A Faith Story: Aspire Center Breaks Ground

Ten years after Emmet Elementary School closed, community leaders and their partners broke ground on the Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation in the school’s parking lot. More than 100 guests gathered in Austin to celebrate the next step in the development of this catalytic investment in their neighborhood.

April Food Day 2023 Collects 90,000+ Pounds of Food for the Southland

The Southland community came together at the Tinley Park Convention Center on April 27 for April Food Day 2023. Thanks to generous donors and 150+ volunteers, more than 90,000 pounds of food was collected and distributed to 10 local food pantries, replenishing shelves in advance of the summer months when donations tend to wane – but the need remains.

Monika Payne Gives Back Through April Food Day

For Monika Payne, April Food Day is a family affair. Each year, sporting a t-shirt with bold “LIVE UNITED” lettering on the front, Monika joins her brother and extended family at the Tinley Park Convention Center.

Virtual Neighborhood Exchange: Food Disruptors — How Innovation and Sustainability Are Feeding Our Neighbors

We have a food system that leaves too many people hungry or without easy access to healthy grocery options. At our next installment of the Neighborhood Exchange, meet some people who are working to disrupt the system by providing healthy, sustainable food options for our most disinvested communities.

2023 Stronger Neighborhoods Awards

Join us at the Hyatt Regency Chicago on Wednesday, June 21 for a celebration of the commitment of business, civic, nonprofit, and community leaders to build stronger neighborhoods and a stronger, more equitable Chicago region. The 2023 Stronger Neighborhoods Awards presents the Andrew J. McKenna Leadership Award to Patrick G. Ryan, and the Corporate Leadership Award to Peoples Gas.

UIC Neighborhood Center Brings Hope and Services to Auburn Gresham

The long-awaited opening of Auburn Gresham’s Healthy Lifestyle Hub, a four-story epicenter of resources serving the Far Southwest Side community, brings more than tangible services – it brings hope – to a historically-disinvested neighborhood.

#BuyLatinx: Supporting Latinx-Owned Businesses in Our Neighborhood Networks

This Latinx Heritage Month, United Way of Metro Chicago partnered with our Neighborhood Networks in Brighton Park, Cicero, and Little Village to spotlight Latinx-owned restaurants, cafes, shops, and other small businesses that call these vibrant communities home.

YLU Speaker Series: Fireside Chat with Curtis Reed

Join United Way of Metro Chicago’s Young Leaders United for our upcoming Speaker Series: a Fireside Chat with Curtis Reed, managing director and region manager for JPMorgan Chase’s Middle Market Banking team in the Chicago area.

Virtual Neighborhood Exchange: Behind the Numbers—How Inflation and the Economy Are Affecting Our Communities

Join United Way of Metro Chicago, the Baumhart Center of Loyola University, and Chicago Cares for an enlightening conversation showcasing different perspectives on the current economic environment and the ways it is impacting our Chicago neighbors.

Neighborhood Networks: A Decade of Transformation

When we invest in our communities, we are in it for the long haul. Because change does not happen overnight. United Way of Metro Chicago’s Neighborhood Network Initiative reflects this commitment, combining long-term strategy with place-based, community-led efforts to drive neighborhood transformation.