Evanston Hospital President J.P. Gallagher, United Way of Metropolitan Chicago CEO Laura Thrall, City of Evanston Director of Health and Human Services Evonda Thomas and Evanston Township School District 202 Superintendent Eric Witherspoon celebrate the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to create the Evanston Network of Care

Dr. Eric Witherspoon, Superintendent of Evanston Township School District 202 had an uncomfortable proposition for the room:

“If I told you that we’re all going to have a really good time here this morning…we’re going to take the ACT exam, I think, for many of you that would cause a considerable amount of stress, no matter how well you did on the test in high school.”

His audience of physicians, law enforcement officers, educators and social service providers laughed nervously.

“But if I said we’d all work on the test together, I have no doubt that — working together — we’d get a perfect score. That’s the power of partnership.”

The power of partnership is what brought together a newly-formed coalition led by United Way of the North Shore (a member of United Way of Metropolitan Chicago) and including more than 25 organizations throughout the City of Evanston to create the Evanston Network of Care. The Evanston Network of Care will be a collaborative and comprehensive system of care for children with mental illness and their families.

At a December kickoff event for the new collaboration, Evanston Hospital President J.P. Gallagher presented some sobering statistics — 1 in 10 Illinois children under the age of 19 suffer from a serious mental illness, but only 20% of those kids are receiving mental health services.

The goal of the Evanston Network of Care is to build on the city’s existing resources to establish a coordinated, community-based system that will improve the mental health and well-being of Evanston’s children and youth. This effort will bring together the city’s schools, social service groups, local government agencies, law enforcement and health care providers to create a seamless network of care for children and their families.

On January 6, 2010, the Evanston Network of Care applied for a $300,000 grant from the Illinois Children’s Healthcare Foundation to coordinate programming and crisis response for children in need of mental health services. Grants will be awarded this spring to communities that best show collaboration and innovative approaches to building a mental health system of care for children. If selected for this grant, the Evanston Network of Care would have the opportunity to receive additional funding every year for up to six years.

United Way of Metropolitan Chicago CEO Laura Thrall believes that the Evanston Network of Care will be a valuable community model for other cities and towns in the state. “This project and this grant exemplify the direction of the new United Way. By pulling all of these services together, we can do a much better job serving our communities.”

Evanston’s Director of Health and Human Services Evonda Thomas called the timing of the Evanston Network of Care “perfect,” noting the tragic 2009 suicide of a local fifth grader that shook the community. “We will leave no child without access to these critical services,” she said.

Evanston Network of Care Memorandum of Understanding

Economic hardship has affected millions of people from all walks of life, including those living in the North Shore area. Job cuts, medical bills, and the devastating housing market have led many local residents to seek the assistance from food pantries. Nationally in 2008, America’s Second Harvest reported an average 15-20% increase in the number of people turning to food pantries for help compared to the prior year. During the same time, New Trier Township alone has seen a 53% increase in the number of people requesting assistance.

The United Way of the North Shore, area food pantries, local businesses and volunteers have combined efforts to help residents in need by replenishing local food pantry shortages. As part of United Way’s Campaign Kick-Off week, you can make a difference by donating goods at local drop-off sites. Donated goods will be distributed among the New Trier Township Food Pantry, Morraine Township Food Pantry, Hemenway Church and the Salvation Army. United Way has set a goal to collect 10,000 pounds of food.

Collection boxes, donated by Pioneer Packaging, will be placed at local banks and businesses including:

• Harris Bank in Glencoe and Highland Park
• Coldwell-Banker in Glencoe, Highland Park, Northbrook, Evanston, Wilmette and Winnetka
• Northern Trust in Lake Forest, Highland Park, Glenview and Winnetka
• Evanston Libraries
• Evanston Civic Center
• Lake Bluff Public Library
• Sunset Foods in Highland Park
• National City Bank in Highland Park
• Bank of America in Highland Park
• Chase Bank in Highland Park
• United Way of the North Shore, at the Willow Hill Executive Offices

“While we can’t eradicate all of the need in our area, we can certainly make a difference. We are one community and we LIVE UNITED,” said Gary Von Glinow, Chief Professional Officer, United Way of the North Shore. “The time to give has never been greater and we hope as we launch our United Way campaign, that the 11 communities across the North Shore will come together to give, advocate and volunteer and contribute to our food drive October 3 through 10.”

For more information on how to participate, please call or e-mail United Way of the North Shore at (847) 999-2990 or uwnorthshore@uw-mc.org.

To make a donation or learn how you can become involved with the United Way in your community, please contact the United Way of the North Shore office at 847.999.2990 or visit the website at www.uwnorthshore.org.

United Way of the North Shore improves the lives of people in need by mobilizing the caring and financial power of communities. Serving the communities of Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka, Northfield, Glencoe, Highwood, Highland Park, Fort Sheridan, Lake Forest and Lake Bluff, United Way of the North Shore engages local volunteers to work together to invest the time, leadership and resources to make long-lasting change, so that people can become independent.