United Way’s Young Leaders Society (YLS) kicked off the season by collecting more than 70 toys and $900 for two United-Way funded programs at its holiday event. The event was sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP and hosted by YLS at the beautiful W Chicago Lakeshore on December 11.

All YLS events are issue-focused. This year’s YLS focus is on Educational Achievement. Representatives from United Way partner agencies, Ada S. McKinley Community Services and the Young Men’s Educational Network (YMEN), spoke about the specific issues affecting education achievement, their work, and the importance of volunteering and philanthropy.

The toys have been donated to Ada S. McKinley Foster Care Services Program for children who have been removed from their families because of abuse and/or neglect. YMEN, a member of United Way’s African American Initiative (the grassroots community initiative from United Way that targets young, African American males and helps them make a successful transition from adolescence to adulthood), received $900, which will go toward a special trip for the young men who participate in the program.