SSW Partner Agency Spotlight
Year End Spotlight 2011
We are proud to present our newest highlighted program:
South-Southwest Suburban United Way is pleased to announce Respond Now as our Year End Spotlight for 2011. Respond Now was founded in 1969 as an effort of local church members who recognized a need in the community beyond what government assistance offered. Respond Now exists to provide immediate relief for residents of the Chicago south suburbs who are in need while maintaining their dignity and affording respect by helping people through their temporary emergencies with financial assistance, providing food to families and individuals in need and providing sound referrals and counseling for other needed services. In FY 2011, Respond Now served more than 12,000 families with a variety of services. This number demonstrates the constant need in the communities where we provide food panties, homelessness prevention, prescription medication, clothing and transportation.
1. How do your programs help clients improve their lives and make lasting changes?
Our programs allow families to maintain basic stability so that they can either move towards their goals in life and/or access those things that we all need on a day-to-day basis (food, shelter, clothing, etc.).
2. How has South-Southwest Suburban United Way helped your agency fulfill its mission?
Beyond the financial support, South-Southwest Suburban United Way has provided opportunities for networking, technical assistance and forwarded volunteers to us so that we can complete our work on a daily basis.
3. What’s the most interesting aspect of your job?
The most interesting aspect is the people; people are the heart of what we do and the reason why we are here.
4. What is the most challenging aspect of your job?
The most challenging aspect is the number of different duties that an Executive Director of a small non-profit must complete: accounting, program development, human resources, fundraising, program implementation, volunteer relations, etc.
5. What can members of our community looking to GIVE, ADVOCATE, and VOLUNTEER do for your agency?
There is a lot that can be done for Respond Now. People can organize food and toy drives, advocate at the state level to restore Homelessness Prevention funding, volunteer to see clients, answer phones and keep our office organized!
6. How do you LIVE UNITED?
I enjoy coming to work everyday. We’ve all had jobs where on Saturday morning we dread going back to work on Monday. I’ve never had that experience at Respond Now because there is always an interesting challenge and deserving family that we can help. Being able to do good for a living is a great feeling each and every day.
South-Southwest Suburban United Way staff and volunteers lent a helping hand at Respond Now’s Christmas store, where we helped over 800 deserving individuals throughout the day with winter necessities such as coats, hats, gloves and scarves along with toys and presents for the holidays. A special thanks to John Camer and UPS for their support.
For more information about Respond Now, click here.
Text and logo provided courtesy of Carl Wolf, Executive Director of Respond Now.
December 2011
We are proud to present our newest highlighted program:
Together We Cope
South-Southwest Suburban United Way is pleased to announce Together We Cope (TWC) as the Agency Spotlight for December 2011. Together We Cope was founded in 1982 to bridge the gap from homelessness to self-sufficiency and has helped over 12,000 families. By providing temporary financial assistance in the form of past-due rent/mortgage and utility payments, food, clothing and educational seminars, families in crisis can remain housed. The financial stability program, open to all, helps community members become savvy consumers and face their finances with knowledge instead of dread.
1. How do your programs help clients improve their lives and make lasting changes?
Clients receiving assistance from TWC become members of a community that works to stabilize the entire household. By providing food, clothing, housing, support and financial services, we are able to make a positive, lasting impact on both adults and children. Our Families First Housing Program and Back to School and Holiday events are especially important to families. Under the direction of United Way, we have developed the HUB Program. This program allows us to develop a network of resources and provide case-management to clients with multiple or unusual needs.
2. How has South-Southwest Suburban United Way helped your agency fulfill its mission?
The emotional, technical and financial support provided by South-Southwest Suburban United Way has paved the way to greater opportunities and more efficient services for residents of Bremen, Orland, Palos and Worth Townships. Educating and challenging us to develop new and better programs while holding us accountable for reporting and outcomes, results in better service delivery.
3. What’s the most interesting aspect of your job?
The daily interaction of volunteers, donors and staff constantly fine-tuning the way we serve our clients is the most interesting aspect.
4. What is the most challenging aspect of your job?
Being able to reach everyone who needs our help is a daily challenge. Food clients alone now number 80 families each six-hour day of the week. Our physical space is limited even though our staff and volunteers are willing.
5. What can members of our community looking to GIVE, ADVOCATE, and VOLUNTEER do for your agency?
To those of you willing to help, we would appreciate assistance in securing food, clothing and monetary donations. Hosting a food drive or fundraiser reduces the time it takes us to organize and implement these and allows us to spend more time on service delivery.
6. How do you LIVE UNITED?
One way that we LIVE UNITED is by involving the community in our mission. We currently have 150 area residents who volunteer their time on a regular basis to our various programs. We also have regular participation in our programs from local churches, businesses, schools and civic organizations. Another way we LIVE UNITED is working to strengthen our neighborhoods by seeing to the needs of residents who are struggling to become self-sufficient. Most of our clients reach self-sufficiency within one year of working with us, and often become active in their communities as a result.
For more information about Together We Cope, click here.
Text, logo and photograph provided courtesy of Kathy Straniero, Executive Director of Together We Cope.
November 2011
We are proud to present our newest highlighted program:
Ford Heights Community Service Organization
South-Southwest Suburban United Way is pleased to announce Ford Heights Community Service Organization (FHCSO) as the Agency Spotlight for November 2011. FHCSO was founded in 1968 providing an array of services to its clients. The agency’s core mission is to “improve the quality of life for the underprivileged and to assist others in a time of crisis” emphasizing emergency, supportive and educational services to individuals and families until they stabilize.
1. How do your programs help clients improve their lives and make lasting changes?
FHCSO practices a one stop approach to service delivery, which in many situations provides holistic services to families and individuals. Our ability to offer a variety of services and meaningful referrals have resulted in clients often securing permanent and/or long term housing, vocational and job readiness training, in addition to employment assistance.
2. How has South-Southwest Suburban United Way helped your agency fulfill its mission?
United Way has become an integral part of the agency by providing technical support, capacity building opportunities as well as funding under financial stability initiatives which has enhanced our efforts in providing vocational and job readiness training to selected individuals.
3. What’s the most interesting aspect of your job?
The ability to work with staff members and volunteers who are dedicated and share my vision and commitment to providing quality and diverse services to residents of Ford Heights and other guests within our service area.
4. What is the most challenging aspect of your job?
In these current challenging economic times, maintaining a strong volunteer base and most importantly securing and sustaining adequate funding to provide much needed services to deserving individuals and families is the most difficult task.
5. What can members of our community looking to GIVE, ADVOCATE and VOLUNTEER do for your agency?
FHCSO appreciates the donations that we have received from United Way’s efforts to secure contributions towards our program and funding goals. Volunteers with expertise in counseling, medical services and other areas are much needed and welcomed.
6. How do you LIVE UNITED?
We share the same LIVE UNITED goals as United Way demonstrates by providing educational, employment and health and wellness services.
For more information about Ford Heights Community Service Organization click here.
Text, logo and photograph provided courtesy of Angelia Smith, Executive Director of Ford Heights Community Service Organization