Archive for February 2021
Statement on Southwest Michigan First’s CEO Search
United Way firmly believes that an equitable community, diverse and inclusive of all people, is vital to a vibrant, enduring society. We strive each day to lead with our values, of which equity is the heart and soul, driving our commitment to accountability, transparency, partnership and impact. Robust economic development is a key to individuals…
Read MoreTask Force Turns to ALICE Data to Inform Report
United Way’s data for ALICE provided valuable perspective for the Michigan Poverty Task Force, which unveiled recommendations on Wednesday.
Read MoreMeet ALICE: Where We Go From Here
by Ken Toll This wraps up our blog series on the ALICE population. To read others in the series, go to our Meet ALICE page. There’s this puzzling perspective that people have about United Way. I’ve heard it throughout my career. It usually goes something like this: “I know about United Way. I know you…
Read MoreHUD Funding Bolsters CoC Work on Homelessness
The Kalamazoo County Continuum of Care received $1,714,409 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to support local programs to help people experiencing homelessness. The grant is part of $2.5 billion in renewed support to thousands of local homeless assistance programs across the nation. HUD’s Continuum of Care (CoC) grants provide critically…
Read MoreMeet ALICE: Health, Income are Deeply Connected
This is part of a series of blogs spotlighting the ALICE population and how our community can make a difference. Want to know how healthy you’ll be in your lifetime? Check your bank account. Studies consistently show that income is tied to people’s risk of poor health. According to the government website healthypeople.gov, “Residents of…
Read MoreEviction Moratorium: What You Need To Do Right Now
Some welcome news came to renters facing eviction due to the economic effects of COVID-19: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) extended a moratorium on evictions as a protective public health measure. “Despite extensive mitigation efforts, COVID-19 continues to spread in America at a concerning pace,” said CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky,…
Read MoreKalamazoo County Encampments: CoC Update
Editor’s note: Since January 2020, the United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region has led the Kalamazoo County Continuum of Care (CoC); its vision is for all Kalamazoo County residents to live in safe, healthy, affordable homes in a thriving community. Kalamazoo County, like many communities across the country, has experienced homeless encampments…
Read MoreMeet ALICE: How Life for ALICE Affects Children
This is part of a series of blogs spotlighting the ALICE population and how our community can make a difference. Families with children are changing. Today mothers are doing more paid work outside the home than in previous years. Nationally in 2015, 42 percent of mothers were sole or primary breadwinners, bringing in 50 percent…
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