Seeding Leaders Mini-Grant Applications

UWSCMI provided nine $2,000 Seeding Leaders mini-grants in Battle Creek and Kalamazoo, intended to support the wellness, leadership, and/or professional development of nonprofit leaders, with a focus on leaders who identify as (or in the intersections of) being: Applications are now closed. To be eligible to apply, an individual must have had a documented affiliation…

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Creating Healthy Communities in Northwest Lansing

LANSING – With its dedicated team of staff members and volunteers, Northwest Initiative supports the communities bordering the Grand River in Lansing with an array of services that range from food distribution to prison diversion programs. NWI is a currently funded partner of United Way of South Central Michigan.  The organization’s work around nutrition is…

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Get help with your tax returns

A photo shows a hand with a pen writing down figures next to a calculator. Words over top of the image read: VITA: Volunteer Income Tax Assistance

They say there are two things certain in life, and one of them pops up every year: income taxes. If you’re looking for help in doing your tax returns, USCMI has answers! The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, or VITA, is a national effort sponsored by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. This free service helps…

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Volunteers Needed for Point-in-Time Count

Continuum of Care

KALAMAZOO – The Kalamazoo County Continuum of Care is seeking volunteers to help us conduct the unsheltered portion of the county-wide 2023 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count.  The Point in Time Count is a literal count of all the people experiencing homelessness in our community on a single night.  The data gathered from the PIT count also…

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Impact Week Day 2: Supporting Mothers and Feeding Children in Battle Creek

It’s Day 2 of Impact Week at United Way of South Central Michigan, and today we are taking a closer look at what’s happening in Battle Creek.  ALICE* data tells us that overall, 21,822 households in Calhoun County – 39 percent – are struggling financially, living either in poverty or below the ALICE threshold. But…

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Impact Week: Let’s meet ALICE

By Ken Toll  Maya Angelou once penned an essay titled I’ve Learned. She offered great nuggets of wisdom, including this one: “I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn.”  After many years leading a legacy United Way and working with communities, I echo Angelou’s insight. I’ve learned a lot—and I have a lot…

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United Way SCMI Takes on Kalamazoo County VITA Program

A photo shows a hand with a pen writing down figures next to a calculator. Words over top of the image read: VITA: Volunteer Income Tax Assistance

KALAMAZOO – This tax season, United Way of South Central Michigan’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Shared Services team has added Kalamazoo County to its coverage area, bringing the total number of counties covered to nine. VITA provides no-cost, high-quality tax services to households making $60,000 or less, and relies on dozens of trained volunteers…

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