PWI of Galena is proud to be active in our community.PWI members who volunteer for a charitable organization can receive help with donations. One organization a month will be selected and needed items collected at the luncheon. The organization’s list will be available at the luncheon prior. If you would like your charitable organization to be featured in February or March, email Betsy Eaton at director@galena.org.

Tyler's Justice Center for Children is an advocacy center for children who are victims of sexual and severe physical abuse. The center is currently located on Hwy. 20 in Stockton, Ill., and serves Jo Daviess, Stephenson and Carroll counties. Tyler’s has outgrown its current facility and is in need of a larger building in order to effectively handle its caseload and provide the services needed to fulfill its mission.

The “Helping Hands for Hope” capital campaign will provide funds needed to build a new facility, as well as establish a foundation to assist with additional operating expenses for the new facility.  Donors who contribute over $500 to the campaign will be recognized on a special “Giving Tree” which will be located in a prominent location within the new facility.  The Giving Tree is a 7’ x 7’ oak carved tree, created by local artist, Dick Anderson.  The tree will have child- sized hands as the leaves, with a brass plate inscribed to recognize donors.  The cost of the tree has been underwritten by a generous donor.

With great support from the local community, corporations, financial institutions and the fundraising committees, Tyler’s Justice Center has raised approximately 75% of the funds needed for the new facility. With YOUR help the last 25% will be raised very quickly. Thank you for your constant support and generosity to Tyler’s Justice Center for Children.

United Way of Northwest Illinois, Inc.

Most of you may know about the United Way, but do you know about United Way of Northwest Illinois?  Did you know we have been operating in Jo Daviess County for more than 18 years?  Did you know that we help fund 14 local organizations that provide a wide variety of services in Jo Daviess County?

Marsha Mulligan, Executive Director of the United Way of Northwest Illinois (UWNI), is working to increase awareness of their member agency services in Jo Daviess County.  “There is a lot of support for some of our individual agencies in Jo Daviess County, but there isn’t any awareness that they are member agencies of the United Way of Northwest Illinois.”  People who live in Jo Daviess may work in Wisconsin or Iowa and give to United Way through their workplace campaign.  We want to be sure they understand that they can designate their dollars back to their local agencies in Jo Daviess County.  Through the United Way, donors can specify a particular agency and indicate “UWNI”.  If they don’t designate, their dollars stay in the community where they work.

UWNI has provided dollars to Jo Daviess member agencies for 18 years, but mostly with dollars coming from the workplace campaigns in Stephenson County.  While some of those workplace dollars have come from individuals who live in Jo Daviess, UWNI has not done a comprehensive job of soliciting support specifically in Jo Daviess County.  With declining corporate support in Stephenson County over the last several years, annual campaign totals have declined and, of course, the funding available to the member agencies.  Add to that the huge cuts that many of UWNI-member agencies are seeing from the state and federal governments, increased competition for grant dollars, increased gas and utility costs… There are many agencies struggling to provide critical services to our citizens. 

If you care about the vital services provided by the following services, please consider contributions to the United Way of Northwest Illinois’ current 2008-09 campaign through direct donation or designations at your workplace campaign:
            American Red Cross services (except Dunleith Township)
            Big Brothers/Big Sisters – a program of FHN Family Counseling Center
            Boy Scouts – Blackhawk Council
            Catholic Charities
            Children’s Home and Aid Society
            Contact crisis and reassurance telephone lines
            Girl Scouts of Green Hills Council
            JDWI
            NICAA Golden Meals programs (meal sites and home-delivered meals)
            Prairie State Legal Services
            RainbowRidge group homes
            Senior Center services
            Sojourn House substance abuse counseling and in-patient services
            Tyler’s Justice Center services

For information on how you can help or volunteer, call Marsha Mulligan at 815-232-5184 or email mmulligan@uwni.org.