This national program was founded by the United Way of Greater Kansas City as a way to thank donors year-round for their commitment to United Way.  The United Way of Elgin decided to join the program this year because we feel it is tremendously important to let our donors know that we appreciate their gift not just during the active campaign season, but every single day of the year.

The program itself is simple: when a donor makes a gift to United Way’s Community Fund (non-designated) of $156 or more, they will be eligible to enroll in the Caring Club©.  They will receive a plastic card and key tag, which will entitle them to discounts at many local businesses.  All they have to do is show their card at participating locations!

For just $3/week, you can enjoy discounts at the following location establishments:
Books at Sunset
Brittain's Oil Change
Card N' Camera
Elgin Books
Elgin Public House
First Family Dental
In The Neighborhood Deli
Primavera Salon
Quizno's (Downtown Elgin)
Salon Couture
Swizzle Inn
Taylor Family Branch YMCA
The Culinary Fox Café
Wienerville
….and many more to come!

To find out more about the discounts being offered by these and other participants, please visit our Caring Club© website.  All discounts will be valid from January to December 2011.

Are you a local business owner?  Contact us to find out more about the benefits of participating in this program.  The Caring Club© does not charge merchants anything to be a part of the program, so you can have access to free marketing and promotion throughout the Elgin area, as well as have the potential for more customers diverted to their business, just for providing a discount!  We’d be happy to meet with you to explain the club and the benefits of helping United Way of Elgin.  The discount you offer is your choice, and we will always welcome new participants to the program.

The Grand Victoria Casino has graciously agreed to host our kickoff breakfast program again this year.  The breakfast will begin at 7:30am with distribution of t-shirts for volunteers.  A short program will begin at 8:15am.  The breakfast gives us a chance to say thank you to our donors and volunteers from the past year, as well as recognize companies for their outstanding contributions to the United Way.  Every year at the breakfast we also recognize one company with the Jack Shales Spirit of Community Service Award, which honors a company’s corporate responsibility and community involvement.  Last year’s winner was First Community Bank—be sure to be at the breakfast to see who this year’s winner will be!  Reservations are required for breakfast; seating is limited to the first 300 respondents. 

Along with the breakfast, the Day of Caring always includes a volunteer event to give our supporters a chance to see firsthand what their donations and volunteer efforts really mean for local agencies.  This year we are continuing our efforts to help make sure that pantries have enough food to help our fellow residents by asking companies to collect non-perishable food items.  We currently have over 45 companies collecting food for one of these local pantries: All People’s Interfaith Food Pantry, Bethesda Church of God in Christ, Centro de Informacion, the Community Crisis Center, The Salvation Army, South Elgin Food Pantry, and Two Rivers Head Start.   Volunteers will deliver donations to the pantries and will help unload, shelve, and organize the shelves so that staff can easily find what they need when preparing bags for clients. 

It is not too late to sign up to collect food or register for the breakfast, so let us know if your company would like to participate.  If you would just like to make a food donation, it can be dropped off at the United Way of Elgin’s office or any Elgin Fire station.  For more information on the Day of Caring or United Way’s Annual Campaign, please contact us! 

Want to make your food drive a HEALTHY food drive?  Read this article for tips and ideas for providing healthier food items to our pantries.

The Kane County Teachers Credit Union has awarded a $2,750 grant to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library to help United Way continue to enroll and send books to children ages birth to five who live in the United Way of Elgin’s service area.  KCT Credit Union, which serves Dekalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, McHenry, and Cook (west of Route 83) counties, established the Education Grant Fund to help contribute to the success of families who live in their service area.  This year, the DPIL was one of five recipients of that grant.  We at United Way would like to thank KCT Credit Union for their generosity and commitment to helping our area’s children.  Their support will help us register over 90 new children to receive free books!

The Elgin Township has also reaffirmed their support for the Kane County Guide to Community Services.  The township has awarded a grant of $1,000 in support of the guide, which connects Kane County residents to the help and services they need in a convenient, online-format.  You can access the guide at www.kanecountyguide.org and find services with the easy-to-use search engine feature.  Residents can simply input what service they are looking for and their location to find the agencies nearest them that are able to help.  The guide helps cut the time and guesswork out of connecting people with the information they need to weather their current crises.  Their grant allows us to continue to develop and improve the website, as well as perform vital updates to the agency information to ensure that residents have the most current information available.

We want to thank both groups for their generosity and commitment to helping us further our community impact work in the Elgin area.

ALEXANDRIA, VA (July 27, 2010) – This summer, UPS and its employees and retirees will reach the exceptional milestone of $1 billion in total contributions to United Way since the company began its annual workplace campaigns in 1982.  “UPS is a driving force for change in our communities. The company and its employees continually raise the bar for United Way’s Global Corporate Leaders and are among our most valued partners,” said Brian Gallagher, president and CEO of United Way Worldwide. “Reaching a billion dollars in giving is a remarkable milestone. It not only speaks to generosity that is second-to-none, it’s indicative of their tireless and unwavering commitment to strengthening communities and improving lives throughout the world.”

United Ways across the country celebrated UPS during the week of August 2-6.  Some THANK YOU efforts included a “Thanks A Billion” advertisement that ran in the July 26 issue of Fortune Magazine, E-cards signed and sent from United Way Worldwide’s website, and local United Ways celebrating local UPS drivers in their communities, including thanking them on Twitter and Facebook.

In 2009, UPS’s total philanthropy reached nearly $100 million, including more than $55 million from their 2009 workplace campaign. UPS has been the top corporate giver to United Way for nine of the last 10 years. UPS employees and their families also contributed more than 1.2 million hours of volunteer service last year through the company’s Global Volunteer Month and Neighbor-to-Neighbor program. UPS has twice won the United Way Spirit of America Award, United Way's highest national honor for corporate citizenship and measurable community impact.

“To my knowledge, UPS is the first company ever to have contributed $1 billion through one organization, a tremendous accomplishment both for our employees and the communities that benefit from United Way services,” said The UPS Foundation President Ken Sternad. “Wherever there is a stop light or stop sign in America, there is likely a UPS driver passing by; they are part of the community, they see the needs, and they have been a key part of the $1 billion story. We appreciate the recognition that our drivers, and our company, is receiving from United Way.”

UPS uses all its resources when it comes to giving back, whether it’s loaning UPS executives to local United Ways, rebuilding a house in the Gulf Coast to help families still living in temporary FEMA housing after Hurricane Katrina, or donating autographed NASCAR merchandise for eBay auctions to benefit United Way.

In the process of collecting donations, we are also aware this year of another problem that plagues the country—obesity. And oddly, research has shown a direct connection between households that are "food insecure," or that often don't have enough food, and higher levels of obesity.

Possible causes include that houses that more nutritious foods are more expensive, so food quality is sacrificed when financial resources are limited; family members may overeat at the beginning of the month when financial resources are available to make up for times when food was scarce; and perhaps homes in lower income areas don't have access to stores where nutritious foods are available.

