West Suburban United Way has named their Top 5 Corporate Partners for the 2007-2008 campaign season.  They are Cummins NPower of Hodgkins,   MacNeal Hospital of Berwyn, Target #732 of Cicero, Tru Vue of McCook, and the American Nuclear Society of La Grange Park.

“We can’t thank these companies enough for their generosity and the generosity of their employees,” stated Sharon Alberts, Chief Professional Officer of West Suburban.  “When companies lead the way by showing their support, the employees usually will follow.  We are so fortunate to have solid leadership in the corporate arena such as the companies that have made our Top 5 this year.  The corporate citizenship they exhibit really makes a difference in the communities where they are located.”

West Suburban United Way supports 59 programs at 28 different agencies serving our 18 communities in the West Suburban Metropolitan area.  Programs range from those for infants all the way through senior services. 

“The dollars these companies invest go toward making a lasting impact on the communities we serve.” commented Sharon Flaim, Board President of West Suburban United Way. “These companies, as well as all of our other partners, realize healthy communities reflect on the economy of the area.  It’s a win-win situation for everyone.  We invest in the programs that will make our communities and those that live in them a healthier place to live, work, and do business.  They are the backbone of our efforts and we appreciate everything that they do to help us further our mission.  We could not continue our efforts without them.”

Congratulations to West Suburban United Way’s Top 5 Corporate Partners and thank you to all our supporters, each one of you is special and your gifts are most appreciated.

These caring companies are being recognized on Friday, June 27, at the Chicago Hilton at the United Way Community Celebration.

Read more about our Top 5…

West Suburban United Way wants you to know that we have completed our Community Investment process for this year.  Even with your generous contributions and support, along with many other investors, we were unable to sustain our support to our agencies at the same level as last year.

Because we had to slightly decrease our support, the dollars you gave are more important than ever to the 59 different programs at 28 different agencies.

Thanks to the support of our community investors, we have been able to provide:

• $26,125 so the homeless can have a safe place to sleep at night.
• $11,210 to help families in transition to establish new homes.
• $71,440 for parents to have a safe place for their children to while they are at work.
• $141,050 to help seniors to live full independent lives.
• $29,450 to help families with no health insurance receive the necessary medication and check ups.
• $153,828 in order to help those with disabilities and their families lead full productive lives.
• $189,050 so people suffering from mental illness, ADD, and ADHD have someone to turn to.
• $94,050 so our children can grow to be strong, self-reliant members of our community.
• $83,125 to teach teens responsibility, respect for themselves, and others, and to keep them out of gangs.
• $14,725 for families battling substance abuse.
• $4,750 so people who need legal assistance know their rights under the law.
• $14,725 to help victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
• $17,860 so our communities grow stronger even in these uncertain times.

Investing in your community is important now more than ever.  We could not accomplish all of these things without your continuing support.  Please share this with others so they become aware of the work that is being done in our community.

LIVE UNITED! GIVE. ADVOCATE. VOLUNTEER.

At an award reception held at the La Grange Park District, Sharon Flaim was honored for her volunteer efforts on behalf of one of our partner agencies, Community Support Services.

Community Support Services provides services to support the developmentally disabled and their families.

“What most people don’t realize is that Sharon volunteers not only as the President for West Suburban United Way, but also at about half of our partner agencies along with the Western Springs Rotary and the West Suburban Chamber of Commerce”, statedSharon Alberts, Chief Professional Officer of West Suburban United Way. “She is a truly remarkable woman.

Sharon, a gourmet cook, has even offered to cater a luncheon for the partner agency staff that has the most growth in their United Way Campaign this year. “I believe in challenging people to do their best for others”, says Flaim. “And the only way I know how to do that is by setting an example in my own life.”

Congratulations Sharon for the much deserved recognition. And thank you for all that you do for so many.

West Suburban United Way is shifting its focus on program funding to Community Impact funding for the 2007-2008 funding cycle.

We feel that through funding community impact areas we can more effectively move the needle to make a lasting impact on the focus area we are defining. Issues that affect the community are being identified through regional community conversations held in various locations throughout our area. Once identified, we will formulate solutions and plans to address these issues, and invest our donors’ gifts accordingly.

This is being done throughout the Chicago Metropolitan region. Then the impact areas will be aligned with other United Ways to simplify our processes for our investors and for our agencies. This way we can coordinate and collaborate with our partners and stakeholders to make a more lasting impact on these issues for the people in our community.

Putting our resources to work in the most effective way possible, in conjunction with enriching the lives of those family members and neighbors that have come to depend on us, is still our primary goal and mission. We are just looking at ways to do this in the most efficient and effective way possible.

