Archive for October 2019
IMPACT! Building the Pathways Early
The first steps on the pathway to financial stability begin in childhood. That’s where people can build a foundation for their entire life by learning well and succeeding in school. But sometimes tough circumstances can unsettle a young student. That’s why United Way invests in the Student Advocacy Center to help families and children deal…
Read MoreIMPACT! Finding a Safe and Secure Future
We live in a tough and dangerous world. Sometimes that puts families at risk. Fortunately, United Way invests in and partners with experts who help those families find a pathway to a safer, more secure future. Legal Services of South Central Michigan provides this powerful example: LSSCM represented a Jackson County mother of two children…
Read MoreVolunteers Unite to Tackle Hunger – 100,000 Times!
With bells, cheers and upbeat music, more than 300 volunteers put together 100,000 meals in two hours to feed hungry families. The volunteers at United Way BCKR’s third annual United Against Hunger event brought more energy than ever, according to Stephanie Slingerland, Director of Philanthropy/Social Impact at Kellogg Company. Kellogg was the presenting sponsor. “Our…
Read MoreIMPACT! Feeding The Hungry Gives Hope
Helping people develop a pathway to financial stability sometimes means getting them through a time of crisis. Perhaps no crisis is greater than feeding hungry children. United Way partners with the Salvation Army to provide food, energy, and housing assistance for low-to-moderate-income residents. Here’s an example of that impact: A single parent called the Salvation…
Read MoreMission Report #3: ‘Engage Diverse People, Ideas and Resources’
On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy gave a speech to Congress urging support for putting an American crew on the moon before decade’s end. At that date, the United States had put a human in space exactly once: a 15-minute, up-and-down flight three weeks before. It was an outrageous, even laughable goal. And…
Read MoreMission Report #2: ‘Leading Shared Efforts’ Underscores Partnership
You probably tried this when you were a kid: Take a stick as thick as your little finger and see how easily you can snap it in half; then take a dozen sticks of the same thickness and try to do the same thing. You’ll find that you can’t. The lesson is simple: When we…
Read MoreMission Report #1: ‘Drive Impact’ Directs Our Work
Drive impact by leading shared efforts that engage diverse people, ideas and resources. Powerful words. But what do they mean? Today we’re kicking off a three-part series that takes a close look at our mission statement and how it influences our community work. ‘Drive Impact’ Pro Football Hall of Famer (and Michigan native) Tony Dungy…
Read MoreWhy All This Talk About Trauma?
Editor’s note: Trauma shows up as a pervasive barrier to a person’s success in every one of United Way’s Impact areas – Health, Education, Financial Stability and Basic Needs. It’s an issue we have only begun to address over the past few years with events such as film screenings of “Resilience,” community conversations and most…
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