Archive for April 2018
Get Your Diapers in a Bunch! Diaper Drive Starts May 1
For the second consecutive year, a massive volunteer effort will tackle a chronic need among low-income families by gathering 75,000 donated infant and toddler diapers from across Calhoun and Kalamazoo counties. United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region (UWBCKR) is spearheading the drive, which will bring together regional businesses and volunteers to gather,…
Read MoreWarner Norcross + Judd is the 2017 Community Law Challenge Winner
If you’ve entered into downtown Kalamazoo from the east lately, chances are you’ve seen a glimpse of United Way’s 2017 Gerard Thomas Community Law Challenge winners. Warner Norcross + Judd employees, featured on a billboard overlooking Kalamazoo Avenue, stood out among their peers for their leadership, participation and financial support for United Way of the…
Read MoreAlejandro's Story
Finding purpose Alejandro is well-spoken and talkative, but at times he simply doesn’t have the words to describe how much his life has changed. Five years ago, he was in a jail cell, serving time for a drug offense. Today, he’s flourishing with a new job, positive influences in his life, and the capacity to…
Read MoreJobSTAR Sets Course for Stronger Families & Community
by Ken Toll Two years ago, United Way unveiled a vision for our community and a bold goal to take us there. Our vision: A community rich in opportunities to eliminate poverty and allow all people to achieve financial stability and success. Our goal: Help 5,000 Jackson County residents develop a pathway to financial success…
Read MoreEducation and Employment Go Hand In Hand At Y.O.U.
There’s a common misconception that today’s teenagers aren’t interested in jobs, said Karen Carlisle, Director of Youth Opportunities Unlimited (Y.O.U.) in Kalamazoo. The hundreds of applications that flood Y.O.U’s MyCITY summer youth employment program each year, however, tell a different story. “So often, we hear today that young people just don’t want to work,” Carlisle…
Read MoreHelping Families Work Through Challenges
WE LIVE UNITED by helping at-risk youth become better students and helping struggling households find their stability. Much of the work you support revolves around removing obstacles that prevent those living at or near poverty from attending school or maintaining their employment. For many of us, similar obstacles may be challenging but not impossible to…
Read More'On The Ground' Lands Locally
Journalism is about storytelling—and great journalism can help change the story. A partnership involving Issue Media Group and United Way BCKR embeds reporters in a largely low-income Kalamazoo neighborhood to find the stories and the people behind them—people who face challenges that United Way strives to address. “This is journalism the way it used to…
Read MoreMay 1 Marks Start of Diaper Drive 2018
Generous community members, corporate partners and volunteers came together last year to help our region’s babies as we launched our inaugural United Way Diaper Drive. We invite you all to join us again as we kick off our 2018 drive, set for May 1-14. The need for diapers is great. We know that as many…
Read MoreWe're Kicking Off Our Health Quarter!
The health of our smallest residents can tell us a lot about the overall well-being of our communities. And the rate at which babies – particularly babies of color – are dying during their first year of life, tells us that there’s much work to be done. This quarter, we’re shining a spotlight on United…
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