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The United Way Young Leaders Society has had a fantastic start since its inception in August this year. Our inaugural event at Bella Lounge sparked a great deal of interest in the group.

The event was followed by a Day of Caring in late October. YLS volunteers spent a Saturday morning painting Albany Park Community Center’s new office. Savings to the agency were estimated at $1,500 in labor costs because of YLS members’ efforts.

Right: On December 12, the Young Leaders Society hosted a Holiday Toy Drive at the beautiful W Hotel. On this occasion, YLS members donated over 150 toys and nearly $300 to children whose parents receive legal assistance through Metropolitan’s Legal Aid Bureau at 1 North Dearborn.

Our Mission:

The mission of the Young Leaders Society is to encourage young community stakeholders to have a positive impact on their community through awareness-building, volunteer involvement and philanthropy.

YLS gives participants the opportunity to:

Learn: Gain knowledge about issues affecting our community through workshops and events.

Lead: Gain new leadership skills through interaction with community leaders. You can also join key United Way leadership committees or help evaluate site reviews during funding cycles.

Volunteer: Participate in community group volunteer activities. Depending on your schedule, we can help you choose an activity/cause that interests you… and a friend.

Network: Meet new people from different industries who share your commitment to community-building. Attend fun social activities such as wine tasting and bowling events.

Give: Learn how your contribution helps the metropolitan Chicago area.

On Saturday, October 28th, more than 30 young professionals from across Metropolitan Chicago traded in their Blackberry for a paint brush and took part in a United Way Day of Caring hosted by the Young Leaders Society (YLS). YLS members rolled up their sleeves and spent the morning painting the Albany Park Community Center offices helping to create a warm and welcoming environment for their clients and staff. More importantly, they saved the center an estimated $2,000 in costs by donating the man-hours.

“We appreciate the hard work of the United Way Young Leaders Society. They will be in the hearts of our staff for a long time,” said Tim O’Donohue, senior director of youth and intervention programs at the center.

Albany Park Community Center provides a wide range of United Way funded programs that help individuals and families achieve self sufficiency—including Head Start and youth programs, employment counseling, neighborhood planning, business development, literacy and adult education. For more information on the Young Leaders Society, contact Shilpa Bavikatte.

Pictured: Holly Bolger and Shruti Mehta from Deloitte at the Young Leaders Society Day of Caring.