October Newsletter
United Way of Greater McHenry County Raises the Bar With the 2017-18 #GiveWhereYouLive Campaign
Pictured above from left: Captain Carol Lewis (Salvation Army), Leslie Blake (Big Brothers Big Sisters), Serena Carrera (BMO Harris Bank), Brian DiBona (McHenry County College), Jamie Maravich (BMO Harris Bank), Carole Peters (United Way), Robyn Ostrem (Sage YMCA), Bob Clark (United Way).
United Way fights for the health, education and independence of every person in McHenry County.
Your Company Could Be The Next One Jumping For Joy

Every year we recognize companies and individuals who are doing extraordinary things for United Way of Greater McHenry County and who go above and beyond to make an impact in our community!

Each June, at our annual dinner, we honor those who stand out during our campaign season! Make sure your company is on the list!

Check out the awards we are giving out at our dinner and make sure you are a part of our special night!
  • Breakthrough Campaign Award
  • Innovative Campaign Award
  • UNITED Participation Award
  • Paul Schipp Memorial Volunteer Award
  • Milestone Award
  • Blackboard Award
  • Social Buzz Award
Get Ready to do a 5K with United Way at the Human Race

What better time to look for your superhero costume than Halloween? Mark your calendars and SAVE THE DATE for the Volunteer Center of McHenry County's Annual Human Race on Sunday, April 22, 2018!

United Way is looking for participants to join under TEAM UNITED and give the money raised from registration and pledges to our #GiveWhereYouLive Campaign!

Registration begins on December 1st through the Volunteer Center.
NEW Campaign Launches
United Way of Greater McHenry County Welcomed BRAND NEW Campaigns this September!
Harvard Community Unit School District 50

McHenry Community High School District 156

Cary Community Consolidated School District 26

Prairie Community Bank
United Way News 
Sign Up Today to Join Our November Day of Caring
What better way to inspire more people to join us than engaging them in a meaningful activity? After meeting with our donors, the consensus was United Way needed to organize a Day Of Caring! As a result, we have asked our 30 partner agencies to submit projects that will be completed during the months of November and February. If you are interested in getting involved with your group or would like more information, contact Carole Peters at  cpeters@uwmchenry.org.
Raise Money With Special Fundraisers
Hosting special fundraisers can often generate extra awareness, extra funds and a whole lot of fun! Need ideas on simple things you can implement? Take a look at what some of our partners have been doing this last month to add to their campaign:
  • PolyOne Corporation put on a carnival to mark the last day of their campaign, including a cake walk and Pie in the Face.
  • Follett School Solutions sold raffle tickets for prizes collected by the campaign team.
  • Charter Dura-Bar hosted a Fall Festival with different themes each day, including a bake sale!
  • The City of Woodstock held a Chili Cook-off fundraiser and United Way was a guest judge!
  • Induction Heat Treating Corporation organized a United We Dine fundraiser at Buffalo Wild Wings with proceeds coming back to United Way.

Interested in hosting your own special fundraiser with co-workers or friends? Contact us...we'd love to support you!
Don't Forget that Giving Tuesday is November 28th
Make United Way of Greater McHenry County your charity of choice on #GivingTuesday and be a part of our #GiveWhereYouLive Campaign! On November 28th, you can easily donate online on our website at uwmchenry.org spread the word on social media that you participated! United Way helps your dollar go further by reaching 30 local nonprofit agencies and supporting 48 programs in the arena of health, education and independence! Last year, we were able to help over 91,900 people in McHenry County through our partner agencies! That's 1 out of every 4 people! Don't want to wait until Giving Tuesday to make a difference?
Donate today at uwmchenry.org!
Did You Know?
Want to learn some inspiring history on our local United Way?  Follow along with us on our Facebook page and get our Fifty Years of Facts starting November 1st! Learn about how we got started, who are the local people that advocated our mission through the years, and see the ways we gave back through our partner agencies and the funds we raised.
The upcoming holidays can be an overwhelming and stressful time. Keep in mind United Way 2-1-1 is a free and easy way for everyone to access help with almost any challenge. Dialing 2-1-1 from any phone in the county will connect you to a confidential call center, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
MCHELP App is a quick click to reach immediate crisis support and information via text or voice. Everyone in McHenry County will benefit from the app which easily downloads on mobile devices. United Way is proud to collaborate on MCHELP with the McHenry County Community Foundation, McHenry County Mental Health Board and Centegra/McHenry County Crisis Line.