Lake County United
Lake County United (LCU) was founded in 2003 to tackle issues of concern to Lake County residents. LCU connects residents, organizations and government to work together on initiatives that enhance the quality of life in Lake County. LCU is a non-profit, non-partisan association made up of member institutions, including St. Lawrence, whose members have an opportunity to engage in the sustaining work of equity and justice in their local area.
LCU's initiatives have driven improvements in such areas as:
- Affordable housing
- Access to healthcare, including mental health
- Educational achievement and access to higher education
- Elder care
- Law enforcement
- Gun safety
LCU accomplishes its goals by:
- building relationships within and beyond the member institutions,
- conducting listening sessions and other information gathering efforts to identify issues of concern,
- doing research to document problems and explore solutions, and
- informing and mobilizing members to participate in actions to educate government officials and advocate for solutions.
When surveys and listening sessions revealed residents' concern about affordable housing and senior care, LCU engaged in work that led to the development of Lakefront Residences of Grayslake and Fairhaven Crossing in Mundelein. Concerns about inadequate access to mental health services led to increased crisis intervention training for police and other first responders, and the establishment of a Crisis Stabilization Center in Waukegan. Concerns about education led to the establishment of Waukegan to College, a college readiness program that serves at-risk kids from 5th to 12th grade.
More information can be found at www.lakecountyunited.org.
