Why are volunteerism and philanthropy important to you?
I spent five years as a “Big Sister” and the influence my “Little Sister” had on me has been life changing. Since I’ve settled in Chicago, I’ve been working with the United Way, and I’m looking forward to finding a place to really dedicate my energy and support. I have been a Leadership Giver for the past five years, and I am inspired by the successful results of individuals that have been helped by the United Way.

Sandy Williams, Leadership Giver and Accounts Receivable Manager for the William Wrigley Jr. Company.

How long have you been giving to United Way?
I have contributed to the United Way for 35 years. When my nephew was young he often spent afternoons at the local United Way sponsored day care facility. It was the first time I experienced how integral United Way was to improving a community. The day care really opened my eyes to United Ways’ efforts to support the communities and individuals around them by customizing their programs; whether it was child care or a food bank.

Why do you see it as important to give to United Way?
I have seen what a positive change can come from the impact of the United Way’s programs, and I think it is critical to support that positive growth and development in every community.

What is your favorite part of living in Chicago?
Chicago is such a warm city, no I don’t mean the weather. I came to Chicago from the East Coast and the people here are very friendly, they will go out of their way to make a new person feel welcome. I love that Chicago is always doing something new and interesting; I never know what I’m going to find right outside my front door.

I got involved with United Way through a friend. Now I’m the chair of the Member Development Committee, in which I get to work with that same friend, Erin Wikman, as she is the co-chair. I continue to stay involved with YLS as I strongly believe in the mission of United Way and want to help achieve their goals for our community.

In the past year and a half of my involvement, I have had many great experiences with United Way. One that does stand out is the 2008 Holiday Party that was held in the Federal Reserve Bank Museum. For this accountant, the exhibits were a novelty to walk through! In addition, working with local businesses on our events has shown me how caring and compassionate both businesses and individuals are towards the needs of our community. Meeting people through United Way has provided me both inspiration and motivation to help those less fortunate.

I LIVE UNITED by working with YLS to develop long term relationships with our members through special events, in person meetings, and external communications. By doing so, we hope to build a solid base of individuals through the upcoming years who will also be devoted to LIVING UNITED.

Elaine McDermott, Member Development Chair

Together, you can make a greater impact. United Way is the greatest form of teamwork.

When Judy was about 5 years old, her mother re-entered the workforce part-time, showing United Way campaign films to local businesses in Des Moines, Iowa during campaign season. Judy often tagged along with her mom, and she was a United Way poster child in the 1950s.

But Judy’s relationship with United Way changed drastically soon afterward.

In 1954, Judy contracted non-paralytic polio and was hospitalized for a month. It was a difficult time for Judy and her family, especially since Judy’s uncle had passed away from polio 18 months before she got sick.

Upon her release from the hospital, Judy needed to stay home from school for six months in order to fully recover. Easter Seals, a United Way agency, provided Judy with rehabilitation to make her muscles stronger. Another United Way partner provided her with a tutor to help her keep up with her classroom work. Because she had the help of these two United Way agencies, Judy didn’t fall behind in school. “It was made clear to me early on that United Way was more than just helping the needy, but for all the community. If everyone does something, whatever they can, and it gets added together, many can benefit from it,” Judy said.

Judy began contributing to United Way in the late 1960s with her first job at Northwestern Bell Telephone in Des Moines, and she has continued to give throughout her entire working career. Today, she is the Director of Community Investment at Sara Lee Corporation and Director of the Sara Lee Foundation. She has been a United Way campaign coordinator for 15 years.

The greatest reward for her is when the campaign is successful and when someone’s mind is opened to what United Way does. Judy firmly believes that United Way has done a good job of keeping up with the changing culture and times. “United Way does well adjusting to whatever needs are in the community . . . If anybody can deal with it, United Way can.”

She also makes sure to give the gift of her time. At one point in her young adult life, Judy was struggling to make ends meet and had trouble putting food on her table. As a result of that experience, she and her husband Rob want to help others in that situation, and they volunteer at the Northern Illinois Food Bank, a partner with United Way in eradicating hunger and homelessness in the region. The Northern Illinois Food Back provides food, training and certification to more than 500 food pantries in the region; many of these are agencies that currently receive United Way funding. Judy now serves on the Board of Directors of the Northern Illinois Food Bank. And once a month, Judy and her staff volunteer over their lunch hour restocking the food pantry shelves at People’s Resource Center in Wheaton, the largest food pantry in DuPage County.