Either way, we are working our Health initiative in to this food drive by encouraging people who donate to consider donating healthier foods. A few resources for you to consider:

• Healthy Food Drive Guide, from Provena St. Joseph Hospital, with information on why to hold a healthy food drive, a list of heathy food items, a suggestion for a "Reverse Food Drive," and a Food Pyramid, listing the USDA's Healthy food suggestions for a balanced diet. Also available in Spanish.
• Healthy Eating Cookbook, also from Provena, including a food pyramid and several delicious healthy recipes, including Ground Meat Stroganoff, Pumpkin Dip, Quick Chili, Enchiladas, and more. 
• Suggested Healthy Food Donations, a listing of healthy foods we suggest for the Day of Caring Food Drive.
  
• Day of Caring Food Drive Flier, a flier to post around your organization where you are collecting food that includes a list of possible healthy food donations.

If you'd like to participate in the Day of Caring Food Drive, please indicate your interest on our volunteer page.

The Day of Caring is traditionally held on the Friday after Labor Day and serves as the kickoff for United Way of Elgin’s Annual Campaign.  The Day of Caring has had many incarnations in the past, from building playgrounds to cleaning up neighborhoods to helping spruce up our partner agencies’ buildings.  For the past two years, we have been focusing our efforts on a community-wide food drive to benefit our local food pantries; we are happy to announce that this year we will continue our efforts to help make sure that pantries have enough food to help our fellow residents.

We all know that times are still tough for many of our area’s families.  The economy is still down, unemployment is still up, and families are still forced to choose between putting food on the table and keeping a roof over their heads.  In these times, families can turn to our partner agencies for help.  One of the easiest ways to help families is by providing a bag or two of food to help them through the week. 

This year, we’ve changed how we are conducting our food drive.  In years past, we have collected all the donations in a central location and sorted the food before packing and delivering it to the pantries.  This year, companies will be assigned a pantry at the beginning of August—their goal is to collect food just for that pantry.  This allows us to better serve the unique needs of each pantry; for example, some pantries will take toiletries, some pantries can store less than others, and some have special item requests.  By assigning groups ahead of time, teams can collect a wide range of items to fill the shelves.  The teams will then help pantry staff sort and shelve the food and getting bags put together for weekly food distributions. 

The United Way of Elgin is also encouraging people to collect healthier food items this year, to help reduce childhood obesity rates in the area.  Examples of healthier alternatives include canned fruit in light syrup or natural juice, low sodium canned vegetables, brown rice, whole grain pastas, granola bars, canned or dried beans, and low sodium soups. 

Pantry recipients this year will be All People’s Interfaith Food Pantry, Bethesda Church of God In Christ, Centro de Informacion, the Community Crisis Center, The Salvation Army, South Elgin Food Pantry, and Two Rivers Head Start.  These pantries are just a few of the many that serve the Elgin area. 

The Grand Victoria Casino has graciously agreed to host our kickoff breakfast program again this year.  The breakfast will begin at 7:30AM with distribution of t-shirts.  A short program will begin at 8:15AM.  After the program, teams will depart straight for their assigned pantry to deliver and shelve the food and to help out with other tasks as needed.  Registration is required for breakfast; seating is limited to the first 300 respondents.

For more information on the Day of Caring, or to sign up your team to participate, please contact us!  Or, the registration form for groups is available on our website, under Community Resources.  If you would just like to make a food donation, it can be dropped off at the United Way of Elgin’s office or any Elgin Fire station.

Donations are still needed to help fill the backpacks.  Donations can be dropped at the United Way of Elgin office, 2022 Larkin Avenue. Supplies needed include two-pocket folders, spiral notebooks and loose leaf paper (wide rule), packages of pencils and black pens, scissors, glues sticks, rulers, and crayons.  There is also a need to gender-neutral, basic backpacks.   Monetary donations will also be accepted to be put towards the purchase of additional supplies and backpacks.  It is estimated that it costs about $25 to properly equip a student for the year.  You can make your donation here.

Be sure to tell friends and coworkers about the fair.  It is open to all families who live in school districts U-46 and 300.  On a first come, first serve basis, families who attend the fair and spend some time talking to the participating agencies will be able to receive one filled backpack per registered child.  Parents MUST bring proof of residency and school enrollment for each child.  Acceptable documents include medical cards, school registration or report cards, or birth certificates.

For more information, contact the United Way of Elgin.

Over 300 community members showed up to help Heritage Woods celebrate and to help raise money for the United Way of Elgin.  Gracie Hauser, administrator for HWSE, said that the goal was just to “give back to the community.” 

With a Big Top theme, their parking lot was transformed into a giant carnival complete with hotdogs and cotton candy, a Caribbean DJ, and even a dunk tank where residents and their families could try to sink Heritage Woods staff.  There were also games and a petting zoo where children could pet all kinds of farm animals, including a llama!  Children were also wowed with Parky the clown’s many balloon creations, and many even got the chance to have Mindy the Strolling Carnival Monkey sit on their shoulder for a photo.  Youth United Way volunteers were on hand to help run the carnival games and hand out prizes to the lucky kids.

Under the tent, Heritage Woods residents enjoyed grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, visiting with their families, and even dancing a to the sounds of the Jamaican One Man Band, Ainsworth Rose.

The event also featured a live auction in addition to an online auction.  Many great gifts were donated by generous community members.  The online auction was held from June 23-June 25.  The live auction was a sight to see as many items saw bids going higher and higher as participants tried to land their favorite things.  Gracie noted that "thanks to the generosity of all those who donated and bid on the auction items, we far exceeded what we thought we would be able to give to the United Way."  Overall, the event raised over $2,250 for United Way of Elgin and also gave the community a chance to learn more about how both United Way of Elgin and Heritage Woods of South Elgin serves our community.

Heritage Woods of South Elgin is an affordable, assisted living lifestyle community serving seniors 65 and older.  It offers independent apartment style living for seniors, with assistance for daily living activities such as providing three meals a day, and assistance with weekly housekeeping, laundry, transportation, as well as scheduled activities and programs for all residents.  Twenty-four hour staffing is provided, on-going medical monitoring and medication reminders as well.  The community opened in June of 2009 with 132 apartments.  All income levels are welcome. 

SAVE THE DATE for the next United Way Fundraiser at Heritage Woods of South Elgin!  On Wednesday, August 11th there will be a Miche Bag Purse Party and Open House from 4 to 6pm at their location at 700 N. McLean Boulevard in South Elgin.  Along with appetizers and wine tasting, guests will be able to browse some of the newest Miche Bag designs, with part of the proceeds going to United Way of Elgin!  Be sure to bring a friend!  RSVP to Re Kielar at 847-717-4770 or marketing@hw-s-elgin-slf.com.

“The membership requirements must be certified annually in order for us to remain a member of United Way,” stated Lynne Bosley, United Way of Elgin President.  “It is important for us to maintain high standards of accountability, and this is part of the process to confirm that our operations are transparent and meet or exceed United Way membership requirements.”

The board of United Way of Elgin reviewed and approved the Membership Requirements Certification in June of this year.  The certification mandates completion of 13 requirements for United Way membership along with verification of the status of 61 indicators that a United Way demonstrates the intent of the membership requirements—for example, conflict of interest policies, and a minimum of quarterly board meetings.  United Way of Elgin has a very specific conflict of interest policy and holds monthly board meetings. 

