As originally published in the State Journal-Register on June 25, 2023
By: Amy Beadle, Incoming Board Chair, United Way of Central Illinois
Since 2011, the United Way of Central Illinois has been an important part of my life, both professionally and personally. It is an honor and privilege to serve as the Chairman of the Board of Directors in the coming year. Serving as the twelfth female chair in the past 100 years brings even more meaning to the opportunity. Leading by example in the community, for crucial organizations like the United Way, my hope is to provide inspiration for women of all ages to not only sit at the table but sit at the head of any table.
Thank you to Evan Davis, Memorial Health for his outstanding leadership over the last year. Evan’s time, talents and perspective have been greatly appreciated.
On behalf of the United Way, we also want to express sincere gratitude for the outgoing Board of Directors: Carolyn Blackwell and Roger Austin. Your commitment to the United Way and to our community as whole does not go unnoticed, we thank you!
Critical to the success of our United Way are the Vision Councils, led by a group of dedicated and talented volunteers. These volunteers serve on a long-term basis to assess the best investment opportunities for community impact in our key funding areas of Basic Needs, Education, Financial Stability, and Health. In turn, they hold United Way and their partners accountable. These volunteers are individuals who have lived, worked, and done extensive research in the issue areas, thereby understanding community needs and bringing their passion and knowledge to the table for the good of all.
Over the past nine years, our Vision Councils have overseen millions of dollars in investments, impacted the lives of tens of thousands of children and adults, and provided valuable insights that have strengthened our services tremendously.
Celebrating 100 years in the community, the UWCIL is the largest provider of social service funding and will continue to support Sangamon and Menard Counties. Outreach is being expanded in the Menard County area, with a goal to be sure that there is ongoing communication regarding needs in the area, communication is flowing in both directions and deeper connections are made. We are looking forward to seeing this flourish in 2023 and beyond.
Everything we do is made possible by the generosity of the organizations and individuals that make our mission possible. We value their unwavering support throughout the years and are looking forward to the next 100!
Personally, one of my favorite United Way initiatives is the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. Since launching Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, UWCIL has provided more than 169,000 books to help children across Sangamon and Menard Counties to share the joy of reading at home! A small investment will have a tremendous impact on families and their futures. The program helps parents and children begin a lifelong journey of learning together. Children receive a free book per month from birth to age 5, a collection of 60 total books. The program is open to all children, under the age of 5, who live in Sangamon and Menard Counties, and it is completely free to families — they just have to sign up!
We were excited to relaunch Dine United in 2022 and will be looking forward to partnering with as many area restaurants and establishments again this year to continue to build the momentum back for this fantastic program that wraps around the entire United Way service area.
New this year, the Campaign Kick-off event will be all paddles and more fun than the name, Pickleball! Be sure to keep an eye out for the Battle of the Paddle, sponsored by Hickory Point Bank, at coming up in September 2023.
There is always a tremendous amount of work ahead, however, with the United Way staff, Board of Directors, Vision Council volunteers and a community at the ready, anything and everything is possible. I am confident and excited that the next 100 years will be even more fantastic than the last.
Amy Beadle, 2023-24 Board Chair of United Way of Central IL and Marketing Manager with the City of Springfield, Convention & Visitors Bureau. Learn more about the UWCIL by visiting their website at UWCIL.org and be sure to follow them on social media @UnitedWayofCentralIllinois on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.