The Urban League of Northwest Indiana and Its Positive Impact on the Region

By National Urban League
Published11 AM EST, Fri Nov 22, 2024
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For over half a century, Urban League of Northwest Indiana (Gary, IN) has been committed to providing residents of Lake County, La Porte County, and Porter County with a wide variety of social services. Urban League’s programs and services focus on the three main pillars of education, diversity and inclusion, and community outreach. These programs are geared to accomplish Urban League’s ultimate mission to “Defend Democracy, Demand Diversity, and Defeat Poverty.” 

Over the years, Urban League has established fruitful partnerships with numerous companies and organizations throughout the Region. Such prominent entities as Strack and Van Til, NIPSCO, Geminus, and the Hard Rock Casino number among Urban League’s partners. Several figures of note are members of Urban League’s Board of Directors, among them Indiana University (IU) Northwest Chancellor Ken Iwama, Valparaiso University President José Padilla, and Chancellor of Purdue University Northwest Kenneth Holford. 

President and CEO of Urban League of Northwest Indiana Dr. Vanessa Allen-McCloud believes there is a specific reason why the Urban League attracts so many sponsors and partners. 

“When you mention Urban League to someone, they will say, ‘That’s an organization you can trust,’” Allen-McCloud said. “It’s very common for organizations to promise people that something will be done, but they never make it happen. No organization can work in a vacuum, so establishing strong relationships with the community is of the utmost importance. Community members must have access to an organization that they can trust. I believe so many other organizations want to partner with Urban League’s because we have proven our reliability and trustworthiness time and again.”  

Urban League offers an array of programs that help promote education throughout the Region. This past September, Urban League held its annual Scholarship Fair at IU Northwest. At this event, representatives of over 60 higher-education institutions from across the nation offered scholarships to eligible graduating seniors in the area. $4.7 million worth of scholarships were offered to the 1,000 students who attended the event. This year’s Scholarship Fair, which will once again be hosted at IU Northwest, will be held on September 24.

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