“All United Ways must meet the highest standards and verify on paper that they have conformed to the requirements of membership in the United Way system,” said Brian Gallagher, president and CEO, United Way Worldwide. “We applaud United Way of Elgin’s commitment to accountability and, importantly, their continued efforts to support work in their community which improves lives and advances the common good for all people.”

As an integral part of the Elgin area, United Way of Elgin remains committed to Building Community, Improving Lives, and Making Every Contribution Count through our community impact work. 

United Way of Elgin is part of a worldwide network in 30 countries and territories, including 1,259 local organizations in the U.S. Each local United Way must complete United Way’s requirements annually in order to retain its United Way membership.

The success of Ball’s campaign is the result of several months of planning and hard work by a committed team of Ball employees. Utilizing the winning combination of education and fun, they began in May with town hall meetings where employees had a chance to learn about United Way, its focus on education, income, and health, and how it invests in the community.  Following the town hall meetings, a plant-wide cookout was held on June 3 and 4.  Members of the volunteer team were on hand to assist employees with making their pledges to United Way.  

Although it took considerable teamwork to generate such outstanding results, leadership from the top was also a key component of Ball’s success.    We are extremely indebted to plant manager Glen Huey for his incredible commitment and top-notch leadership.  Glen came to Elgin with United Way experience in other communities and once he learned about our efforts in Elgin, he was 100% behind the campaign. 

Founded in 1880 by the five Ball brothers, the company is, perhaps, best known for their glass canning jars.  Over the past 130 years, the Ball Corp. has transformed from a U.S. company to a global enterprise and has expanded into producing metal food and aerosol cans, plastic packaging, telecommunications and aerospace technology. 

With the acquisition of U.S Can in 2006, Elgin became home to one of Ball Corp.’s Metal Food and Household Products Packaging Divisions.  At the Elgin plant they provide products and services to customers in the household, food, automotive, industrial, paint, insecticide and personal care markets. The plant also houses Ball's aerosol and specialty technology center and additional support services.

We are proud and grateful to welcome Ball Corp. and its employees to the United Way of Elgin family of supporters.  In addition to raising much needed funds for our community, we’ve made new friends and developed relationships that we look forward to building on in the future.  We are so thankful to the employees for showing us what can be done when we work together and LIVE UNITED.  The combination of dedicated employees and a supportive management resulted in a great start for the 2010 United Way campaign.

It was quite an evening, and the only thing to miss is that you may have learned a lot 'first hand' almost about what goes on in Haiti and at King's.  Turns out they were noted as one of the top hospitals in responding to the earthquake, despite their smaller size and not even being officially opened yet.  Due to aftershocks, they had to do surgery under the trees in the yard for three days, sunup to sundown, finishing the last surgeries each day by lantern for fear that the building might collapse.  It didn't.  Most others did.  They described how they had been inundated with supply donations for a year prior with four shipping containers full of supplies having been received, and more casting supplies than they ever thought would be used "in fifty years" -  their stores were overflowing.  Not only did their hospital survive essentially intact, so did the orphanage, their home and the school they’ve built, and neither they nor any of the children they care for nor their staff was injured in the slightest.

They had a visiting volunteer surgeon 'with nothing to do' the day before the earthquake, who had come down for a week.  On the Saturday after the quake, when the 'staff'' had reached exhaustion, with 35 open fracture patients still having been waiting for three days, the first international mission team was finally able to make their way to the hospital - and it included orthopedic surgeons.  A week prior to the catastrophe Dr. Hyacinthe, the hospital director, had completed training of a group of local young men in antiseptic cleaning techniques to do hospital housekeeping, planning to only actually hire them sometime later as the hospital got underway.  Some of them came to help, and along with Dr. Hyacinthe, make 'rounds' in the open yard every half hour to hour distributing handfuls of pain pills and literally simply pouring iodine from a large bottle over everyone's open wounds.  But as bodies were being piled in the streets of Port-au-Prince around them, and despite a dry dusty wind blowing following one of the worse catastrophes ever in one of the filthiest and poorest cities on the planet, and them doing surgery by lantern on rocky ground under trees in the open – NOT ONE single wound or surgical infection occurred.

There were just too many things, in just the right place, and at just the right time, for anyone involved at any level, to not know that this was very clearly more than coincidence, much more than chance or luck.  After all, the hospital was founded for and provides care in the name of His Son.

For my part, I saw those with malnutrition, dehydration, pneumonia, bladder infections and malaria, chronic back strains and hypertension and head-to-toe scabies and ringworm.  Pregnancy unknown or unwanted, old age and decrepitude.  The 87 year-old walking with a short can and bent over 90° for the last four years – the strong smile and repeated thanks from his…daughter? The language barrier is frustrating, but not to be succumbed to.  Creole, or French?  There were men sifting rubble by the roadside, to reuse the concrete dust for more concrete.  Women carrying up to 20 dozen eggs on their head up a hill – each coated in wax to preserve them in the tropical heat…

…and still the bright smiles, and bright faces.

S. Joyce, MD, MPH, United Way of Elgin Board Member

In 2008, ComEd contributed $6.8 million to 400 non-profit organizations in Northern Illinois.  ComEd focuses its funding on math and science education, the environment and energy efficiency, and arts and culture. The majority of their support for community-based social service agencies is funded through our United Way campaign.  Locally, ComEd employees raised almost $10,000 for United Way of Elgin this past year.   Every year, the company holds a local kickoff party with food, raffles, and prizes.  This event encourages employees to make their pledges early and also gives them the opportunity to learn more about how United Way of Elgin has been making their contributions work in the community. 

ComEd employees are also very generous with their time.  Last year, employee volunteers performed over 8,000 hours of volunteer and community service work!  Here in Elgin, ComEd volunteers have been active in helping out with local organizations.  In May, 25 volunteers worked to help clean up the grounds of the One Hope United Day Care Center by pruning back bushes, collecting trash and natural debris, and clearing the playground of any dangerous materials. 

The 1,000 Worker Skills Initiative consists of an assessment called WorkKeys®, which is used to determine a person's current skill level and identify gaps in their training.  The assessment measures a person’s abilities in three essential skill areas: Applied Mathematics, Reading for Information, and Locating Information.  Those who complete the assessment are awarded a National Career Readiness Certificate, which records their individual skill levels and abilities, and enables them to access a local database of currently available jobs whose needs match their skill levels.  Vocational counseling and additional job skills training will also be available to those who complete the assessment.  For those who score low on the assessment, further training and courses will be available at ECC to bridge those gaps.  They will then be able to retest and get certified at higher skill levels, thus making them more eligible for currently open jobs.

The plan for the 1,000 Worker Skills Initiative flowed from EACC’s Workforce Development Committee. The committee, made up of business representatives from industries throughout the Elgin community, is currently engaged in educating other Elgin area businesses of the advantages of the WorkKeys® program and the benefits to using the certificate in their hiring process.  "This initiative, as well as the National Career Readiness Certificate program for high school seniors, demonstrates the vital role played by the partner organizations involved in our Workforce Development Committee," Leo Nelson, President of the Chamber, commented.  Businesses who partner with the program agree to recognize the value of the National Career Readiness Certificate in their hiring process, and can recruit new employees from the pool generated by the program. 

