues to grow, evolve and transform to best serve the changing environment and needs of our Lake County community, we recognize it’s important to redefine our organization’s core values and the commitments that help create our desired culture and guide our decision-making and actions.
UWLC’s core values represent our identity and reflect who we are and how we want to be recognized both internally and externally. They are the foundation upon which our culture continues to thrive and will help us achieve long-term success.
These core values define what’s important to us at UWLC:
IMPACT. We deliver measurable programs to build a strong, equitable community where everyone can thrive.
RESPECT. We lead with integrity and foster an inclusive and diverse culture where everyone feels appreciated, safe and heard.
COLLABORATION. We leverage the expertise and experience of our staff, volunteers and partners to achieve shared goals and multiply our impact.
INNOVATION. We cultivate an environment that encourages thoughtful, creative and inspirational actions that lead to effective solutions.
OPTIMISM. We are enthusiastic and positive about our work and celebrate our successes.
Our process for getting here was based on input from the entire organization, including board members, management team and staff, to not only articulate a set of core values but also any operational changes needed. We are so proud of what we do to help unite and strengthen our Lake County community and are incorporating these values into our daily lives to truly live by them.
This month we introduced our new Board Chair,
Joe Garnett, and thanked our previous Board Chair, Mark Schweitzer, for his leadership. We also welcomed J. Kevin Hunter, Lake County Board Member, to our Board of Directors, and Jesus Ruiz, Dean of Lakeshore Campus, College of Lake County, who has rejoined our board and we are delighted to have him back!
A special thank you to outgoing board members, Nancy Coolley, Monica Burmeister, Patrice Maloney-Knauff (pictured on the right), and Capt. Jason J. Williamson, for their dedicated service.
Flip Through Our 2022 Annual Report
United Way of Lake County is pleased to share our 2022 Annual Report. Flip through to see the collective impact you help make possible.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to every donor, volunteer, corporate and community partner who helps us build a stronger Lake County community!
In special recognition of United Way of Lake County’s 211, the Lake County Board, as well as the City of Waukegan, Village of Gurnee, and City of Zion, have all proclaimed February 11 as “211 Day”! We are grateful to our local government partners for their generous support of our 211 service, as well as the many other partners and individuals who have contributed to help make 211 a reality for our community.
211 has already made a tremendous impact, making nearly 200,000 connections to essential health and human services. 211 Day is a wonderful opportunity to continue to raise awareness of this vital service to improve and save lives here in Lake County.
We invite you to help us spread the word about 211. Check out our social media channels for posts to share and visit 211LakeCounty.org for more information and materials.
Help Create and Revitalize Our Early Learning Trails
As we look ahead to spring and warmer days, we are looking for volunteers to create and revitalize our Early Learning Trails (ELTs) across Lake County. ELTs are publicly accessible outdoor learning games designed to develop children’s academic readiness and encourage active movement and play. The brightly painted trails marked by numbers, letters and shapes help children develop social, cognitive, and kinesthetic skills in a fun and safe space.
Thanks to the generosity of our corporate and community sponsors, children in Lake County have access to dozens of these trails. If you’re interested in creating or revitalizing an ELT with your organization, please contact Bobbi.Selvik@uwlakeco.org.
Because Kids Don’t Come With Instructions
Bright by Text is a great free resource for anyone looking to receive activities, child development information and other tools to assist in their parenting journey. This national texting program’s messages include topics like brain development, health and wellness, STEM, safety and more. The content comes from trusted partners like PBS and Sesame Street and is available in English and Spanish.
It’s easy to sign up. Simply text “UWLC” to 274-448. We only ask for your child’s birth date and zip code. That way, you’ll get messages timed to their exact age and information about local events and resources, including information about our very own early education programs. We will never share your information.
Young Professionals Who Make a Difference
Want to create positive change in your community while connecting and having fun with other young professionals? Leaders United of Lake County is a group within United Way that provides opportunities such as mentoring local middle school students, volunteer projects, building leadership experience, networking with community leaders, and more.
In celebration of Better Together being back in session for spring, we would like to share a story about a boy who attended our program named David.
When David was just one year old, David’s mom, Lia, knew how important it was to spend time educating David, so she signed up for United Way of Lake County’s Better Together program. Better Together is for North Chicago families with children birth to three years old. Through Better Together, parents can learn how to become their child’s first teacher and the program provides a safe place where children can develop the readiness, physical and cognitive skills crucial to their education.
David engaged in the weekly program, learning, playing, and exploring. It fostered David’s love of learning and helped to prepare David for success in school. Lia shared that “Better Together helped shape David’s development and prepared him for school in so many ways. David is so smart and detail oriented. He already knows his multiplication!”
When we give children a solid educational foundation, they are better prepared to succeed in school and life. David is well on his way—on his path to success.
Welcome, Angela Ramirez!
Angela Ramirez recently joined our United Way family as Community Engagement Coordinator. Angela comes to us with over three decades of experience in Family and Community Engagement and Bilingual Education within a local school district. In her new role, Angela will assist with our community and volunteer projects.
Get to know Angela—her favorite part of her job, what she does in her free time, and more—by clicking below.
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!
