Be a Herald Angel by supporting United Way of Grundy County

In this season of caring, Morris Herald-News teams up with United Way of Grundy County to make it easy to brighten the lives of children, senior citizens and neighbors.

United Way has mastered the art of impactful giving, steering community donations to more than 50 programs that make a difference in people’s lives. Beginning Nov. 20, Morris Herald-News will publish a weekly page highlighting the second annual Morris Herald Angels Campaign. And while donors’ wings may be invisible, spirits definitely will be elevated.

In May, United Way of Grundy County became an affiliate with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, said Karen Nall, executive director of the local United Way’s. Children 5 and younger will receive a free book mailed to them every month through the program. The program is not based on income, and parents and guardians are invited to register their children. Parton’s motto is “You can never get enough books into the hands of enough children.” Her library initiative is designed to help kids thrive.

Another in-house program that United Way of Grundy County provides to the community is its 2-1-1 service, with a live person ready to answer the three-digit phone number 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, according to Nall.

“Anybody can call if they’re looking for resources,” Nall said, citing anything from a need for food or mental health care to shelter referrals, disaster relief and help in the face of domestic violence.

“We feel these two in-house programs are critical and very needed in our community,” Nall said.

In addition to the standard referral role of the 2-1-1 service, the volunteers answering the phone also are trained to jump into action when they receive suicide or elder abuse calls, Nall said.

Fundraising for those programs is outside the regular giving campaign that supports about 30 nonprofit agencies whose services help Grundy County residents. Donors in the Morris Herald Angels Campaign may choose to designate their gifts to one of the two in-house programs or the general fund and the critical services it buoys.

Readers can clip the form appearing weekly through Jan. 1, and mail donation checks payable to the United Way of Grundy County, noting “Herald Angels” in the memo line.

Donors’ names will be published in the weekly page, unless they prefer to be anonymous angels.

“We are proud to partner with the United Way of Grundy County on this initiative again this year,” said Steve Vanisko, publisher for Morris Herald-News. “We are hopeful that our subscribers that do not have the chance to participate in a United Way campaign through an employer will take advantage of this opportunity. Any size donation would be greatly appreciated and go a long way toward assisting those in need within the local community. You can make your donation in memory of a loved one and have their name and yours published if you wish.”

Local nonprofits annually request program grants from the United Way of Grundy County, which began in 1946.

“Our board of directors looks deeply into the needs of the community – that’s what we try to fund,” Nall said. “Our general funding for our partners assists people from birth to death and everything in between: from new babies to hospice care and everything in the middle.”

A few of the community partner agencies are Habitat for Humanity, Scouting, Salvation Army, Easterseals, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and its youth mentoring, and Illinois Valley Industries, providing independent living support for people with disabilities.

The support of United Way of Grundy County provided a service 37,000 times for residents in 2023. The myriad programs span meals for senior citizens to caregiver visits, food pantry assistance and shelter.

A goal is to help people become self-sufficient, enabling them to raise their families and not have a need like shelter or food, Nall said, adding the United Way team is proud to be able to fund programs that give fellow residents that boost up.

“It would be wonderful if a day ever happened that people didn’t need the … programs and services United Way funds,” Nall said. “The reality is that there will always be [someone].”

We Care of Grundy County is a partner of United Way.

“Our United Way funding is absolutely vital to our work at We Care of Grundy County, especially as the need for our food pantry services has nearly doubled since 2022,” said Eric Fisher, executive director at We Care. “With United Way’s support, we’re able to meet the rising demand and ensure that more families in our community have consistent access to nutritious food. We simply couldn’t do it without them.”

The Morris Herald-News will continue to highlight the giving campaign through the holidays, hoping to top the $500 raised during the inaugural year. The holiday drive models the Angels Campaign underway in Will County for more than 25 years.

“I appreciate partnering with Shaw Local News Network this way,” Nall said. “We are excited and grateful for this opportunity. Every dollar makes a difference. If someone only wants to give a dollar, it would make a huge difference. All the funds donated to our United Way help more than one agency, more than one program and more than one person. The funds all stay in Grundy. It’s here to help our neighbors.”