United Way of Elgin Board Chair Mickey Brown said in support of the $10,000 grant "the initiative is to secure stable employment with family-supporting wages for participants, reducing the unemployment rate and providing a skilled labor force for the Elgin businesses.  This unique collaboration provides another opportunity to assist Elgin residents in achieving long-term financial stability, one of United Way’s primary goals."

Along with the leadership of the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce and the $10,000 grant from United Way of Elgin, other key partners include Gail Borden Library, Illinois Department of Employment Security, River Valley Workforce Investment Board, City of Elgin and School District U-46.  Additionally, ECC will provide $5,000 towards the cost of the testing, administer the testing and issue the certificates.  ECC will also offer pre-test tutoring and special remediation courses for those who wish to improve their scores.  The Elgin Office of the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) will provide additional information and referral services for the unemployed in Elgin.

The WorkKeys® assessments began on Tuesday, June 15 at ECC's Main Campus; on Wednesday, June 16th at the Fountain Square Campus; and Thursday, June 17th at the Streamwood Village Hall.  Individuals interested in taking the assessments must register, as time and dates of testing will vary for each site.  Please contact the United Way of Elgin for information on registration.

The EFS Foundation was established in 1998 to help and support charitable organizations designed to strengthen a broad spectrum of community projects and programs in Elgin and close surrounding communities.  A twelve member Board of Directors governs the foundation and reviews grant proposals twice a year.  Their efforts focus on community development, arts, and educational programs. 

This award will add to the gifts of our other generous sponsors: JPMorgan Chase Foundation, Elgin Township, Provena Saint Joseph Hospital, and The Fideliter Club of Elgin.  All their support will help us reach new children for the program and eventually to achieve our goal of reaching 4,000 kids!  Thank you!

The United Way of Elgin is fortunate to have two Target locations in our area: Target Greatland in Elgin and Super Target in South Elgin.  Both of these locations have been active participants in the annual campaign for many years, and last year 20 team members joined us in our Day of Caring food drive and sorting, helping to deliver much needed food to the South Elgin Food Pantry.

Every year they run a “Live United” campaign where team leaders talk to their team members about all the ways United Way helps millions of Americans every year.  They show each and every team member a video about United Way and their efforts and the many ways their contributions help their communities.  In the 2009 campaign, Target Team Members not only increased their participation, but they increased their overall gift by raising over $15,300 through team member giving and other special events.  It is clear that taking the time to talk to each team member, explaining the value of their gift, and answering any questions they might have is a winning strategy.

Additionally, every year Target stores nationwide turn to United Way to help them distribute the decorated Christmas Trees from their stores to local nonprofits and families.  Called the Share-A-Tree program, the goal is to make sure that those in need have a fully decorated tree to celebrate the holiday season with.  Last year, our Target stores donated trees to local agencies like the Larkin Center.

This year Target stores are getting a jump on their annual campaign, kicking it off in June.  Their goal again this year is to increase participation through giving, through both pledges and fun fundraisers that help bring all team members together.  In an effort to educate team members and encourage giving, the local stores have been doing volunteer projects through the month of May.  On Saturday, May 15th, they helped out with the Boys and Girls Club of Elgin’s Health Fair.  Employee Campaign Manager for Super Target Dena Hill explains that “at Target, we want to do our part to strengthen families and communities by partnering with United Way.  We encourage our team members to not only support United Way financially but to also give of their time by volunteering at United Way events.” 

We would like to say a big THANK YOU to all the local Target team members for their gifts and support throughout the years!

UWE, along with Elgin Community College, School District U-46, School District 300, Kane County Regional Office of Education, the Community Crisis Center and others, have partnered for the Project Backpack: Back-to-School Supply Drive. The project ensures that students in need receive a backpack full of school supplies and that their parents receive information about programs available to them to help their families. On Saturday, August 14, families will be able to attend an informational fair, held at ECC’s Spartan Theater, where they can visit with representatives from local social service agencies and receive a backpack for every school-aged, enrolled child.

How can you be involved in helping make sure that our students start their school year off right? 

You can GIVE: Throughout the month of June, you can drop off your donations at the United Way office, located at 2022 Larkin Avenue. On June 21, staff will be delivering supplies to a storage facility where the effort has already collected several hundred packs worth of items. Monetary donations will also be accepted to be put towards the purchase of additional supplies and backpacks. It is estimated that it costs about $25 to properly equip a student for the year. You can make your donation here. You can also ask your co-workers to hold a drive to collect supplies. Collections can be picked up from your workplace if necessary.

You can ADVOCATE: Tell friends and coworkers about the fair. It is open to all families who live in School Districts U-46 and 300. On a first come, first served basis, families who attend the fair and spend some time talking to the participating agencies will be able to receive one filled backpack per registered child. Parents MUST bring proof of residency or school enrollment for each child. Acceptable documents include medical cards, school registration or report cards, or birth certificates.

You can VOLUNTEER: On Thursday, August 12th, help is needed filling the backpacks with the supplies that were collected. If you are interested in helping out with this activity, please contact the United Way of Elgin for more information on time and location.

In a time when families may be struggling to fulfill their basic needs, this is an opportunity to provide the essential tools to help kids start off the school year right. Please join us in making the most of the longest day of the year.

Supplies Needed (per child):
* 6 folders (two pockets, solid color only)

* 4 spiral notebooks (one subject, wide rule, solid colors only)

* 1 pack of loose leaf/filler paper (150/200-count – wide rule)

* 1 package of pencils (10-count standard #2, yellow wood)

* 2 black pens

* 1 pair of scissors (gender-neutral color)

* 2 glue sticks (0.21 oz)

* 1 ruler (wood or gender-neutral color)

* 1 pack of crayons (24-pack/Crayola preferred)

* Gender-neutral backpacks

“Competition for United Way funds has never been more intense,” said Lynne Bosley, President, “Demand far exceeded supply in this case and we had to make some extremely difficult decisions about where our donors’ dollars could have the most impact.” 

The United Way’s community investment process engages impact council volunteers to review every application for funding.  This year, 38 impact council members were trained and spent a total of 1,710 hours reviewing applications, and attending agency presentations and meetings. While United Way staff attends agency presentations, it is the responsibility of the impact council volunteers to establish funding levels.

Mickey Brown, chair of the Community Vision Council, emphasized that the determination not to fund certain programs in no way diminishes their significance, “We are fortunate to be part of a community where so many good organizations offer outstanding services to residents. But the United Way can’t be all things to all people.  In these demanding times, we feel obligated to direct our resources toward programs that clearly address identified, local problems and that demonstrate measurable results.” 

Like many United Ways across the country, the United Way of Elgin has undergone a fundamental shift in the way they approach local priorities.  Known nationally as “community impact”, this philosophy denotes a change from the United Way’s traditional role as a fundraiser to a more active role as an agent of change. 

United Way of Elgin president Lynne Bosley explained, “Community Impact simply means we want to make a real difference.  It means identifying the most critical problems in our community, engaging the community, both individuals and organizations, and working together to find real solutions that result in lasting, positive change for the people who live right here in Elgin.”

Impact councils prioritize funding for programs that addressed the priority issues, which include creating home and school environments for preparing successful children, promoting financial stability and independence and increasing access to quality, affordable health care and providing safe life choices for everyone in our community.

