Anyone can champion the cause.  Whether you're speaking out to improve education, income and health, reaching out to members of Congress, or wearing the LIVE UNITED shirt to show your support, you can help inspire hope and create opportunities for a better tomorrow.  So go ahead and advocate in a LIVE UNITED world.  Do it in public.  Be visible. Be loud.

6.01.09 Illinois State Budget: A Call to Action

United Way of Lake County is deeply concerned about the implications of this year's state budget and the cuts that may be made at the expense of health and human services. I have spoken with several legislative leaders this morning and they told me they are getting many, many calls from citizens who don't want their taxes raised, and few calls from the public regarding social service cuts. 
 
The leaders I have spoken with this morning suggest we do the following and I invite you to join us in taking action:
 
1.  Write your local legislators:  Rally staff, board and volunteers to make calls and fax letters to their legislators letting them know how devastating it will be for people in Lake County if funding for services is cut. Communication to the House and Senate leadership would be very helpful.
 
2. Letters to the Editor:  These are key - they help educate the public about the implications of cuts in services.   Please consider using 2-3 facts about the implication s of the proposed state budget cuts  to our own agency,  the services we provide, and how it will impact our clients and the community.
 
Please use this link for a contact list of Lake County legislators for this campaign.  Please send your signed Letters to the Editor to the local and regional newspapers in your area. 

We hope you will join us in this effort to minimize the state budget cuts to health and human service programs.   If you have other suggestions for effective strategies, please contact me.
 
Thank you for your support. 
 
Kristi Long
President & CEO
United Way of Lake County

2.25.09 Serve America Act and the Volunteer Generation Fund

If you watched the President's Address to Congress last night you saw him call upon Congress to make service central to our nation's recovery, renewal, and retaking of responsibility for our future:
 
"To encourage a renewed spirit of national service for this and future generations, I ask this Congress to send me the bipartisan legislation that bears the name of Senator Orrin Hatch as well as an American who has never stopped asking what he can do for his country - Senator Edward Kennedy."
 
The Serve America Act, originally introduced by Senators Kennedy and Hatch at the Service Nation Summit in New York City, last September calls for dramatically expanding opportunities for all Americans to serve in their communities. 
 
The bill includes a Volunteer Generation Fund which authorizes a total of $360 million over the next five years to invest exclusively, and for the first time, in volunteer infrastructure.   This provision authorizes-a proposal which Points of Light Institute and HandsOn Network has championed over the last several years and particularly during the formation of the Serve America Act. 
 
For more details on the Serve America Act and the Volunteer Generation Fund, go here.
 
We believe that this declaration from the President will kick start the legislative process to pass Serve America and a companion reauthorization bill in the House this spring. 
 
This morning at 10:00am Eastern Time, the House Committee on Education and Labor will hold their first full committee hearing of the 111th Congress on service.  You may access the hearing live starting at 10:00 am on the Committee's website at http://edlabor.house.gov/  by clicking the "Live Webcast" button. 
 
Now is the time to echo the President and urge your Members of Congress to pass comprehensive national and community service legislation.

To call the House of Representatives, call 202-225-3121 and ask to be connected with your House member.   
For the Senate, call 202-224-3121, ask for both of your Senator's offices.

Tell them that you support President Obama's call to service and ask them to support the Serve America Act on behalf of the thousands of nonprofits in your community that benefit from the vital resource of volunteers. 

2.09.09 Major public policy victory; message from President and CEO of United Way of America

Colleagues:

I want to be sure you are aware of a major national public policy victory in which United Way played a key role.
As you know, one of our 10-year-goals is to increase by one-third the number of youth and adults who are healthy and avoid risky behavior.  A key indicator for that goal is the number of children under the age of 18 who are uninsured.  Currently, nine million children in the U.S. do not have health insurance.

The State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) is a proven jointly financed State/Federal program for dramatically decreasing the number of uninsured children.  Yet, while millions of uninsured children are eligible for SCHIP coverage, there is simply not sufficient funding to enroll them.  Clearly, SCHIP is one of United Way’s top public policy priorities.  United Way of America has been urging Congress to significantly expand the SCHIP program for more than 3 years.

I am extremely proud to tell you that yesterday President Obama signed into law the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009.  In addition to reauthorizing SCHIP, Congress increased the funding by $32.8 billion over the next 4 1/2 years.  This will cover an additional 4.1 million uninsured children.

United Way of America’s public policy team has worked tirelessly (and closely with our partners such as First Focus) to ensure our nation’s children have access to affordable, quality health care.  However, without the efforts of the entire United Way system and the many calls and letters to Congressional offices by local United Ways, yesterday’s outcome may never have occurred.

Thank you for your important contribution to this dramatic step towards meeting our goals.  Your leadership coupled with the good work of your volunteers and staff made a big difference yesterday.

Brian A. Gallagher
President and CEO
United Way

2.05.09 Sign an open letter to the new administration on behalf of the First Five Years Fund.

One of United Way’s early childhood advocacy partners is seeking business leaders from across the country to sign
an open letter to President Obama, urging his Administration to invest in early childhood care and education.

(learn more and sign the letter here)