To describe the benefit of United Way, Judy said “Together, you can make a greater impact. United Way is the greatest form of teamwork.”

Thelma Boykin can be very persuasive.

After retiring in March from a 32-year career at BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois, Thelma’s still passionate about raising funds for United Way of Metropolitan Chicago. And she speaks from experience.

You could be a Diamond Donor just by giving up coffee for a day, a week. Pick something that's a little bit of a sacrifice... it adds up.

Thelma is a Diamond Donor. She has contributed to United Way for more than 25 years. Retirement won’t stop her, either.

“My co-workers would say ‘you are going to do United Way until you die,’” she laughs.

For years, Thelma was an Ambassador for her company’s annual United Way campaign. She always made it a priority to help people find a personal connection with United Way programs.

“The average person doesn’t understand how United Way has come in and out of our lives. If you start looking back…you will find how United Way has touched your life. With that thought in mind, you want to support it.”

“It’s like insurance. I have health insurance, auto insurance, homeowner’s insurance. I don’t want to have to use any of them, but I want them to be there if I need them. It’s the same with United Way. I want them to be strong.”

Thelma’s own experience with United Way goes back to her childhood in the LeClaire Courts housing projects. But she never expected how United Way would touch her life most profoundly.

In 1988, Thelma’s oldest son had left for college, and her Englewood home was an empty nest. At the urging of family, friends and colleagues, she applied to adopt a foster child. Just a few weeks later, Thelma got a call from Lutheran Child and Family Services, a United Way partner agency. They had a 4-month old baby available for adoption. Today, Thelma’s son Chad is 21 and in college himself.

“I had been giving to United Way for years before that. To me, it’s like tithing to the universe.”

Thelma will be attending her first BlueCross BlueShield retirees’ luncheon next month, and she’ll urge everyone in attendance to keep up their commitment to United Way throughout retirement.

“You could be a Diamond Donor just by giving up coffee for a day, a week. Pick something that’s a little bit of a sacrifice… it adds up.”

GIVE A LITTLE, FEED A LOT– September marks the second annual Hunger Action Month, and Northern Illinois Food Bank will be hosting local special events, volunteer shirts and fundraisers to support individuals living on the brink of hunger in northern Illinois.

Want to make a bigger impact in your neighborhood? Please visit Volunteer Solutions, United Way’s portal for volunteer opportunities in the Chicagoland area.

I got involved with United Way by helping out with my company’s campaign in the Fall of 2007. Now I’m the chair of the Volunteer Committee and I continue to stay involved with YLS because of the many rewarding experiences I’ve had and the great people I’ve met.

One highlight of my experience with United Way was at the Erie Neighborhood House last May. We had a great turnout for the event and it was wonderful to see how much work we could get done in one afternoon. The landscaping and fence on the agency’s property transformed with our hard work.

I LIVE UNITED by working with YLS to develop creative ways and opportunities to engage our members to Give, Advocate and Volunteer.

Nicole Szalay
Manager-Patient Access Services
Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation
& YLS Volunteer Committee Chair

Congratulations to all those who LIVE UNITED by volunteering through United Way Days of Caring.  Last year 3,041 volunteers from 78 companies completed 254 volunteer projects. This year, 5,596 volunteers from 118 companies completed 305 projects at health and human nonprofits throughout the region. As a result, volunteers helped these nonprofits save $490,433 in upkeep, repair and beautification costs.

“The best part is that volunteers see first-hand the results they’ve made,” said Gwen Sims, Director of Volunteer Development and Agency Services at United Way. “Thanks to them, classrooms are brighter, playgrounds cleaner, gardens greener and pantries more organized. Whether they realize it or not, they have made a difference in many lives.”

Days of Caring make it easy for caring people to help out at an agency in need of some extra hands. Volunteers sign up individually or as part of a group through their employer to tackle large projects such as painting, landscaping, or maintenance at agencies that cannot afford to pay for the work.  For more information email Gwen Sims at gsims@uw-mc.org or call 312-906-2299.