In addition to the $665,000 in agency allocations, the United Way of Elgin supports several special initiatives such as the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, Getting Ready for Kindergarten calendar, Free Tax Preparation program, FamilyWize Prescription Drug Discount program, Kane County Fit for Kids, and 1,000 Workers Skills Initiative.

For more information on the United Way of Elgin or the Community Vision Council, please visit www.uwelgin.org.

View the complete list of the 2010-2012 investments here.

In its 2010 Report on Illinois Poverty–the 10th annual comprehensive analysis of poverty indicators in Illinois–the Social IMPACT Research Center documents challenges to economic security across a variety of indicators including health, education, and employment.

More than 1.5 million Illinoisans, 12.2 percent of the state’s population, were living in poverty in 2008. An additional 16.0 percent—more than 2 million people—were on shaky financial ground with incomes between the poverty line and twice the poverty line.

We put together a blog series that summarizes some parts of the report that stand out to us, as they relate to our continuing work in the Elgin area. Read our 5 part blog series:

• Illinois's poorest residents hit first and hardest by the recession
• Human services threatened, learn how you can help.
• Education stats, see how education level affects poverty
• Health update, see choices those who used food pantries had to make between food and other items
• Income update, see demographics-based unemployment stats

The donation was part of Waddell & Reed’s year-long Good Fortune campaign: a series of client events addressing financial responsibility in a challenging economy.  As a participant in the Good Fortune event series, Lin won a special drawing, allowing her the opportunity to select and present a $2,500 donation to the charitable organization of her choice.

The Township Board has been a loyal supporter of the program since the beginning.  Trustees helped register children during the DPIL kick off in February 2009, and continue to advocate for the program in the community.  We applaud the board’s commitment to early childhood literacy and their understanding that when a child begins school ready to learn, they are far more likely to be successful throughout their educational careers and better able to transition into productive adults.

We extend our greatest thanks to the board, which includes Township Supervisor Annette Miller, Township Trustees Pat Hudgens, Bob Johnson, Vicki Pelock, and Carol Rauschenberger, and Township Clerk Kurt Kojzarek.  We want to thank and recognize these individuals for continuing to LIVE UNITED.

IHC Construction Companies also supports many other local agencies: Larkin Center – Sponsor for the Art & Soul Experience and annual Golf Outing.  In addition, IHC employees participated in the Giving Tree at Christmas; Ecker Center – Major sponsor for the Festival of Trees; YWCA – Major sponsor for the Leader Luncheon; Renz Addiction Center – Sponsored the Epicurean Delight 2008 and 2009; Boys & Girls Club – General sponsorship; Hacemos – Golf Outing; and The Literary Connection.  Their commitment to Elgin and the surrounding communities is always above and beyond. 

IHC Construction Companies is an Elgin-based business that has been in operation since 1906 when it was formed as a concrete block manufacturing company.  Over the years the company has evolved into one of Northern Illinois’ premier construction companies under the ownership and management of the Rakow Family, who have run the company since 1970.  Tom Rakow, the current Chairman and past company President, has been active with United Way of Elgin as a volunteer and donor for over 30 years, serving as Board Chairman in 1996, and remains on the board as a Lifetime Director.  Last November, Jennifer Rakow became one of United Way’s newest board members, thus continuing both the family and IHC Construction Companies’ commitment to community service.

We've been urging you to "Live United", but what exactly does that mean? Watch the video to find out several ways you can work to Live United. From making someone laugh to advocating for a cause, you can find opportunities to Live United every day. Do your part. Plant a seed. Watch it grow. Live United.

We could not have achieved our enrollment numbers without the tremendous support of our many community partners. We extend our deepest appreciation to Gail Borden Public Library, Ella Johnson Memorial Public Library, Elgin Day Care Center, U-46 Parents as Teachers, Greater Elgin Family Care Center, Head Start, Well Child Center, WIC Program, VNA of Fox Valley, Kane County Health Department, Kane County’s Clerks Office, Elgin Township, and the Elgin Police Department’s Residents Officers for their tireless efforts to spread the word and help families enroll their children.

The program was nominated by a community member, who said in the nomination letter, "Countless studies have shown that reading to children is one of the best ways to help them develop language and literacy skills. The earlier parents start, the more likely their children will develop these skills on time or even early. Acting as the local affiliate for this national program, United Way of Elgin is responsible for registering all eligible children in the area and securing the funding to ensure the program stays here. They have already enrolled over 2,400 children--almost 25% of the eligible children in our area--and delivered over 20,000 books."

“This program costs $30 per year for each child enrolled; $150 if they are enrolled from birth through their fifth birthday,” said Lynne Bosley, United Way of Elgin President. “Honestly, is there any more cost effective investment that we could make toward the early childhood learning experiences for the children of our community? I can’t think of one.”

Read more about the free books program, and find out how to sign up your child.

The Elgin Image Awards recognize outstanding individuals, projects, organizations or businesses that have enhanced the image of our community. The principle criteria for the Image Awards is simple--who or what has made a substantial contribution to the improvement of Elgin's Image.

Their work began in August with a training session designed to help them gather ideas and information to make their workplace campaigns as successful as possible.  The training was a fun, relaxing way to introduce new ECMs to the United Way campaign and update seasoned volunteers on what was new. ECMs were also instrumental during the September 2009 Day of Caring, recruiting volunteers and organizing food drives for their companies. By December, many ECMs were wrapping up their campaigns, making sure that pledge forms were turned in and sharing their results with United Way of Elgin.

ECMs developed campaign strategies to reflect their unique workplace atmospheres and set their own goals, such as an increase in participation or an increase in total dollars donated. ECMs this year were especially creative to make their campaigns successful--some had fun prizes and games for those who attended workplace campaign meetings, and some used incentives such as raffles, parking spaces, and even an extra day off work to encourage people to give. Regardless of strategy, they all deserve a huge thank you for all their hard work and dedication!

