United Way works to understand the needs in each local community and fund the network of programs that best address those needs, or launch initiatives that will. Three United Way initiatives are making headway in tackling some of the toughest health and human service issues that face our region.

The United Way African American Initiative (AAI) was launched three years ago and took a unique approach to dealing with a specific issue—the successful transition of African American males into adulthood. Four agency leads and communities had been identified to participate in the Initiative:

• Teamwork Englewood in Englewood,
• Centers for New Horizons in the Bronzeville/Grand Boulevard communities
• Metropolitan Family Services in Roseland
• YMEN and Lawndale Christian Health Center in North Lawndale.

These neighborhoods and the agency leads were selected to draw upon the entire community– from church congregations, neighborhood business, school administrators and the youth – to devise community-wide interactions that support young boys ages 10-16 as they develop into young men.

Now in Phase Two, the AAI participants are launching their plans to help their individual communities achieve three long term outcomes for their community’s youth:

• Youth understand the value of staying in school.
• Youth develop a positive understanding of employment opportunities and possibilities.
• Youth understand and assume healthy family and social roles that help them become positive young adults.

AAI has received amazing support from individuals and corporations alike. In 2005, Harris Bank challenged the region to give at the Leadership level and committed to match 2-to-1 every gift of $1,000 or more to AAI. In 2006, ComEd stepped up to sponsor the Challenge Grant offering the same incentive and ensuring that the initiative did not lose momentum. As we enter the third year, BlueCross BlueShield has pick up the mantle to support this important community engagement work as the AAI Challenge Grant sponsor for Campaign 2007.

The Immunization Initiative works with the community to ensure that its youngest children are properly immunized each year. This initiative was created when according to a city-wide immunization assessment conducted by the Chicago Department of Public Health, Austin’s on-time immunization rate for pre-school age children was dangerously low. Hundreds of children were at risk of acquiring preventable diseases that could cause devastating long-term consequences, even death.

United Way and the Chicago Department of Public Health and many community partners focused their effort on home-based daycare providers because licensed daycare facilities require all kids to be immunized prior to school enrollment. These home providers were given the tools to monitor immunizations for the children in their care and educate parents about the importance of vaccinations. Due to the success in Austin, United Way is replicating the Immunization Initiative in Humboldt Park, where low immunization rates for pre-school age children are also prevalent. The Humboldt Park initiative is set to begin this year.

The United Way Latino Initiative (LI) is the most recent United Way initiative. This initiative will focus on helping youth transition successfully into adulthood, particularly in communities of rapid growth. Latinos are the largest ethnic minority group in metropolitan Chicago, representing 20% of the population and Chicago has the third-largest Latino population of all U.S. cities.

The initiative will support programs that center on families building connections to the community. Development of the Latino Initiative involved agency partners who serve a Latino client base of 40% or higher and a panel of experts that represented corporations, academics, foundations and advocacy groups. Initiative efforts will take a community-based approach, reaching out to parents, agencies, churches, schools, law enforcement, government officials and Latino youth to help create a sustainable plan for Latino youth development that can be replicated throughout the region. The implementation phase of the LI will begin next year.

To read more about the initiative, please visit our website.