Vaughn: Kishwaukee United Way’s 211 Talk Show highlights United Way of Lee County

The Kishwaukee United Way’s 211 Talk Show highlights local community agencies and leaders to discuss available resources with residents.

The show launched in the fall of 2023 and featured a variety of guest speakers who are involved in building a thriving community by sharing helpful resources that aim to provide a hand-up to residents.

Most recently, the show shared its platform with Ashley Richter, executive director of United Way of Lee County. Two of their programs were discussed on the show: Summer Eats and Little Libraries.

Summer Eats provides free meals to Lee County children beginning May 31. United Way of Lee County will provide free meals to all children and teens in Lee County throughout the summer. Kids and teens will be able to get a grab-and-go meal from one of their partner agency sites.

The other program discussed on the 2-1-1 talk show was Little Libraries. Through Little Free Libraries, hundreds of books are exchanged yearly, increasing access to books for readers of all ages and backgrounds.

Richter grew up in Erie, Illinois, and has lived in the Sauk Valley area for the past nine years. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts and Communication Studies from Augustana College in 2013 and received her Master’s in Community and Economic Development from Western Illinois University in 2020. She worked at the Sterling-Rock Falls Family YMCA for eight years and worked her way up from a part-time position into the role of Marketing and Development Director.

Ashley recently took on the role of executive director for United Way of Lee County. She loves being involved in the community and working for such a dynamic organization. She was a Rock Falls Chamber Ambassador for eight years and served on the Sterling Economic Vitality Committee. She is a Dixon Rotarian and is actively involved in local theatre.

Kishwaukee United Way is committed to sharing community resources and expanding its 2-1-1 program to ensure hopeful opportunities are extended to residents.

To learn more about Kishwaukee United Way, visit www.kishwaukeeunitedway.com.

• Michele Vaughn, Ed.D., is executive director/president of Kishwaukee United Way.