UNITED WAY OF LAKE COUNTY INC

COMMUNITY IMPACT INCLUDES COORDINATION OF AGENCY STAFF, VOLUNTEERS, AND OTHER RESOURCES TO CONDUCT ACTIVITIES FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THE COMMUNITY. OUR ANNUAL DAY OF CARING WAS HELD IN JUNE WHERE LAKE COUNTY COMPANIES, ORGANIZATIONS, AND INDIVIDUALS ADOPTED PROJECTS SUBMITTED BY LAKE COUNTY AGENCIES, AND WE HELPED TO PAIR HUNDREDS OF VOLUNTEERS WITH THE PROJECTS. THESE EFFORTS HELP TO SAVE OUR NON-PROFIT PARTNERS TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN LABOR AND SUPPLIES. DURING THE GRANT ALLOCATION PROCESS IN THE SPRING, WE RAN OUR ANNUAL FEED LAKE COUNTY DRIVE THROUGH A SOLICITATION MAILING AND 100+ COMPANIES AND ORGANIZATIONS RAN FOOD AND MONETARY DRIVES. BECAUSE OF THE SUPPORT OF SO MANY COMPANIES AND INDIVIDUALS, WE WERE ABLE TO HOST SEVERAL FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS ALL THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, TOTALING NEARLY 43,000 IN DIRECT FOOD PURCHASES, ON TOP OF DISTRIBUTING TENS OF THOUSANDS OF POUNDS DONATED BY AREA COMPANIES AND INDIVIDUALS. WE ALSO MOVED TO BEING AN ON-SITE YEAR-ROUND PANTRY WHERE OUR PARTNER PANTRIES CAN OBTAIN THE FOOD THEIR SPECIFIC PANTRY NEEDS. THE HUNGER COALITION WAS ALSO FORMED TO KEEP PARTNER PANTRIES AND OTHER AGENCIES DEALING WITH FOOD INSECURITY INFORMED OF NEEDS, BEST PRACTICES, COLLABORATION EFFORTS, ETC. WE ALSO HAVE TWO AFFINITY GROUPS THAT WERE ABLE TO THRIVE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. THE EMERGING LEADERS (EL) ARE MADE UP OF A GROUP OF LAKE COUNTY YOUNG PROFESSIONALS THAT HOST AN ANNUAL GOLF OUTING, 4 UNDER 40 AWARDS CEREMONY, AND OTHER FUNDRAISING/NETWORK EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. BECAUSE OF THEIR EFFORTS, THEY WERE ABLE TO ALLOCATE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO PROGRAMS RELATED TO THEIR YOUTH-DRIVEN MISSION, INCLUDING 10,000 DIRECTLY TO THE YOUTH UNITED WAY PROGRAM FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. WOMEN UNITED COMPRISES LAKE COUNTY WOMEN WHOSE MISSION IS TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN LAKE COUNTY. THEY WERE ABLE TO HOST SOME OF THEIR REGULAR EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, INCLUDING A SPEAKER SERIES, AND THEIR SIGNATURE WINTERFEST EVENT WAS HELD IN NOVEMBER, WHERE THE IN-PERSON DONATIONS AND ONLINE RAFFLE PROCEEDS HELPED TO MAKE THIS A RECORD-BREAKING WINTERFEST. DOLLARS RAISED FROM WU FUNDRAISING EFFORTS ARE ALLOCATED TO PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT AT-RISK WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN LAKE COUNTY, AND SHARE THE SAME PROCESS AS THE EL GROUP. BECAUSE OF THEIR EFFORTS, WOMEN UNITED WAS ABLE TO ALLOCATE OVER 111,000 TO MISSION-DRIVEN PROGRAMS. UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF DIONE DEMITRO, UWLC CONTINUED TO BE MORE VISIBLE IN THE LAKE COUNTY COMMUNITY AND INVOLVED IN SEVERAL COMMUNITY PROJECTS, INITIATIVES, AND PARTNERSHIPS. WE HAVE PARTNERED ON HEROFEST, AN EVENT TO RAISE FUNDS FOR FIRST RESPONDERS, HAVE GROWN OUR ROLE IN THE ANNUAL BACK TO SCHOOL BASH WHERE OVER 1,500 CHILDREN GET SUPPLIES AND CLOTHING TO BE SCHOOL- READY, COORDINATED THE SEVERE WINTER WEATHER OVERNIGHT PROGRAM (CODE BLUE), AND COLLABORATED TO HELP FILL EMERGENCY NEEDS WITH THE CONTINUATION OF OUR RESPONSIVE FUND GRANTS PROCESS WITH OVER 28,000 OF DIRECT FUNDING.