United Way of Northeastern Minnesota (UWNEMN)’s Lunch Buddies mentoring program is meant to return to elementary schools this month, but more mentors are needed to do so in Babbitt, Chisholm, Ely, Eveleth, Keewatin, Tower, and Virginia.
The program, which pairs local elementary students with screened, trained volunteer mentors from the community to share one lunch break/week, has expanded from two elementary schools to 16 since 2020.
Wayne joined the United Way of Northeastern Minnesota team in September 2026. Wayne was raised in Cherry and received a Associate of Applied Science degree in Business Administration from Hibbing Community College as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Superior. He brings a decade of experience in the financial services industry, spending most of the past decade working in business development and consulting supporting local, national, and global economic development efforts.
United Way of Northeastern Minnesota (UWNEMN)’s second Born Learning Trail on the Iron Range was installed along Silver Lake this summer, and on October 2nd the supporters who made the trail possible united for a ribbon cutting to officially recognize the new community resource.
United Way organizations across the United States utilize Born Learning Trails – a series of 10 interactive signs that transform everyday moments into fun and engaging learning opportunities for young children – as community engagement and improvement tools.
It has been two years since United Way of Northeastern Minnesota (UWNEMN) united with United Way organizations across the state to bring the United for ALICE dataset, which highlights the growing financial strains on the demographic known as ALICE® (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed), to Minnesota.
People across the Iron Range, Koochiching County, and Lake of the Woods County looking to celebrate the newly announced “Give Like Dolly Day” can do so locally by supporting United Way of Northeastern Minnesota (UWNEMN)’s operation of the program.
United Way of Northeastern Minnesota (UWNEMN)’s first Born Learning Trail on the Iron Range was installed along Longyear Lake Park in June during UWNEMN’s Day of Action, and this month the organization brought together the supporters who made the trail possible to see the finished product during an official ribbon cutting.
Volunteers are at the heart of so much of United Way of Northeastern Minnesota’s work. As board president, I see firsthand how giving even a small amount of time can make a meaningful difference in our communities.
As the school year begins, I encourage you to consider volunteering with Buddy Backpacks, helping pack weekend meal kits for local children - or becoming a Lunch Buddies mentor, providing a student with an additional positive adult role model throughout the year.
United Way of Northeastern Minnesota (UWNEMN) joins families, children, and music lovers across the world in mourning the loss of Dolly Parton.
The organization has particularly close ties to the iconic singer as the local affiliate of her Imagination Library program. UWNEMN has been operating the program, mailing books to children under age five at no cost to their families, in communities across the Iron Range, Koochiching County, and Lake of the Woods County since 2008.
Ninety-four Koochiching County students will start the school year equipped with new properly fit athletic shoes, school supplies, and haircut certificates thanks to the community’s support of United Way of Northeastern Minnesota (UWNEMN)’s Step Into School program.
United Way of Northeastern Minnesota (UWNEMN) has collected and reinvested nearly $300,000 in donations to help residents and small businesses mitigate the financial impacts of this summer’s wildfires.
The Chisholm-based organization began fundraising July 14th and opened applications July 31st to small businesses and individuals located in Babbitt, Buyck, Cook, Crane Lake, Ely, Embarrass, Nett Lake, Orr, Soudan, Tower, Winton, and townships between any of the aforementioned communities.