Holiday Joy Delivered: Hundreds of Families Receive Meals and Gifts

December 2025 banner with photo of volunteers holding food and frozen turkeys at Loaves & Fishes Community Services

United Way of Metro Chicago is helping families meet their basic needs – and reclaim holiday joy. United Way recently joined Enlace Chicago and Loaves & Fishes Community Services for “Uniting for the Holidays” food and gift distribution events.

With support from generous sponsors like Kellanova, we helped provide hundreds of holiday meals, toys, coats, and other winter essentials to residents in the west suburbs and Little Village. A special thank you to Nicor Gas volunteers who helped pass out turkeys and meal boxes to guests at Loaves & Fishes in Naperville and Aurora (pictured above).

It’s not too late to help! Your gift today will go twice as far to make a difference for families in need. Gifts made by December 31 will be matched, up to a total of $50,000, by our Board of Directors.

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Person receiving a bag of food outside at Cornerstone Community Development Corporation in Ford Heights

A resident receives food at Cornerstone Community Development Corporation in Ford Heights, one of the recipients of a recent United Way Response Fund grant.

Response Fund Addresses Immediate Needs

Last month, the need for food support rose dramatically. SNAP benefits were on hold, the federal government was shut down, and more people were using home delivery services during increased immigration enforcement.

United Way of Metro Chicago quickly mobilized to launch our Response Fund, disbursing $250,000 in grant funding to 24 organizations to immediately address food insecurity across the Chicago region.

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Giving Tuesday: BMO Kicks Off Employee Giving Campaign

United Way of Metro Chicago’s #1 corporate partner BMO kicked off its 15th annual employee giving campaign last week. 100+ BMO volunteers assembled 1,500 snack packs with United Way at the Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation in Austin – supporting food security for families on the West Side.

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United Way on WTTW’s Chicago Tonight

United Way of Metro Chicago’s Dr. Kimberlee Guenther recently joined Kate Maehr of the Greater Chicago Food Depository on WTTW’s Chicago Tonight to discuss rising food insecurity, the latest data from 211 Metro Chicago, and how United Way and our partners are responding.

Watch the Segment

United Way Supports Launch of Returning with Hope Microgrants

Earlier this week, the Chicago Mayor’s Office of Reentry, supported by United Way of Metro Chicago and the Chicago Department of Public Health, announced a $600,000 investment in 32 reentry service providers. The grants will allow organizations to expand support programs and mental health services for returning residents.

Read the Press Release

Board Leadership Institute: Apply for the Spring 2026 Cohort

You can take your leadership to the next level – and give back at the same time. Join fellow changemakers and deepen your commitment to the community through nonprofit board service. The application for the Spring 2026 Cohort of the Board Leadership Institute is open.

Apply Today

United Way Staff Gives Back Through Internal Campaign

United Way’s legacy is rooted in employee giving. United Way of Metro Chicago and 211 Metro Chicago led by example last month during our internal campaign. While pledging our commitment to our work, we enjoyed lunch from El Cortez in Blue Island, collected 130+ toys for families in Little Village, learned about DishRoulette Kitchen’s impact through our partnership, and shared random acts of kindness.

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MLK Day Event: Save the Date 1/19

This Martin Luther King Jr. Day, join United Way of Metro Chicago for the online event “Building Bridges Across Black and Latine Communities.” The engaging conversation will explore Dr. King’s message of solidarity and how working together will help us all rise. Event details and registration information will be available in the coming days.

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