United Way of Metropolitan Chicago is looking for sponsors to brighten the holidays for families in need.  Please consider donating unwrapped toys and gift certificates that will benefit dozens of families served by our partner agencies. Cash donations to United Way are also welcomed for the purchase food and gift certificates that will be sure to add some cheer to the holidays during this economically challenging year.

Last year 75 families received gift cards, presents for their kids, winter clothing and food thanks to generous donations. Please email Gwen Sims at gsims@uw-mc.org to find out how you can contribute, or call her at 312-906-2299.

Two of my favorite experiences with United Way are brainstorming ideas with YLS members and sharing the impact our ideas have on the community through an event. Whether it is seeing stacks of toys from a successful toy drive or hearing the total volunteer hours that YLS members have contributed over the past year, it is a great feeling to think back to those initial discussions and see an idea become a reality with a powerful impact on our community.

I had always heard of United Way but did not know exactly what the organization did. A few years ago, when I started my first job, I received information about my company’s United Way campaign and it sparked my interest. I wondered like some of my colleagues: what is United Way and where is my money going?

When I received a flyer about YLS at one of the corporate campaign meetings, I decided to attend a YLS event to learn more. After that, my involvement continued to grow as I became a steering committee member and now the Chair of the Issue Awareness Committee. The journey continues!

I am so happy I attended that first YLS event. Now when co-workers ask about United Way, I can join in the dialogue about how United Way impacts our community and how a donation helps families in need in the Chicago area.

I continue to stay involved because of the positive impact and the people I have encountered through my involvement with United Way. I cannot express how much I enjoy working with the Issue Awareness Committee members, the United Way staff and all of the YLS members. I have also experienced so many great moments watching the youth I work with build confidence and set goals through the Stay in School mentoring program.

I LIVE UNITED through three simple words: I give, I advocate and I volunteer. I volunteer with YLS and the Stay in School program. I advocate by raising awareness of health and human services issues in the community through events with the YLS Issue Awareness committee. And with the state of the current economy, I think giving is more important than ever. I am striving this year to give in as many ways as possible: through monetary donations when I am able, giving my time and energy to agencies and promoting issue awareness. As budgets tighten, I think back to times in the past when people took the time to give to me. I want to honor the programs and issues that have helped shape my life. From after school programs at my elementary school in Southern Illinois to college students putting on a youth dance in my neighborhood, I am grateful to share in these experiences and look forward to continuing to make an impact.

Jessica Schaal
YLS Issue Awareness Chair
& Principal Tax Analyst, Exelon Corporation

Deloitte and Teaming for Technology Chicago (T4T) recently served up a day of education, networking and goal setting for more than 50 Chicago-area nonprofits. Nonprofit communications professionals and executive directors learned how integrating free social media networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, with a solid website can maximize communications initiatives.  Attendees also participated in a goal-setting session where seasoned technology management consultants from Deloitte discussed setting six-month, achievable technology goals. 

“At a time when funding dollars are sliding, organizations are asked to be creative with their communications budgets.  Deloitte and T4T are helping nonprofits look realistically at the economy and their budgets and balance current technology offerings.  Every organization needs to maximize every dollar earned and every hour spent,” said Alison Powers, social media associate for T4T. 

Nonprofits are encouraged to log onto the T4T website to register their organizations’ technology needs.  The T4T website links them with a volunteer information technology professional willing to share their experience, interest and skills. Deloitte Services LP is a global organization of more than 165,000 dedicated professionals providing audit, consulting, financial advisory, risk management and tax services to selected clients. The T4T workshop was held in conjunction with Deloitte’s Impact Day, a day the company sets aside its day-to-day operation and encourages employees to give their time and resources back to the community.  

T4T has engaged in a synergistic partnership with the Chicago branch of Deloitte’s consulting services for the past three years.  With the assistance of Deloitte and IBM, T4T has been able to achieve remarkable progress toward its mission of connecting local IT professionals willing to donate time or resources with nonprofits looking to advance their missions through the power of technology.