Our Work

EDUCATION

Helping children and youth achieve their potential through education. Improving access to quality, affordable child care & early learning opportunities. Partnering with schools & parents to improve graduation rates. Providing after school programs for at risk youth.

HEALTH

Improving people's health and safety. Increasing access to healthcare services. Reducing domestic violence. Increasing health education & preventative care, including nutritional meals.

The simple fact is, without good health no one functions at an optimal level. Regardless of age, good health practices are vital to our well-being, our ability to function in society, our ability to learn, and to our longevity.

A healthy lifestyle in America seems to be almost an obsession with some - we go to the gym three times a week to work out, we walk, we eat healthy foods - while others, especially low-income families, young children and the elderly, are left without basic things like nutritional meals and dental care, and are unable to obtain the critical services they need to stay healthy.

Issues such as family violence, addiction, and even mental health, once considered social concerns, are increasingly recognized as health concerns. The effect of these issues on hospital emergency rooms, health insurance plans, and our communities, is staggering.

Consider:

• Without strong academic and social development, youth are more prone to engage in risky behaviors, which may continue into adulthood, including drug and alcohol abuse, a serious health concern in our society.
• Older adults with fixed or limited incomes often consume diets of lower nutritional quality and are twice as likely to have poor health status.
• Children learn better when they have healthy diets, and receive adequate health care, including regular check-ups.
• Family violence - including child abuse, elder abuse, abuse of people with disabilities, and domestic violence - is widely considered a health issue as well as a social issue.

United Way is committed to building a stronger, healthier community by raising resources and developing partnerships that make a measurable difference in the health of our citizens.

FINANCIAL STABILITY

Helping families become financially stable and independent. Supporting basic needs while increasing financial education. Helping people, including those with disabilities, develop skills needed to maintain employment. Assisting at-risk & senior residents with understanding and obtaining core support services to remain independent.

Building a strong financial future is not easy. Low-to-middle income families often struggle to meet everyday obligations, and many rarely have enough left to save, or to be prepared for financial emergencies. Families are feeling the effects of high prices and limited opportunities in a real and painful way.

EVERYONE CAN OPEN AN ACCOUNT WITH BANK ON MARION

Bank on Marion can help you:

•     Gain access to a free or low-cost checking account so you can keep more of your money.
•     Stop currency exchanges and check cashing stores from taking your money with high interest gimmicks and fees.
•     Overcome past financial or credit problems so you can open a checking account without any hassle. Open an account even if you are not a U.S. Citizen or don't have a Social Security number.
•  Most of the Bank on Marion partners accept Mexican Consular Marticula cards, Guatemalan Consular identification cards and any foreign passport.
•     Learn to make the most of your money. Bank on Marion has free programs to help you learn to manage your money.

Open your own bank account by visiting any of the 9 financial institutions throughout the city that have partnered with Bank on Marion: Banterra, Farmers State Bank, Fifth Third Bank, MidCountry Bank, Old National Bank, Regions, SIU Credit Union, The Bank of Marion, and US Bank.

Many non-profits in the Marion area will provide free financial literacy training and/or information about Bank on including: Clearpoint Credit Counselling Solutions, Housing Authority of the City of Marion, Marion Sr. Citizens Center, Salvation Army, United Way of SI, The Lighthouse Shelter and Lutheran Social Services.

If you have questions or comments about our state-wide campaign, visit www.bankonillinois.com.

2-1-1

"I'm ill. I have a job but no insurance. I'm 62 and I need to see a doctor. Can you help me?" That was Margaret's plea when she called 2-1-1 earlier this year in northern Illinois. The 2-1-1 Call Center was able to tell her about three clinics in her area that treat people without insurance. Margaret was able to see a doctor and get better!

We know there are thousands of people in our community facing situations like Margaret's. The floods, the May 8th storm, the ice storms and the tornado that devastated Harrisburg and other communities are examples of why we need 2-1-1 in southern Illinois. The demand is daunting! It calls for you, me and all our southern Illinois neighbors to lend a hand.

People with nowhere else to turn call 2-1-1... offering information on a broad range of services, including rent assistance, food banks, affordable housing, health resources, child care, after-school programs, elderly care, financial literacy, and job training programs.

Please give today so we can begin initiating 2-1-1 in southern Illinois and answer even more calls. Our goal is to have 2-1-1 established in southern Illinois by June 2013.

YOU can put that hope in their lives. You can make it possible for us to answer these calls for help, one person at a time. What a great way to amplify the impact and your caring to our most vulnerable neighbors.