Dear
Supporters

Thank you for being a part of another year of significant impact with United Way of Metro Chicago. The 2023-2024 campaign year brought continued expansion of our work in communities across the Chicago region – and opportunities for us to step up and lead this critical work together.

We celebrated the one-year anniversary of 211 Metro Chicago. To date, the free 24/7 helpline has made more than 200,000 referrals to essential health and social services across Cook County. We continue to expand 2-1-1’s capabilities and partnerships, making the database of resources as robust and accurate as possible, all to better serve our neighbors and increase our reach.

We continue to invest in our neighborhoods and celebrate key milestones alongside our community partners. Brighton Park Neighborhood Council and its coalition partners broke ground on their Service Center, which will house youth programs, counseling, workforce development, legal services, and more for residents in the Brighton Park Neighborhood Network.

We also celebrated the launch of the new Little Village – South Lawndale Quality of Life Plan. Led by Enlace, this plan expands the work of the Little Village Neighborhood Network, complementing Latinos Progresando’s efforts and focused on arts & culture, economic development, education, environment & infrastructure, health, housing, immigration, and safety. Together, these partners will guide transformative work across the entire neighborhood.

United Way’s United Neighborhoods Equity Fund continues to grow with our third cohort of small, local organizations on the South and West Sides of Chicago and in the south suburbs. The Fund reaffirms United Way’s commitment to investing in historically disinvested communities. Each grantee receives up to $50,000 of unrestricted funds over two years, plus capacity building and networking opportunities with potential funders.

We also announced the expansion of our Neighborhood Network Initiative with the launch of the suburban Summit Neighborhood Network, in partnership with Cook County’s Transforming Places program. The investment in Summit is an investment in the residents and the resources they need and deserve.

As we continue to elevate United Way’s role in transforming neighborhoods, we are so grateful for your support and partnership. We are proud of the impact we have made together and acknowledge the work still ahead of us.

Thank you for joining us as we work together across sectors to create thriving communities. This is United Way.