George attends after-school programs at Corazon.

There are currenlty 28 street gangs in Cicero, IL. Students there identified the three top gang-related problems in their community as drugs and alcohol, violence and grafitti.

George is 15 years old and likes to play sports, chess and shoot pool. He studies hard and has big dreams of becoming a lawyer or a doctor one day. Two years earlier, however George was a different person.  At the age of 13 he was kicked out of school and in trouble with the law.

According to George, getting expelled and arrested was the worst and best thing that could have happened to him. It made him realize that he did not want to be a drop-out and that he didn’t want to spend his life in jail. George’s mother Maria also worried about the path that her son was on.

“I was very scared and I felt as though I was a bad mother,” said Maria. “I am very proud that he has become a better student and understands that gangs are no good.”

George turned to Corazon Community Services in Cicero, which provides social services to young people and families in the area. It is also the lead agency in charge of implementing the United Way Latino Initiative in Cicero as part of Cicero Youth Task Force.

Corazon’s programs serve youth ages 14 to 21 during non-school hours including after school, on holidays, weekends and in the summer. They assists youth in developing and maintaining healthy lifestyles by engaging them in constructive activities in an environment that reflects the cultures, languages, and communities from which they come.

“Corazon got me out of the gang-banging life,” said George. “Now I come here just to hang out or get help with my homework. I can talk to anyone about anything here and it makes me feel good to know I have real friends in the world. They made me more mature and gave me the ability to think for myself instead of having others think for me.”

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 41 million people live with some level of disability. In Illinois about 13.1% of the population age five and over have disabilities. Of that, an estimated 2.5% have difficulty performing self-care activities such as dressing, bathing, or getting around inside the home.

After a busy day at work, Bill likes to come home and hang out with his family, ride his bike, see a movie or maybe catch a Cubs game. But he also gives back to the community, serving as an active voting board member at Glenkirk, a United Way funded agency that provides quality programs for people with developmental disabilities and their families. He’s also served on the State Advisory Council on Developmental Disabilities for more than six years.

Bill has a developmental disability and has been involved with Glenkirk for more than 20 years. He first lived at its Moraine Community Living Facility in a structured group setting that taught him the basics of how to live independently. Today, Bill lives with a roommate in an apartment in Highland Park. Once in awhile, Bill still needs help balancing his budget and going shopping, but for the most part he’s his own man.

United Way supports programs that help people develop the skills they need to find employment and live independently. Bill has worked at Zengler Cleaners for more than 16 years. According to his supervisor Fernanda Estcla, Bill is one of his hardest working employees skillfully tackling and managing new problems on a daily basis. When asked about work, Bill says “I love it” and credits his co-workers and boss with making his job so enjoyable.

Last year Bill was feted by Glenkirk at their Volunteer Appreciation Dinner and because of his independence and advocacy for the developmentally disabled, Bill received the Lifetime Achievement Award from The Arc of Illinois in 2007. Still, Bill doesn’t see himself as anyone special – he considers himself a regular guy with a regular life, a good job and lots of friends.

Help support programs like those offered at Glenkirk by giving to United Way.

"United Way gives back to the community, to youth in every way we can. And I got to be a part of it. I helped unite people."

All his life, Mack Curtis knew he was different.

The second of four children raised by a single mother, he knew that he didn’t have the things his friends had. He was teased for the clothes he wore and the food he ate. Kids made fun of him for his chipped front teeth – the result of stumbling into a gang fight when he was 9 years old.

After awhile, Mack realized “I’m different and I like it, simply because I have something different to offer.” Instead of trying to fit in by doing things he saw others do, like fighting, skipping class and using drugs, he devoted his energy to school and to making his community a better place.

As Mack began the ninth grade at Wendell Phillips Academy High School, he connected with Centers for New Horizons, one of three community agencies in the Stay in School Initiative, a joint venture by United Way of Metropolitan Chicago and Exelon. It targets communities with the highest dropout rates in the City and supports a network of after school options to promote leadership, academic success and college preparation.

It didn’t take long for Mack to establish himself as a leader. On top of sports and school activities, he worked to register voters and was an official polling judge on Election Day.

