United We Give

 

More than $2 million in donated goods has moved through United We Give since September 2024—putting useful products into the hands of schools, food pantries, nonprofit organizations and families throughout our region.

 

Through a partnership with the Walgreens Distribution Center, United Way of South Central Illinois receives truckloads of personal-care products, household goods, school supplies, seasonal items and other essentials. Our job is to turn that generosity into organized, practical help.

 

Our purpose: helping good go further

 

United We Give connects donated everyday essentials with the local organizations that know where they are needed most. Our purpose is to ease the cost of meeting basic needs, strengthen schools and nonprofits, and help more generosity reach the people those organizations serve.

 

Personal-care products, cleaning supplies and school materials may seem like small things, but their costs add up. Access to donated essentials can help a school support students, a pantry offer more than food, or a nonprofit help a family get settled. When an organization can spend less on supplies, it can put more of its limited resources toward its mission.

 

United Way makes that connection possible. We coordinate shipments, bring volunteers together to sort and prepare products, and work with eligible community partners to put those goods to use. Sharing resources across organizations helps us meet needs together and make useful donations go further.

 

Every box has a purpose: helping our neighbors meet everyday needs with dignity and giving the organizations that serve them more room to do good.

 

How it works

 

Volunteers unload, sort and prepare donated products for distribution. Community partners then receive items they can place directly with the people they serve. This coordinated approach keeps valuable goods out of landfills, stretches nonprofit budgets and helps local organizations focus more of their resources on their missions.

 

Two distribution locations

 

Mt. Vernon — United Way

 

716 Main Street, Mt. Vernon, IL 62864. Confirm the scheduled distribution time before visiting.

 

Centralia — City Hope Church

 

Our Marion County sorting and distribution location. Contact Nat before your visit to confirm the warehouse entrance and pickup instructions.

 

Before you pick up

 

Dates depend on available shipments. Confirm your location and time with Nat Shook before traveling. Participating agencies must sign a United We Give MOU before taking items. Wait until sorting is complete and take only what your organization truly needs.

 

Who can participate

 

Organizations receiving items through United We Give must be a school or a qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

 

Eligible partners may include food pantries, shelters, housing programs, youth organizations, senior programs and other nonprofit agencies serving people across South Central Illinois. Available products vary with each shipment.

 

Get involved

 

Volunteer with a sorting or distribution day, help transport products or become a community distribution partner. Businesses can also support the program by donating products, equipment, transportation or financial support.

 

For participation details or volunteer opportunities, contact Nat Shook at nat@uwsci.org or call 618.242.8000.