Employee Campaign Managers

Association for Individual Development, Kathy Hazelwood
Artistic Carton, Josh Kennel
AT&T, Kent Smallwood
Auto-Owners Insurance, Candice Johnson
Boys & Girls Club of Elgin, Cheryl Wendt
City of Elgin, RuthAnne Hall & Crystal McGuire
City of Elgin - Fire Dept., Lt. Bob Bedard
City of Elgin - Police Dept., Jennifer Phillips
Commonwealth Edison, Phil Calderon
Community Crisis Center, Jeri Hodal & Arlene Gocken
Courier News, Carmen Burnham
CTDI, Inc., Steve Thompson & Sandra Burns
Demi & Cooper Advertising, Mollie Ottenhoff
Ecker Center, Ramona Grauzinis
Elgin Area Chamber, Leo Nelson
Elgin Community College, Sheri Lacy
Elgin Corrugated Box Co., Dan Peters
Elgin Day Care Center, Teresa Green
Elgin State Bank, Kay Loeloff
Elgin Sweeper Company, Monika Schuttie
Elgin Teachers Association, Tim Davis
Elgin Township, Annette Miller
Emerson Appliance Controls, Ed Uhlig
Family Service Association, Miriam D'Souza
First Community Bank, Jacquie Vinz & Jill Falls
First Priority Inc., Melissa Lee
Gail Borden Library, Joyce Schifferer
Gerali Custom Design, Inc., Dave Gerali
Hiwin Corporation, Michael Smith
Hoffer Plastics Corporation, Eric Smith & Paulette Jozwiak
IHC Construction Companies, Carol Morro
ITW Industrial Fastening, Karen Schrader
ITW Shakeproof Automotive, Cheryl Wilmot & Heidi Janisch
JPMorgan Chase, Susan Niles
Judson University, Bill Hines & Jodi Gregory
Lamp, Inc., Craig Lamp
Literacy Connection, Bridget Ranieri
Lundstrom Insurance Agency, Bill Jones
Meijer #183, Shaun Bonner
Mueller & Co., LLP, Susan Reimann
Nicor, Tom Kallay
PADS, Brittany Mitchell
Paddock Publications, Inc., Sherry LaCerra
PetroLiance, LLC, Marilena Acevedo
Prairie Valley Family YMCA, John Devitt
Printpack, Inc., Kristen Muehlfeld
Provena St. Joseph Hospital, Kathy Hurley
PSA Dewberry/BCA, Peggy Lee Shatzer
Rohm and Haas Company, Mary Waatti
Salvation Army, Ken Nicolai
Schleifring Medical, Carol Landeros
School District U-46, Karen Fox
Senior Services Associates, Inc., Laura Rios
Shales McNutt Construction, Mike Shales
Sherman Hospital, Joe Kelly & Hillary Larack
SKF, Wallace Brodeur
Super Target #T-1896, Dena Hill
Target Greatland #834, Martha Juarez
THE National Bank, Michael Brown
W.R. Meadows, Inc., Merrie Derderian
Walker Parking Consultants, Judy Williamson
Well Child Center, Cindy Anderson & Migdalia Carmona
Y.W.C.A., Cathy Hemmings
Ziegler's Ace Hardware, Eva Alvarado

Please note that this list is not exhaustive of all companies who participated in the United Way of Elgin campaign. Some companies conduct their campaigns on a corporate/national level, and their local braches do not require a local Employee Campaign Manager. Please keep an eye out for our thank you ad in an upcoming issue of the Courier News.

If you'd like to hold a workplace campaign in your office in 2010-2011, please contact us to indicate interest. We will make introducing a campaign to your workplace simple, providing all necessary materials, training, and information.

Because of these record numbers, we thought we'd remind you of a few resources available to those experiencing difficult times, as well as some job hunting tips.

Elgin Area Community Resources

• United Way of Elgin's Hard Times Guide. The guide includes:A quicklist of resources for emergency services, utility help, foreclosure help, food resources, rent/mortgage assistance, and employment services, tips on evaluating finances and job search, and more.
• Familywize Prescription drug discount card. This free card is accepted at most local pharmacies and can save a family up to 30%.
• Our Community Resources page. Here you'll find a listing of some of our impact programs that can help you, from health services to financial counseling to daycare and more.

5 Job Search Tips

Searching for a job can be an overwhelming process. Here are 5 steps you may be able to take to get the process going.

1. Set up an appointment at Illinois workNet Center by calling 847-888-7900.
2. Take advantage of career counseling offered by your company or other community groups.
3. Utilize various employment agencies (fee paid by the employer), job listings, Job Services, etc., for job leads. Visit the Kane County Department of Employement and Education website or the Illinois WorkNet website for more information and help.
   
4. Maintain contact with former co-workers, union, church, or other community groups for emotional support as well as job leads.
5. File for Unemployment Insurance. File online at the Illinois Department of Employment Security or visit your nearest IDES or Illinois workNet Center (in the Elgin area, it’s at 30 DuPage Ct.). You will need: your Social Security card or some ID that has the number on it; a second form of ID; if claiming dependents, you will need their SSN and date of birth; if you are not a United States citizen, your Alien Registration Information; and if you worked since Sunday of this week, the amount of gross wages earned this week. Once you’ve filed, you’ll need to call 888-337-7234 bi-weekly to certify that you are unemployed and are approved for benefits.

Job Hunting Resources

• Gail Borden Public Library Job Hunting web page
• Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce Job Posting download
• The Federal Government's Official Jobs site

You might wonder, why does it matter to me? You probably will be surprised to find out that 1 in 3 Elgin residents has used one of the services that United Way of Elgin partners provide. You probably know people who seek care and help for their elderly parents, send their children to after school programs, have sought skills training for getting a job or managing their finances, have found help for mental illness, or have used shelter because of a loss of income or domestic violence.

Illinois Partners for Human Service is a statewide network of organizations that advocate for high quality, responsible, and sustainable approaches to providing human service in Illinois. The Illinois Partners engage nonprofit, government, faith-based, business and education leaders who agree that our communities are healthier and safer when residents have access to bedrock public services such as early childhood learning, after school programs, family support, assistance to the disabled, workforce training, violence prevention, and home care for the elderly.

So how can you help?

You can get involved in the effort by spending a few minutes emailing your elected officials about the importance of human services in Illinois. Just fill out this simple form.

And you can sign up to receive news and announcements from the network to stay informed.

The goal for the Illinois Partners is:

• No More Cuts to Human Services
• Prompt Payment for Services
• No Unilateral Contract Changes

Advocate for Illinois Human Services today!

United Way received 38 program requests which totaled $1,416,900. All requests for funding are targeted at United Way of Elgin’s three key impact areas: Education – getting children ready to learn and staying in school to succeed;  Income – financial stability for families and providing basic needs in time of crisis; and Health – access to quality affordable healthcare and keeping individuals safe in their homes, free from emotional and physical harm.

The volunteers will review each application within their respective impact councils and listen to agency presentations before making their funding recommendations to the Community Vision Council, which will then bring final recommendations to the United Way Board of Directors for approval at the United Way Board of Directors’ April 14 meeting.

The Impact Councils will be looking for programs that advance the common good and create opportunities for a better life for all in our community.  Successfully funded programs will be able to clearly articulate how clients will benefit from the program and demonstrate the measurable changes the program brings to the people it serves. 

“It’s a very time intensive and difficult process,” said Lynne Bosley, United Way President. “The volunteers that sign on for this work are deeply committed to our community. It’s a difficult job during good economic times, and today’s environment only adds to the challenge. But every donor to United Way should take comfort in knowing how much time and effort goes into making these difficult decisions.”

United Way is still in the process of gathering company campaign totals before determining the available dollar amount to allocate. What is certain, however, is that the total amount requested is significantly more than what will be available. For the volunteers that means determining the best of the best programs.

United Way of Elgin continues to be a leader in addressing health and human service needs through convening partnerships, funding programs, and generating resources to support our community's priorities. There is still time to make a corporate gift or an individual gift to the United Way campaign.  A donation to United Way is an investment in our community. For more information please contact United Way at 847-741-2259 or through our contact us form.

Volunteers within the Brush with Kindness program will complete painting, landscaping and yard cleanup to qualified homeowners in need. The program will also use donated materials to complete the projects when possible.

The homeowners are chosen based on several qualifications, including financial situation, feasibility of the project and the homeowner’s willingness to partner with Habitat for Humanity. The program aligns with Habitat’s mission of ensuring that affordable and decent housing is available to low-income families.

