Urban League of Northwest Indiana Inc

The Urban League of Northwest Indiana actively impacts the lives of citizens in Lake, Porter, and LaPorte Counties through services in Education, Financial Literacy and Health/Wellness.  On an annual basis, the Urban League distributes $1.3 million in scholarships to graduating High School Seniors.  The Urban League offers free tax preparation services, financial/credit counseling and budgeting tools to aid clients with healthy financial management.  The Urban League consistenly partners with local health care providers to offer free health screenings to underserved communities.

In July, 2013, Mr. T.S. relocated to NWI from Central Indiana. He visited the Urban League of NWI Office because of prior knowledge of the Urban League's reputation for connecting the public with employment resources.  Mr. T.S. had been downsized by his employer where he worked as a Chef, he had no computer skills, no resume and was without any clear direction on how to rebuild his life and career in NWI. Through the patient tutelage of the Urban League NWI Team, Mr. T.S. began volunteering at a Day Care in Gary, IN and prepared the meals for the children who attended the Day Care.  While he volunteered, Mr. T.S. continued receiving support from the UL Staff and over a short period of time he gained the digital literacy skills needed to develop a resume, seek employment on-line and he fine tune his interviewing skills.  By November of 2013, Mr. T.S. was offered employment on the Culinary Team of an established Rehabilitation Center in Merrillville, IN. Although he is gainfully employed, Mr. T.S. continues to volunteer his time at the Day Care and prepares nutritious meals for the children.  Mr. T.S. is one of many Urban League success stories.

Ms. K.S., like most NWI citizens, is committed to caring for her family and the members of her community.  Her dream is to create a Social Service agency that assists NWI citizens with establishing healthy family structures, as well as, to provide a safe and secure environment for animals.  It's her dream and the Urban League of NWI has provided her many of the skills that she will need to make her dream a reality.  When Ms. K.S. began volunteering in the Urban League Office she was not computer literate and had not worked in an office environment before.  In the span of 15 months, Ms. K.S. is an indispensible member of the UL Team.  She guides job seekers through resume development and basic computer use, she manages external office communications, she is able to delegate tasks to other volunteers and Ms. K.S. also develops the business communication for the UL's Young Professionals Auxiliary and assists with the oversight of social media.