Voices United: A Celebration of MLK Jr.

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, we partnered with McCall Elementary in Waukegan to host a new reading event—Voices United: A Celebration of MLK. Black community leaders from across Lake County were invited to read to the students. Each book provided a unique opportunity for meaningful discussions focused on and around the work of Dr. King.

Thank you to all our wonderful volunteers who came out to participate in this event. The students were very engaged! Whether in person or virtual, your presence and service were felt throughout the school. Also, we are so grateful to McCall School for working with us to host this joyous event. Through meaningful partnerships like this, we strive to continue to create positive impacts throughout Lake County.

Year-End Campaign Raises $173K!

At the end of 2022, we raised funds for our education programs and 211 helpline. Thanks to the generosity of many individuals and foundations, we raised $173K! That amount includes a $10K matching gift from our sponsor, Healthcare Foundation of Northern Lake County. Thank you to our supporters for making it possible for us to have an even bigger impact on our local community. Now more local children will be prepared to succeed in school and more of our neighbors will get connected to critical resources.

Women United’s New Manager: Jessica Ceisel

We are pleased to announce that Jessica Ceisel is the new Manager of our Women United affinity group!

Jessica has spent the last year at United Way as a Community Engagement Coordinator working closely with community partners, both corporate and social service agencies, to create meaningful community engagement experiences. Her background is in education, and she’s taught in the very Lake County communities Women United is serving. She’s also personally involved with medical advocacy at the legislative level through the Wisconsin Hospital Association and patient advocacy through Harmony 4 Hope, Children’s Wisconsin, and the Children’s Miracle Network.

We know Jessica will lead Women United toward their goals of strengthening the community through philanthropy, leadership and volunteerism while creating a meaningful sense of belonging for all members. Women United is a critical community within our organization and their work supports our mission by focusing on early education.

To learn more about Jessica and her role, click below.

Learn About Women United on Your Lunch Break

Are you looking for new ways to connect to amazing women in our community, new opportunities to volunteer and socialize, or new ways to make a measurable difference for those underserved in Lake County? Please join Women United on Tuesday, February 21 from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. on Zoom for a prospective member Lunch & Learn.

Women United mobilizes more than 130 amazing women to help ensure that all children living in Lake County have an equal opportunity to start school ready to succeed. In addition to caring deeply about this collective effort, we have a vibrant calendar of social, volunteer and philanthropic events to make it fun and doable regardless of your busy schedule.

Company Spotlight: Amcor

This month we are spotlighting our partner, Amcor, a global packaging company. Amcor’s North American headquarters is based in Deerfield, IL. Since 2019, Amcor employees have generously donated both their time and money to support our community. For example, in October 2022, Amcor employees created snack packs for students in the Diamond Lake School District after school program. The volunteers also created cards with jokes and drawings to include in each pack in hopes of spreading joy and laughter to the students.

We asked Amcor why they choose to partner with us and this is what they said:

“As a proud supporter of United Way for many years, I believe their impact on our communities has improved the lives of many people through its funding of local agencies, programs and services. Together, we at Amcor can help all of our communities become more healthy, safe and thriving for everyone.”
–Fred Stephen, President, Amcor Flexibles North America

Thank you, Amcor, for partnering with us to strengthen our Lake County community for all who live and work here.

If you’re interested in joining Amcor and other companies to create a successful workplace campaign or volunteer opportunity, please reach out.