It's been a long year plus, and while outlook improves as more of our community gets vaccinated, the work of United Way of Decatur & Mid-Illinois hasn't slowed. We want to take this chance to reflect on our COVID-19 response and how we have impacted our communities during the pandemic.
One of the first things we did was we created a COVID-19 Resources webpage to ensure our
community had access to any resource they might need. Because we organize and collaborate with so many local partners, we are able to frequently update the page with new resources or changes
in services.
When volunteers were needed, United Way staff stepped up to help our partners in Macon, DeWitt, & Moultrie counties. We assisted with extra Meals on Wheels deliveries, served lunch at The Good Samaritan Inn, and packed food boxes at Northeast Community Fund, among other things.
In partnership with the Howard G. Buffett Foundation and The Beach House, we were able to offer free sack lunches to kids 4 days a week in March and April 2020.
We gave away hundreds of free food boxes to families in need on 3 different Saturdays in 2020 along with Central Illinois Foodbank and our partners. It was also an opportunity to disseminate Census 2020 information to the public.
We hosted "Pints 4 Pints" a Red Cross Blood Drive in July 2020 with Door 4 Brewing Co. to help replenish the blood supply. Red Cross collected 26 units of blood.
In 2020 we were awarded $200,000 from the Illinois COVID Relief Fund to assist with COVID relief in Macon County. Check out our current COVID-19 Community Investment.
During the 2020 holiday season, we assisted the Decatur Regional Chamber of Commerce with Project Cheer, a fundraiser to help out restaurant and bar workers
affected by the COVID-19 restrictions.
When the Decatur Salvation Army was faced with a shutdown due to quarantine guidelines and lack of funding, UWDMI stepped up and secured over $18,000 so they could remain open for their homeless clients and continue their other services.
In January & February 2021 we coordinated with Crossing Healthcare to get 1st and 2nd vaccinations for the homeless clients at the Decatur Salvation Army and the office staff. UWDMI staff volunteered to help fill out paperwork for clients and ensure a smooth operation.
We continue to secure funds for rent and mortgage assistance to help our community members that have been off work due to COVID-19. We are also working directly with local landlords to provide this necessary relief.
In May 2021 we partnered with the Empowerment Opportunity Center (formerly DMCOC) to gift new car seats to Head Start families that needed them. We are always happy to provide solutions for our community!
And there is much more we are doing behind the scenes to ensure our community recovers. We are very thankful for the individuals and businesses that help us have this impact in our community!
© 2024 United Way of Decatur & Mid-Illinois
