ALICE Speaks: Personal Stories Mark Report Rollout

LANSING – A news conference spotlighting financial hardship in Michigan included powerful stories of life for families that have experienced that hardship. The April 26 news conference, spearheaded by the Michigan Association of United Ways (MAUW), shared the latest findings on ALICE, which stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. ALICE households are those with…

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New ALICE Report Shows Pandemic Impact in Region

Image of the cover on the report titled ALICE In The Crosscurrents, Covid and Financial Hardship in Michigan. Picture of a man with an umbrella standing on a wooden bridge in the rain.

While aid programs during the COVID-19 pandemic likely eased financial stress on many households, the risk of more families struggling is rising, according to a new report on financial hardship in Michigan. ALICE in the Crosscurrents: COVID and Financial Hardship, released today by Michigan’s United Way network and the research organization United For ALICE, shows…

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RentAble Revamp Removes Barriers to Stable Housing

The word Rentable, with two house icons underneath.

The Kalamazoo Continuum of Care has revamped its RentAble program to help more people overcome barriers to keep or obtain housing. RentAble is a pilot program managed by the Kalamazoo CoC and funded by the City of Kalamazoo. It provides one-time assistance up to $2,000 per household to qualified individual or family renters. Whereas the…

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Celebrating Our 1st Birthday

President & CEO Chris Sargent reflects on our progress as we note the one-year anniversary of the merger that created United Way of South Central Michigan. “The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year.” Mark Twain said that to poke fun at April Fools’…

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UWSCMI Earns Top Merger Award

The merger that created United Way of South Central Michigan has been named the nonprofit M&A Deal of the Year by MiBiz Magazine. UWSCMI will be recognized at an award ceremony this week. UWSCMI will join winners from 12 business sectors and five individual categories being honored on Wednesday in Grand Rapids. In an interview…

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FEMA Grants Available; $460K To Tackle Hunger, Homelessness

Women gathering food items for local families.

United Way of South Central Michigan has been awarded $460,437 in federal funds to support local food and shelter assistance programs. The emergency funding is provided through the Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program (EFSP), administered by the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The federal program is directing $187,860 for…

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Bethany Stutzman Named to Lead Jackson Role

JACKSON – Bethany Stutzman has been named Senior Director of Community Impact for UWSCMI. The long-time Jackson resident will also serve as site leader at UWSCMI’s Jackson office. Stutzman previously served as Director of Community Impact, overseeing United Way’s impact work in Jackson County. She joined United Way of Jackson County in 2005, where her…

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Time For Taxes! VITA Offers Free Tax Prep

Doing tax returns isn’t usually much fun. For households that can’t afford to hire an expert, it can be a missed opportunity to get the full refund they’re owed. That’s where United Way of South Central Michigan’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program can make a vital difference. VITA provides free tax preparation to low- and…

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Stabenow Support Lifts ALICE Initiative

Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) successfully championed a $257,000 federal budget appropriation to support UWSCMI’s workplace initiative sustaining ALICE employees. United for ALICE@Work in Michigan is a business education and certification effort to help small- and medium-sized businesses better understand the needs of low-wage workers below the ALICE threshold. ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained…

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UWSCMI Testimony Helps Move Tax Credit Bill

Bethany Broom-Dombrowski (right) testifies before a Michigan Senate committee.

Members of the Michigan Senate’s Housing and Human Services Committee got a real-world look this week at how increasing the Earned Income Tax Credit can help financially struggling households. “I first received the Earned Income Tax Credit in 2011. I was a 23-year-old single mom working full time as a lead teacher in a Head…

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