As a senior, Mack was recruited for a yearlong career development workshop series created by Exelon as a companion to the Stay in School Initiative. One hundred fifty students met one Saturday a month at Exelon headquarters with employee mentors for interactive sessions on topics like interviewing, resume writing and networking. The experience was capped off with interviews for internships at United Way, Exelon and partner community agencies.

Mack impressed his interviewers and landed a summer internship at United Way headquarters. He was soon in demand as a speaker for United Way corporate partners. His personal experience with the Stay In School Initiative and the Saturday workshops continually made an impression. He urged audiences to give, advocate and volunteer, “You are guaranteed to produce more youth like myself.”

After Mack’s presentations, many were inspired by his story, urging him to keep in touch for future internship and job opportunities. One anonymous donor offered to pay to repair Mack’s chipped teeth. Mack was overwhelmed at the support, “Wow, that’s just how much you can touch a person…there are people out there – they don’t know you, but they get to know a part of you.”

Mack started college this fall at Virginia State University. He’s excited about the school’s strong broadcast communication program and the opportunity to experience a different climate and culture. And once he earns his degree, he plans to return to United Way as a mentor.

His LIVE UNITED T-shirt is with him on campus. And if someone asks what LIVE UNITED means?

“It means United Way, an agency that gives back to the community, to youth in every way we can. And I got to be a part of it. I helped unite people.”

RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THERAPY AND ACHIEVING PHYSICAL AND INTERACTIVE MILESTONES CAN PREVENT A CHILD WITH DOWN SYNDROME FROM REACHING A DEVELOPMENTAL PLATEAU AS AN ADULT. (NATIONAL DOWN SYNDROME SOCIETY)

Meet Jack.

Jack is a very special boy. The two-year-old son of loving parents Brook and Dave and the brother of 18-month-old Sofia, Jack loves to smile and hug everyone he meets. Dave is a football coach, so Jack loves cheering for the team, yelling “touchdown!” and “safety!” along with his family. Jack is learning how to kick a ball. Next year he will be starting school.

Read the rest of this entry »

Calla Lopez of Waukegan, Ill., a United Way workplace contributor for many years, never thought she’d find herself coming to United Way for help. But last year after an illness that left her unable to work for a year her bills piled up. She didn’t know how she would be able to provide Christmas gifts for her family until she learned about the United Way Adopt-a-Family program. Read the rest of this entry »

TEEN GIRLS who become pregnant are more likely to drop out of school. One in Two Female High School Dropouts Aged 25-64 Is Unemployed.

Meet Carson.

Carson, 17, is a senior at Oak Park River and Forest High School. She’s also a mother.

Juggling school and taking care of her son can be a challenge, but thanks to the supports that she has in place, Carson has been able to stay at the top of her class and learn the skills she needs to be a good mom. Last semester, she earned straight As and is on-target to graduate in January, after which she plans to attend Columbia College.

Carson came to a United Way funded program called Parentheses’ Parent Teen Program in January of her junior year when she became pregnant. She wanted to develop a plan to care for her child while at the same time staying on track for her life goals.
Read the rest of this entry »

Regular, organized social interactions have been found to slow down the decline in cognitive function typically associated with aging.

Meet Sue.

Sue, 88, of LaGrange Park, has found a healthy lunch, friendly faces and a place to exercise at a United Way funded program for seniors for the past 20 years.
Read the rest of this entry »

John is a People Soft technical services manger at Illinois Tool Works Inc. He has been with ITW for 32 years and has been supporting United Way for more than 10. This year, John decided to take his United Way involvement to the next level by participating in a United Way Day of Caring project for the first time. United Way Days of Caring harness the caring and skill of companies and individuals who want to support the community with agencies in need of services.

Read the rest of this entry »

Fact: In 2004 only 35% of working-age people with disabilities had full time or part-time jobs. People with disabilities are nearly three times more likely to live in poverty than people without disabilities.

When David was a child a severe fall caused permanent brain damage that left him disabled. He had behavioral problems, suffered from seizures and had to undergo a bone marrow transplant.

Read the rest of this entry »

persons with arthritis who take part in regular limbering exercises experience increased functional ability, increased self-care behaviors, decreased pain and decreased depression.

Read the rest of this entry »