Brighton Park is a family-oriented community made up of immigrants. With neighborhoods shifting due to gentrification, immigrant families seek to stay connected to their new communities and their culture.
Campaign volunteers can tell a story about an organization. Who is part of your campaign? How large is it? What is the mission of your team? At United Way of Metro Chicago, we’ve found our story. And we’re excited to share it.
Andy McKenna is a life-long Chicagoan who understands that the Chicago region is shaped by the people who step forward and invest their time and energy in advancing the civic and philanthropic needs of the region. Andy is one of these leaders whose commitment and boundless energy set the bar high for Chicago’s civic and philanthropic community. He often works behind the scenes to mentor nonprofit leaders and fellow board members.
It is not often a nonprofit organization wakes up to a call informing them they will be receiving a $25 million unrestricted grant. Thanks to the generosity of MacKenzie Scott, United Way received that call and the single largest donation in the organization’s 80+ year history.
Lisa and Lamar Johnson, co-founders of Lamar Johnson Collaborative (LJC), a mission-driven architecture firm, are leaving their mark across the city. From skyscrapers in the Loop to community centers in disinvested neighborhoods, the Johnsons are shaping a workforce culture that puts human service at the forefront of their business.
Within Randy’s first few weeks in Chicago, he noticed there were different expectations for professionals. “The Chicago ethos came out right away,” Randy recalls. The Chicago ethos was, and still is, an expectation to give back to the Chicago community and support charitable organizations. He learned about United Way of Metro Chicago and decided United Way would be a cornerstone of his philanthropic involvement.
Our partners in the South Chicago Neighborhood Network offer a youth program called UNITY Squad to keep young people engaged and learning over the summer months. UNITY Squad serves children ages 14-16 and helps members gain core leadership and development skills.
Joshua Simmons, 23, is a recent college graduate from Westchester, IL and has spent time living in the South Side of Chicago.
This summer our community partner, Elgin Partnership for Early Learning (EPEL), is creating safe learning spaces to engage children. The initiative called Learning On the Go supports and educates neighborhood children who are harder to reach.