The United Way
Suburban Venture Investment Program

In the last ten years, the limited-English-speaking population in the suburbs has grown at twice the rate of the City of Chicago (due in large part to the fact that affordable housing tends to be more available in the suburbs). This growing population has unique needs that the health and human service providers in the suburbs are not yet fully equipped to address.

United Way of Metropolitan Chicago launched the Suburban Venture Investment Program to help agencies build the capacity they need to support the growing limited-English-speaking population toward self-sufficiency.

The program is currently providing financial assistance to nine, new community programs. Following is a summary of a few of those programs:

  • Access Community Health Network in the West and Southwestern suburbs identified that many limited-English-speaking families were seeking medical treatment at local emergency rooms rather than accessing ongoing preventative care. The agency's new venture-funded program provides outreach to Spanish speaking populations to link them with existing healthcare programs at Access Community Health Network clinics.

  • Family Services of South Lake County in Wheeling and Buffalo Grove noted that many limited-English-speaking individuals wanted to learn English but were simply unable to attend existing ESL programs. Many of these people were working multiple jobs just to make ends meet, and therefore couldn't make it to class. Others were unable to arrange or afford childcare for evening and weekend classes. Thanks to the United Way venture funding, Family Services (in collaboration with DePaul University) has launched an innovative solution that enables families to fit ESL into their everyday schedules. Instructors go to the home or even join families on shopping trips, doctor visits and other errands, teaching them English in everyday settings and during their existing schedules.

  • Children's Home & Aid Society of Illinois (CHASI) in Dundee Township noted that many childcare providers (who were now serving more children of limited-English-speaking parents) were not equipped to provide referrals for families in need of supports such as food assistance, job training ESL classes etc. The United Way venture program enabled Children's Home & Aid Society to develop a centralized Information and Referral service; childcare providers and families within the childcare network may call the I&R service at any time for advice and referral information.

    • A woman