CLINTON — United Way of Decatur & Mid-Illinois (UWDMI) announced recently  investment in multiple DeWitt County programs.

Each year, UWDMI focuses on investing in the most effective, efficient, and integrated programs in DeWitt County, programs that help move residents along the path towards self-sufficiency or that are allowing residents to live independently with dignity.

UWDMI officials said the agency would continue investing into its own programs that serve DeWitt County: the 2-1-1 referral service and the DeWitt System of Care, a wrap-around service program that assists DeWitt Co. families with at-risk youth.  The System of Care is provided in partnership with the DeWitt County Mental Health Board, Tri-County Special Education Association, Clinton CUSD, and Heritage Behavioral Health.

Recently, UWDMI facilitated its Community Investment Process in which a group of volunteers (who live and/or work in DeWitt Co.) helped choose where to invest the community’s resources.  The volunteer panel invested the community’s resources in 12 local programs for the next two years. The programs are:

• Disaster Services & Home Fire Campaign – American Red Cross

• Community and School-Based Mentoring – Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Illinois

• Y-Zone Before & After School scholarships – Clinton Community YMCA

• DeWitt Senior Services – DeWitt County Friendship Center

• Dental Clinic – DeWitt Piatt Bi-County Health Department

• Domestic Violence Program – Dove, Inc.

• Community Access Program – Encore Developmental Services

• Girl Scout Leadership Experience – Girl Scouts of Central Illinois

• Child Victim Advocacy expansion into DeWitt Co. – Macon County CASA

• Neighborhood Market – Neighborhood Cares Center

• Peace Meals – OSF Healthcare

• Teen Services – The Vault Community Center

The agencies facilitating these programs will be required to report back to UWDMI about how their programs are helping the community and what progress they make toward achieving planned outcomes.  The Twelve programs will receive investment for two years (starting July 2021), then they must apply again in 2023 when the Community Investment Process is repeated for another two-year cycle.

For more information on community investment in DeWitt County, contact Debbie Bogle, President, or James Keith, Director of Community Impact, at 217-422-8537.