‘Grateful and Humble’: COO Ken Toll Moving On

After more than two decades of United Way service, Chief Operations Officer Ken Toll is moving on. “Bringing together our three United Ways into the United Way of South Central Michigan has gone better than I could have hoped,” said Toll. “ We have a really strong team in place.” So strong, in fact, that…

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Embracing Our Values: The Heart of It All

Graphic noting Our Values, which are Equity, Community, Integrity, Compassion, Collaboration, and Results.

This is the last in a three-part series exploring UWSCMI’s recently adopted vision, mission and values. You can find them all in one place at unitedforscmi.org/vision-mission-values. Part 1: Where We’re Going | Part 2: What We Do Tibor “Ted” Rubin had every reason to be bitter. As a Jewish Hungarian-American, he faced anti-Semitism and constant…

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Embracing Our Mission: What We Do

Graphic of people huddling next to the words of our mission: We bring together the people, ideas and resources to lead with our communities and creating a flourishing, equitable life for everyone. A box has the words of Our Path: Our work lifts our local communities by reducing racial and economic disparities; addressing the needs of ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) households in financial stability, education, health, and basic needs; and creating opportunities for every person to reach their full potential.

This is the second in a three-part series exploring UWSCMI’s recently adopted vision, mission and values. You can find them all in one place at unitedforscmi.org/vision-mission-values. Part 1: Where We’re Going | Part 3: The Heart of it All What does it take to fit a square peg in a round hole? When the answer…

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Embracing our Vision: Where We’re Going

Graphic of people surrounding Our Vision, which is strong, caring communities where every person is valued, thriving and connected for the common good.

This is the first in a three-part series exploring UWSCMI’s recently adopted vision, mission and values. You can find them all in one place at unitedforscmi.org/vision-mission-values. Part 2: What We Do | Part 3: The Heart of it All Standing at the Lincoln Memorial on a steamy August day in 1963, one man talked about…

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UWSCMI Pauses Activities on Twitter, Stands Against Hate Speech

The shocking rise in hate speech on Twitter, especially in recent months, troubles all of us at United Way of South Central Michigan. No social media platform is immune to willful disinformation and hateful posts. Yet Twitter seems markedly prone to it. A recent Tufts University analysis noted a major increase in toxic tweets —…

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Let’s End The Violence – Together

The plea was simple: Can we all get along? Thirty years later, our society can’t seem to find a way to say “yes.” The tragic mass shooting at an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado Springs is another heartbreaking reminder of how little things have changed since Rodney King, a Black man beaten by police during his…

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Veterans Struggling: ALICE Analysis Outlines Financial Hardship

They’ve served and sacrificed for our country, yet more than one of every four veterans in Michigan struggle to afford the basics. That finding comes from a new report from the Michigan Association of United Ways (MAUW) and its research partner, United For ALICE. In 2019, 6% of the state’s veterans were deemed in poverty,…

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Local UW Leaders Meet with Biden Administration

Leaders from three Michigan United Ways met with the Biden Administration in Washington, D.C., this week to discuss how pandemic-related federal programs are helping United Ways and their community partners statewide meet local needs, especially for those who are considered low- and middle-income and who identify within the ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) population.…

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How Greater Impact Really Happens

Editor’s note: On Oct. 12, United Way representatives from Michigan met with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and other administration officials at the White House. They shared how United Ways across the state have collaborated with local elected officials, nonprofits and other partners to help communities recover from the economic effects of COVID-19. Chris Sargent,…

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UW/Kalamazoo Micro-Enterprise Grants Bring $300K to 60 Businesses

A third round of grants totaling $300,000 is lifting 60 Kalamazoo microbusinesses and bringing economic benefits directly to 17 neighborhoods. United Way of South Central Michigan (UWSCMI), the City of Kalamazoo and the Foundation for Excellence (FFE) announced the third round of Kalamazoo Micro-Enterprise Grants (KMEG) for the third consecutive year. In 2020, the unique…

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