211 to Officially Launch September 24

You’re invited to celebrate the official launch of United Way of Lake County’s 211 on Tuesday, September 24 from 7:30 – 9:30 a.m. at Independence Grove Visitor Center (16400 West Buckley Road, Libertyville). We’re proud to celebrate the official launch of 211 services for our community! 211 will go live on September 24 for everyone in Lake County.

Join us over breakfast to learn how 211 is transforming the way United Way of Lake County helps thousands of individuals and families connect with essential health and human services.

Jackie Bange with WGN-TV will moderate a panel of local leaders discussing how 211 more efficiently connects people in need to a wide range of available resources to improve and save lives.

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 our community.

For more information, contact Cynthia Zimmerman at Cynthia.Zimmerman@uwlakeco.org.

Local media will be covering this event.

Space is limited!

General Admission: $25
Table of 10: $250

Daily Herald Front Page Features ‘Success By 6’

On July 30, United Way of Lake County’s Success By 6 program was featured on the front page of the Daily Herald. The article spotlighted our work in the Round Lake area, including our Kindergarten Countdown Camps.

Find out how United Way’s programs are preparing at-risk kids in Lake County to begin school ready to succeed.

‘Stuff the Bus’ Exceeds Expectations

Our Stuff the Bus school supply drive was a major success! A huge THANK YOU to all the individuals and organizations that collected and donated supplies and/or gave monetary donations to our school supply drive! And a huge thank you to all the volunteers who picked up and/or helped sort the supplies!

As of today, we’ve collected a total of 861 backpacks! We would like to thank Carolina Fabian and Eric Thompson from Waukegan Public Schools as well as Illinois Central School Bus for providing the two buses that collected all the corporate donations on July 26. It was such a fun day!

On August 10, Stuff the Bus was able to provide 714 backpacks to support Waukegan Public School’s Back to School Resource Fair.

View photos from Stuff the Bus by clicking below.

Sip & Shop with Women United

You’re invited to Women United‘s Sip & Shop event at the Jade & Renee boutique at 1821 St. Johns Ave. in downtown Highland Park on September 6 from 5 – 7:30 p.m. for an evening of socializing, shopping and supporting early childhood literacy in Lake County!

Jade & Renee, a new women-owned artisan boutique in Highland Park, will donate back 25% to Women United‘s Little Kids, Big Futures Fund that supports early literacy in Lake County.

This event is open to the public so invite your friends! Wine (and other non-alcoholic libations) and light appetizers will be served. No formal RSVP is necessary but if you use Facebook, please click below and indicate that you are “GOING”.

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Kindergarten Countdown Camp Comes to a Close

Over the course of the summer, idle, low-income students lose two to three months’ worth of reading skills compared to their peers from higher income families. The National Summer Learning Association describes this trend as “summer learning loss.” To address the summer learning loss, United Way developed Kindergarten Countdown Camp (KCC), an initiative under our Success By 6 program, designed to bridge the gap for Lake County’s youngest learners.

Just this summer, KCC served 127 students at 4 schools throughout Lake County. Now 127 kids have the basic skills they need to start school off on the right foot!

You can hear from several different people involved with KCC, such as teachers and volunteers, by checking out the blog series linked below.

We also had the opportunity to film a KCC classroom participating in an interactive activity focused on our five senses coordinated by Kohl Children’s Museum.
View the Facebook LIVE video here.

Become a Reading Success Tutor

Do you enjoy working with elementary-age children? Do you want to make a difference in the community you live in or near? United Way of Lake County’s Reading Success Program welcomes you!

Our program serves elementary schools in Waukegan and we place volunteers in first through third grade classrooms. No prior experience required, only a love of children and books! We are always in need of bilingual Spanish speaking volunteers. To be a volunteer tutor, you must:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Pass a background check
• Commit to 1 hour per week in the classroom

If you are interested in volunteering as a Reading Success tutor, simply fill out this online form with your basic information. Our volunteer coordinator will call or email you with more information in a few days. Volunteering begins in late September and early October. Our program runs through the end of May.

For more information, please contact Sue at sue.baehr@uwlakeco.org or
(847) 775-1032.