Turning Compassion Into Action
Our work is driven by four interconnected focus areas: Community Resiliency, Healthy Community, Youth Opportunity, and Financial Security. Together, they guide our efforts to meet community needs, create opportunities, and help all residents thrive.
With your help, we provide hope and help for those who need it most - those who are hurting, lost, broken, or suffering. Through our work and the vital programs we help make available, those in need learn that life doesn't have to remain hopeless or deeply difficult.
A gift to United Way of Lake County stays in Lake County, helping our own friends and neighbors in need.
Youth Opportunity
We work to help children overcome current challenges and those that may lead to future setbacks by helping them realize their full potential. We support initiatives that include early literacy development programs, summer learning, reading programs, mentoring programs, early intervention programs for children with developmental concerns or identified disabilities, and more.
Financial Stability
Nearly one-third of Lake County households face barriers to self-sufficiency. These are Lake County residents who live in poverty or barely above, earning more than the federal poverty level but less than the cost of living (ALICE** households). Learn more here. We invest in programs that help people achieve stability and thrive, including food assistance, rental and tax assistance programs, shelter and support services for those experiencing homelessness, and more.
Healthy Community
Too many individuals in Lake County live in distress due to being uninsured or underinsured. When it comes to accessing health services, a person’s zip code, standing in life, and job and financial status serve as harsh barriers to quality care. At United Way of Lake County, we mobilize resources and community partnerships to help build a healthier Lake County where everyone can thrive. We invest in programs that increase access to medical and dental care, strengthen mental health and wellness, provide shelter and support for victims of domestic violence, provide care and services for babies and older adults, and address other critical health needs throughout our community.
Community Resiliency
At United Way of Lake County, we work to strengthen community resiliency by mobilizing resources, fostering collaboration, and connecting residents to the support they need. Through our funding of Lake County's 2-1-1 health and human services referral program, as well as the lead role we play in initiatives such as the Back-to-School Bash for children in need, Code Blue and Heat Index alerts, and poverty simulations, we help our community respond to challenges, recover from crises, and build a stronger future where all can thrive.