Diversity Leadership Society   •   Emerging Leaders   •   LINC   •   Pride United Retire United   •   Technology United   •   Women United

When you become part of the United Way Leadership Society, you're joining thousands of individuals who are creating lasting change in our four-county community.

When you give a gift of $1,200 or more, you automatically become part of United Way's Leadership Society. You will be included in the Annual Leadership Registry and have the opportunity to join leadership donor networks.

For more information about Leadership Giving Programs, please contact Natalie Worcester or Amber Jacobsen.

Mark your calendars, Retire United's signature volunteer event, Backpack Coalition, returns this summer! Retire United members and their guests will gather from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in Milwaukee on Tuesday, July 30 and Waukesha (Brookfield) on Wednesday, August 7 to fill backpacks with brand-new school supplies that will be distributed to students in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington Counties.

Last year alone, Retire United members packed over 900 backpacks for students in need.

Register now!
  •  Tuesday, July 30, 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. in Milwaukee
  •  Wednesday, August 7, 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. in Waukesha/Brookfield

To learn more about Retire United, please contact Bev Arrowood.

At the annual Women United Bruncheon, guests embraced our newest initiative, Teen Mental Wellness: Empowering Minds, and heard firsthand accounts of how mental health challenges can affect families.

In the room of almost 600 attendees, special guests Deb and Mia Mueller spoke candidly about Mia's mental health journey, with DeVona Wright Cottrell of GMR Marketing and a 2024 United Way Campaign Co-chair moderating. Women United also celebrated the achievements of Linda E. Benfield, this year's recipient of the Linda T. Mellowes Leader of the Year Award.

Read more about the bruncheon and how Women United is lifting Teen Mental Wellness: Empowering Minds in this blog.

Pictured: Mia Mueller (left), DeVona Wright Cottrell (middle), and Deb Mueller (right).

Please contact Erin Keating or Nancy Clarkin if you have any questions.

On May 8, LINC Committee members volunteered at United Way agency partner Pathfinders to present information on credit building and budgeting. In the coming months, we will also be doing a complementary volunteer event which will cover resume building.

The LINC committee is volunteering at partner agency programs that align with our goals of health, education, or financial stability. The May event targeted financial stability.

Pictured: LINC Committee members Brianna Hogans (Baird), Alex Craig (Baird), Emily Kneiser (Deloitte), and Kaila Mitchell (Medical College of Wisconsin).

Please contact Kristen Hagen to learn more about LINC.

The 2024 Pride United Homecoming will be held at Denizen MKE, an LGBTQ+ owned spaced located in the Washington Park neighborhood. The space was vacant for years until Amber Bricco and her wife decided to invest in the space and open a venue where all are welcome to celebrate.

Pride United understands that many LGBTQ+ adults were not able to bring the partner of their choice to homecoming, so we created this welcoming space where all were welcome and celebrated.

The event will take place on Saturday, September 21 from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. To learn more about the event and sponsorship opportunities available, click here.

If you have questions about Pride United Homecoming, please contact Diamond Herring-Rodgers to learn more about Pride United.

Last week, United Way hosted a device distribution event open to the community.

We distributed laptops to 142 community members and provided information regarding how to utilize a device efficiently and safely.

We could not have done this without the support of our volunteers!

To learn more about how you can get involved with Techquity, please contact David Berka.

If you are interested in learning more about Technology United, please reach out to Cassidy Korpela.

Thank you to everyone who came out to support the 2024 Day of Action on June 21!

The Emerging Leaders Council, Browning & Silver Spring Neighborhood Center Staff, Donor Network volunteers, and community members made this year's event a huge success. The 2024 project focus was on environmental harmony, student safety, mental wellness, family-centered engagement, and creating a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable neighborhood.

If you're interested in learning more about Emerging Leaders and how to join, reach out to Kristen Hagen.

Diversity Leadership Society has engaged hundreds of community members to create lasting change in our community. Council Member Devon Norwood recently shared why she's inspired to give and uplift United Way supported programming:

As a mother of two, I now have a better understanding of the importance of early childhood education and the barriers that exist. I joined the Emerging Readers Program because I wanted to share the joy of reading with other families and give other children the opportunity to thrive. It was a natural choice to give back when our children were also young.

Diversity Leadership Society members are beginning to receive monthly newsletters from the Council, so be on the lookout for more amazing stories!

If you have questions about Diversity Leadership Society, please contact Diamond Herring-Rodgers.