The program is underwritten by a grant from Valspar, Habitat’s National Paint Partner. Potential applicants for the Brush with Kindness Program can contact Justin Lucas at 847-836-1432 or visit their website for more informtion.

Habitat for Humanity of Northern Fox Valley is an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International. As all affiliates, its mission is to build homes for qualifying families in our area, selling them at cost and using volunteer labor to control these costs.

The grant was awarded to the United Way of Elgin based on several factors, including whether or not the program is aligned with their three areas of philanthropic giving: Community development, Education and Arts & Culture. The JPMorgan Chase Foundation’s goal is to be the catalyst to meaningful, positive and sustainable change within high-need neighborhoods. In 2008, JPMorgan Chase gave over $100 million in grants and sponsorships to not-for-profit organizations globally.

This grant is the foundation for a larger support system to ensure that all children in the area have regular access to quality books. “We are extremely proud and grateful that the JP Morgan Chase Foundation has chosen to invest in this program.  As we work toward our goal of increasing enrollment to 4,000 children in year two, we are confident that additional corporations, foundations and individuals will find the Imagination Library a worthwhile investment in the future of our community’s children.” said Lynne Bosley, President of United Way of Elgin.

The Dolly Parton Imagination Library was brought to the Elgin area in February of this year with the help of the inaugural sponsor, Provena Saint Joseph Hospital and additional support from the Elgin Township. The program, started by Dolly Parton in her home county of Sevier, Tennessee, delivers age-appropriate books to children enrolled in the program every month.  The Elgin area currently has over 2,200 children enrolled in the program, which accounts for over 20% of the area’s eligible children.

For more information on how to sign up your children, click here. The program is available to all children five years or younger who live in Elgin, South Elgin, Burlington, Hampshire, La Fox, or Pingree Grove.

How does the BackPack Program work?

Backpacks are distributed to students (1 pack per family) on Friday afternoons with enough food for 3 children for 3 days.  The food in the backpacks will be nutritious, child-friendly and nonperishable. Some examples are pop-top soup, pasta, cereal, peanut butter, jelly, canned fruits, bread, tuna, apples and granola bars. NIFB will provide roughly 8-10lbs of food per backpack.  Personal care and non-food items like soap, gloves and hand-lotion may also be included as it is available.  This ensures that families struggling with food resources have enough food for their children to get the through the weekend when most other food resource sites (pantries and soup kitchens) are closed.  Without this program, many of these children would have their last nutritious, full meal on Friday afternoons at school; some would not have any food until the next Monday’s breakfast at school.  Students are selected by school social workers using guidelines provided by the Northern Illinois Food Bank.  More information, including common indicators of chronic hunger in children, can be found on NIFB’s website.  

Companies looking for an easy, streamlined way to conduct their United Way of Elgin Employee Campaigns now have the option of using the new E-Pledging Module.  This module gives employers more freedom and options to create the best campaign for their staff.  E-pledging allows companies to bypass the traditional paper pledge forms, saving time, money and the environment!  Employers simply need to assign each employee with an ID number and the module automates the rest. 

The module is now available for companies running fall campaigns.  It takes about seven to 10 business days to get a company registered and customize the module for their company.  Any employers who are interested in running their campaign via the E-Pledge module should contact the United Way of Elgin today!

Check out our 2009 Campaign Video to get an idea how you can Live United this year.

In her role as Chair, Ms. Brown will lead the establishment of organizational policies for governance and operation of the United Way Corporation; ensure that the organization has adequate resources to operate effectively, lead the approval of the investment of funds related to program funding, oversee organizational operations, reserves, and capital expenditures; and manage the approval of the annual audit of the Corporation’s financial records.

Brown began her tenure as a United Way of Elgin volunteer as a member of the Youth Allocations Panel and served in that capacity for two years. She then became an inaugural member of the Vision Council on which she continues to serve as Chair. Brown has also chaired the Education Impact Council since its inception in 2006. Brown’s other volunteer service in the Elgin community includes serving as the Immediate Past President of the Fideliter Club of Elgin, member of the Personnel Committee of the Ecker Center for Mental Health and serving as a Member and Volunteer of the Provena Saint Joseph Hospital Auxiliary.

In Barrington, Illinois, her town of residence, Brown is a Board Member of the Barrington Newcomers and Neighbors Club and a Barrington High School Choir Volunteer and Event Chair.

Brown’s professional experience includes more than 25 years in the organizational development field in management and consulting for Fortune 500 corporations, not-for-profit hospital corporations, volunteer boards and executive search firms. She is the founder and president of MBBrown & Associates, an organization that provides coaching, meeting and event facilitation, organizational surveys and management and leadership development programs. She is also the Agency Manager for Doncaster of Barrington.

Brown holds degrees in Economics and Business Management and an MBA, as well as certifications in the training of trainers and human resources consulting.

• Education -- getting kids ready to learn, getting youth to stay in school to succeed, and promoting life-long learning
• Income -- financially stable and independent individuals and families
• Health -- physically and emotionally healthy residents.

Since the assessment, United Way of Elgin and the Community Vision Council have researched additional county and city statistical data about the lives of Elgin area residents. Charts, graphs, and narratives provide rich information for community leaders and decision-makers, services providers, funding organizations, and those writing for program grants. Volunteers from United Way’s Impact Councils use this report to become better informed about trends in social issues, which helps in their funding recommendations.

This is the first year that United Way of Elgin has compiled a publication of this type. We hope that the community indicator information within adds to your understanding of the Elgin area social environment and inspires you to get engaged in improving your community. We will be doing a Community Indicator Report every year to track our progress and to hopefully see improvement in each indicator, showing success at improving Elgin's education, income, and health.

Community Indicators

The information is organized into the three community priorities of United Way: education, income, and health. These priorities are the building blocks for our community’s strength. You need a quality education that leads to a stable job, enough income to support a family, and good health. Each priority section holds a collection of data termed “indicators” that serve as measures of local conditions or behaviors. The demographics section of this report helps to inform the reader of trends in population both inside and outside of the social services arena.

Data Trends

As you'll notice in the report, for some indicators, trends over time can be identified. Some positive trends show reduced incidences of the following:

• The graduation rate for U-46 students is above the state average
• Sexual abuse of children has decreased steadily since 2002
• More mothers are receiving prenatal care and the percentage of low-birth weight babies has remained below the Illinois average.
  

But many challenges can be observed as well:

• Domestic abuse incidents continue to rise.
  
• After several years of keeping pace with Illinois state average, U-46 3rd grade reading average have begun to slip.
  
• Violent crime was back up in 2007, and non-violent crime incidents in 2007 were up almost 35% from 2003.
  
• Gang-related crimes have also continued to increase since the early part of the decade.
  
• Elgin is also continuing to battling economic uncertainty as well as rising unemployment along with the rest of the nation.

Download the 2009 Community Indicators Report here.

“Elgin is lucky to have so many agencies that are equipped to help people who may be struggling financially,” said Diane O’Connor, Director of Community Impact at United Way of Elgin. “This guide compiles where people should look for the help they need, and offers some financial budgeting guidance and a prescription drug discount card as well.”

