Be a Herald Angel: Help Will County United Way meet high community need

In 2020, United Way of Will County received requests for help that were unprecedented.

Since then, the need for help has continued to rise, which is also unprecedented, according to Sarah Oprzedek, president and chief executive officer of United Way of Will County.

But that’s not because of the poverty rate, which is still 7% in Will County, Oprzedek said. It’s because the number of “ALICE” families are increasing.

ALICE is the acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. Basic living expenses include child care, food, health care, housing, transportation and technology, according to ALICE. In short, ALICE families are families that are employed but “consistently struggling” because their income is “just simply not enough to sustain them,” Oprzedek said.

Last year, 23% of the Will County community were ALICE households - and this year that percentage is 27%, Oprzedek said. This means, 34% of Will County residents – or 1 in 3 – can’t afford their basic needs, she said.

“We all see it,” Oprzedek said. “With prices rising across the board, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for families to access support.”

Oprzedek said Will County’s labor rate is higher than the state of Illinois average and its poverty rate is lower. But Will County is also higher in terms of housing costs and the number ALICE households, she added.

“And the ALICE population is one that continues to grow,” Oprzedek said.

That’s why the Herald Angels campaign is so important. Since 1997, the Herald Angels campaign has made local residents’ lives a little better during the holiday season. Every dollar donated to Herald Angels supports the initiatives of United Way community partners.

“When we collaborate and when we work together, we can and will make great things happen in Will County,” Oprzedek said.

The myth of multiple incomes

ALICE families don’t qualify for the same support that’s available to people at the poverty level, Oprzedek said.

To compensate, ALICE families often work multiple jobs to reach “that break even point,” Oprzedek said. But that means these families are just one emergency away from a crisis, she said. ALICE families are just one “hefty” medical bill or significant car repair away from falling apart financially, Oprzedek said.

And if their vehicle isn’t working, “how are they going to make sure they get back and forth to their jobs, which is providing their income, which is sustaining their families?” Oprzedek said.

Oprzedek said working multiple jobs to make ends meet only “perpetuates the cycle,” trapping families in the cycle, where they are unable “to break free.”

Many frontline workers – such those working in retail or child care – are ALICE families, Oprzedek said.

“We’ve heard the term ‘working poor’ as long as I have been in this sector,” Oprzedek said. “But now ALICE is able to go through and do the research, look at the studies, and do the deep dive of how many families and individuals are truly impacted right her in our community.”

To address the need, United Way of Will County is networking with ALICE partners in Illinois to see where other communities are successful in meeting the needs of ALICE families.

“We’re looking at potential opportunities to share with our community partners,” Oprzedek said, “in order to help this growing population in our community.”

How Herald Angels helps

“The Herald Angels funds are incredible because they are raised locally by our community here and then they become part of that process when organizations are seeking funding from us,” Oprzedek said. “One hundred percent of those dollars go right back into the community,” she said.

But the best part about Herald Angel donations is that community partners can use the money where they mostly need it, Oprzedek said.

Many grants – private grants and government grants – have “very specific stipulations and regulations” that organizations must abide, Oprzedek said. This means organizations can only use the funds for very specific expenses, she said.

But it’s essential for nonprofits to have funds for operating costs, too - and more awareness needs to be raised on this issue, she said

“When we collaborate and when we work together, we can and will make great things happen in Will County.”

—   Sarah Oprzedek, president and chief executive officer of United Way of Will County

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“it’s not just overheard,” Oprzedek said. “It’s making sure they have the appropriate resources in place to deliver those service, to deliver those programs. Where are you going to host the support group if you don’t have a location or electricity to keep the lights on? If you’re providing counseling and mental health support, you need qualified and licensed professional counselors or licensed clinical social workers to provide that counseling.”

And that’s especially crucial now. Because those additional dollars made available during the COVID-19 pandemic “are beginning to dry up and phase out,” Oprzedek said.

United Way of Will County strives to meet the need

United Way of Will County keeps adding initiatives to meet the growing need in the community. Recent ones include SingleCare, a prescription drug discount card, the 211 initiative (a free, multi-lingual, confidential, 24/7 information and referral service to help people access community-based health and human services) and the Diaper Depot, a free, community-based diaper program, Oprzedek said.

And in 2024, United Way of Will County “welcomed” 11 new organizations serving a variety of United Way of Will County’s impact areas: economic mobility, education, and health and wellness, Oprzedek said.

These include organizations who offer after-school and youth mentoring programs, counseling services, community gardens, food pantries, substance use awareness, disability services, and hearing education, including healthy hearing, Oprzedek said.

Oprzedek said she’s also “excited” that United Way of Will County was able to invest $1,025,000 into the community, which is $25,000 more than the previous year.

“And we could love to increase that,” Oprzedek said, “in order to increase the amount of support we can provide to the local organizations on the frontlines in our community.”

How to donate to Herald Angels

Make your check payable to the United Way of Will County and write “Herald Angels” in the memo line.

Mail to The Herald-News, 1100 Essington Road, Ste. 4, Joliet, IL 60435.

Or watch for Herald-Angels ads in the paper through December. Just clip out the form and mail it with your donation or donate online at uwill.org.

Every dollar will be donated directly to the United Way of Will County.