The transition from Program Funding to Community Impact will not happen overnight. We want to take our time and get everyone’s input so that it is done in the most seamless way possible. There will be no interruption of funded services due to this transition. Everyone should just start to see and feel the results.

We cannot continue on our journey to lasting Community Impact without the continuing support of our investors. Investors are just what you are, when you make a donation to United Way you are making an investment in the future of your community. You not only help people, but you make a real lasting impact on your community.

The American Nuclear Society (ANS), was established on December 11, 1954, to promote the awareness, understanding, and application of nuclear science and technology.  For the last 32 years, ANS has been located in the historic Oak School building in La Grange Park, Illinois.

As a fellow not-for-profit organization, ANS recognizes the necessity of a strong community.  It has a long-established partnership with West Suburban United Way, in fact, housing their office.

With a workforce of 54 employees, ANS stands with West Suburban United Way to help the people of the community to live better lives.  In 2008, ANS has been named as one of our Top 5 Corporate Partners.

Thank you, American Nuclear Society, for all your support not only monetarily, but through actions to support the work of the West Suburban United Way.

Tru Vue, Inc. is the market leader and innovator in the protection, conservation and visual appearance of all things framed and displayed.

For over 30 years Tru Vue^® has been dedicated to providing high-quality glazing products to the picture framing industry including both glass and acrylic products.  Because of their state-of-the-art technologies and innovative spirit they continue to set the standard as the industry’s premier glazing supplier. 

Tru Vue is headquartered in McCook, Illinois, and has locations in Faribault, Minnesota; Lakeland, Florida and Tempe, Arizona and is a subsidiary of Apogee Enterprises (APOG on NASDAQ).  For more information visit www.ilovemuseumglass.com or www.tru-vue.com. 

The last two years, Tru Vue’s parent company Apogee Enterprises was named by Business Ethic’s magazine as one of the Top 100 corporate citizens in its annual publication.

Tru Vue National Campaign

Total Donated to United Way        $ 17,530

Total Employee who participated   over 70

Company Matched                      $ 5,000

Other Notes:

Held bake sale and raffles to encourage employee participation

From national partnerships to local initiatives, to our own programs, Target is committed to making our communities better places to live. The United Way campaign is run locally and supported by their staff.  Many of their staff also use local United Way agencies. 

They support the arts by sponsoring free attendance days, encourage our team members to volunteer and donate generously to charities, and have created initiatives that make a profound impact, including Take Charge of Education®, which has raised more than $200 million for schools since 1997. Or Start Something®, their partnership with the Tiger Woods Foundation that helps kids build character as they identify and achieve their dreams. From the beginning, Target Corporation has given 5% of pretax profits to good causes; today they are giving back over $3 million a week to education, the arts and social services.

MacNeal Hospital, for nearly a century has been providing quality healthcare to the Berwyn community and its surrounding area, and is a long time corporate citizen, for over ten years to West Suburban United Way.  Families continue to trust us with the care of their loved ones because of the strong relationships we’ve built with them over the years. And as our community grows, MacNeal consistently expands our scope of care to keep every generation of your family growing strong.

Today, the MacNeal Health Network serves the healthcare needs of more than one million people in the near west and southwest suburbs of Chicago. Along with MacNeal Hospital, a 427-bed fully accredited teaching hospital, their our network is comprised of ten primary care centers, a resource library, a school for at-risk children and many other programs. Nearly 90% of our 400 physicians are board-certified, and many speak Spanish. This breadth of service at MacNeal ensures that you and your family receive the level of care you deserve, year after year.

 Cummins NPower is a premier engine and power generation systems distributor.  They are located locally in Hodgkins, Illinois, and are a long-time partner of West Suburban United Way.

Their local campaign is just a part of the nationwide partnership with United Ways all over the country.  This year alone, employees raised over $60,584, a 29% increase in contributions.  Add to that corporate matching funds of over $64,000 and you have a new record of 5% above last year.

Locally the tie goes much deeper that mere dollars raised.  The Hodgkins plant boasts several volunteers for West Suburban United Way, including Regional Vice President Michael Angus, who is on the Board of Directors.  The entire plant stands behind United Way through various events and opportunities.

West Suburban United Way is proud to call Cummins NPower our Top Corporate Partner.

We are selling Golf Players’ Passbooks for $40 to support our partner agencies.

More exciting details about the passbooks:

• Pay half-price green fees all year long.
• Play discount golf even on weekends.
• Play great courses in your area including 1,000 courses nationwide.
• Save $20 to $50 every time you golf.

It’s the perfect gift for you or your favorite golfer!

You can find out more about Players Pass at their website: www.playerspass.com.

For more information, please contact Amy Wolff at awolff@uw-mc.org or 708-352-7614. The more dollars we are able to invest in our 18 communities, the more we can support our friends and neighbors who need help.

Thank you in advance for your support!