The United Way of Elgin has put together a “Help for Hard Times” guide. You can download the guide here. The guide includes:

• A quicklist of resources for emergency services, utility help, foreclosure help, food resources, rent/mortgage assistance, and employment services
• A descriptive list of community support from various agencies for Health and Wellness, Financial Stability and Legal Matters, and Emergency Assistance
• Tips on evaluating finances
• Tips on job search
• A prescription drug discount card available for all to use.

Reserve the date

Thanks to the generous support from Provena Saint Joseph Hospital and Elgin Township, United Way of Elgin and the Kids Matter Impact Council will launch the Dolly Parton Imagination Library Program for the Elgin area on Sunday, February 22, 2009 at the Gail Borden Public Library from 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM.  Everyone is welcome to attend the event. There will be storytellers, music, refreshments and children activities, and parents will have the opportunity to register their children.

• All children of families who live in Elgin, South Elgin, Hampshire, Burlington or Lafox, are eligible to participate in the book program, at no cost to them or their family, regardless of family income. United Way's focus, however, are the children of low income families.
• Books will be sent out to participating children once a month until they reach five years of age. Each hard-covered book is age appropriate and includes such titles as The Little Engine That Could, The Poky Little Puppy, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Favorite Finger Rhymes, Little Cloud, The Owl and The Pussycat, and The Gingerbread Boy.
• Cost would be approximately $30 per year per child, but thanks to the generosity of our sponsors Provena Saint Joseph Hospital and the Elgin Township, United Way of Elgin will pay for all the books and mailing costs, while Dolly Parton's Foundation will take care of the actual mailing of the books. So the program is free.
  
• Who is eligible? All children birth through five years of age whose parent/guardian is a resident of the geographical area mentioned above are eligible to participate.

What are the responsibilities of the parent/guardian?

In addition to residing in the area mentioned above, the responsibilities include submitting an official registration form and notifying United Way anytime there is a change of address. Change of address notification is important because the books are mailed to the address listed on the registration form and cannot be forwarded.

When will the child receive his/her books?

Books will begin arriving at the child's home about eight to ten weeks after the registration form has been received by United Way of Elgin. The books will continue to be sent until the child turns five or moves out of the geographical area mentioned above.

For further information call the United Way of Elgin at 847-741-2259. To register, download the form and mail it to United Way at 2022 Larkin Ave., Elgin, IL 60123.

United Way is all about real, lasting change in the community. And our current focus is on people in the community coming together to Live United. This blog is a place where the online community can gather. Living United means several things to us here at United Way of Elgin, and this blog will cover several of those topics. Tune in regularly to our blog for more information and to contribute to conversation about:

• Current happenings at United Way and other local non-profits
• Examples of Elgin living united for kids, families, and neighborhoods
• Testimonials on why members of the Elgin community Live United
• Urgent or ongoing volunteer opportunities
• And much more!

You can visit our blog here. Please bookmark us, and check back often. We look forward to building an online relationship with you!

It may be activated for situations such as:

• Evacuation notices
• Severe weather warnings
• Amber Alerts or missing child reports
• Boil water notices
• Bio-terrorism threats
• Flooding notices

The CodeRed system can call 50,000 people per hour to individual communities or to the county as a whole. It already has listed landline phone numbers, but not cell phones, unlisted lines or Voice over Internet Protocol listings. So they are asking every Kane County resident to submit alternative numbers where you can be reached in case of an emergency. To do that now, click here.

With questions about the system, call the Kane County Office of Emergency Management at 630-232-5985 or visit countyofkane.org.

• Explore our page
• Add a testimonial about why you "Live United"
• Try to find someone you know in the pictures from the community photo shoot

Thanks for your support in helping us build an online community -- just another way to Live United!

In September, 186 families used the card for a total of $5,791.17 savings. The average saved per family was 46%, around $31.13 per prescription.

When you present this card and your prescription to a participating pharmacy, you pay either the discounted or the pharmacy’s retail price, whichever is lower. Your card can be used often as needed.

"We wanted to make it as easy as possible for people in our community to save on prescription drugs. Too many people have insufficient or no prescription coverage or need medications not covered by their insurance, Medicare, Medicaid or VA benefits," said Director of Community Impact Diane O’Connor, United Way of Elgin.

Healthcare costs are one of the top concerns for people in our community, and the FamilyWize prescription drug discount cards will help individuals and families who otherwise could not afford to buy the medicine they need. One out of every five people in the United States has no prescription coverage.

Living United for better nationwide healthcare

United Way of Elgin has joined with 550 United Ways in all 50 states in lowering the cost of prescription medication for people who need help with their prescription costs. This partnership is saving over $1 million every month with a goal of saving $100 million over the next 5 years. More than 4 million cards have been distributed and over $7 million have been saved to date. There is more information on the program’s website at www.familywize.org, such as a tool to look up drug prices, participating pharmacies, and the option to print additional cards for family, friends, and co-workers..

The FamilyWize cards are accepted at

• CVS Pharmacy
• Fox Valley Hematology and Oncology LTD
• Elgin Pharmacy
• Medicine Stop of Elgin
• Meijer Pharmacy
• Osco Drug
• Target
  
• Wal-Mart

"It’s truly amazing what we can accomplish when we all work together. So many people and organizations have joined together to make this possible," said Mickey Brown, Chair of the Community Vision Council.

How it works

The participating pharmacies in the community have agreed voluntarily to accept the FamilyWize cards and provide these savings to people in need. Two Pennsylvania printers, Independent Graphics of Pittston, PA, and Brown Printing of Bethlehem, PA, have donated the printing for the cards, Fed Ex Express donates the shipping of the cards, and the pharmacy benefit manager provides a portion of the processing to cover the administrative costs. United Way of Elgin is coordinating the distribution of the cards locally.

"We hope everyone in the community will thank their pharmacist, United Way of Elgin, and everyone else involved for the difference they are making in the lives of so many people in the community," said Dan Barnes, Co-Chair, The FamilyWize Community Service Partnership.

Additional information about this program is available at United Way of Elgin and online at www.FamilyWize.org.

ABOUT THE FAMILYWIZE PARTNERSHIP

The FamilyWize community service partnership was established in 2005 and coordinated by Membership Services Corporation of Lehigh Valley, PA, to reduce the cost of medicine for people who live and work in the Lehigh Valley. We believe that stronger, healthier, and happier people make healthier, better communities and a stronger, gentler nation.

Now, more than ten thousand community and faith-based organizations, county agencies, doctors, pharmacies, companies, and individuals across the country are joined together in this partnership to distribute free FamilyWize prescription drug discount cards in their communities, reducing the cost of medicine for people in one out every four counties in the United States. More than 535 participating United Way agencies, America’s Promise Alliance Partners, and individual counties in all 50 states and Puerto Rico have volunteered to coordinate these distribution efforts.

The savings on the cost of the medicine is provided by the more than 53,000 participating local pharmacies that have agreed voluntarily to accept prices for medications that are close to the prices they make available to large insurance companies and employers. All other program costs, including materials, printing, shipping, programming, distribution, reporting, administration, network pharmacy services and customer service are provided by in-kind donations from the program sponsors and by part of the processing fee included in the cost of the medicine.