Mercantile Bank Invests Tax Break in Flood Relief

May 2, 2018

Mercantile Bank of Michigan recently gave $7,500 to United Way BCKR to support the Kalamazoo Flood Relief Fund from tax savings resulting from federal tax reform approved by Congress last…

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Get Your Diapers in a Bunch! Diaper Drive Starts May 1

April 26, 2018

For the second consecutive year, a massive volunteer effort will tackle a chronic need among low-income families by gathering 75,000 donated infant and toddler diapers from across Calhoun and Kalamazoo…

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Warner Norcross + Judd is the 2017 Community Law Challenge Winner

April 24, 2018

If you’ve entered into downtown Kalamazoo from the east lately, chances are you’ve seen a glimpse of United Way’s 2017 Gerard Thomas Community Law Challenge winners. Warner Norcross + Judd…

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Alejandro's Story

April 17, 2018

Finding purpose Alejandro is well-spoken and talkative, but at times he simply doesn’t have the words to describe how much his life has changed. Five years ago, he was in…

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Education and Employment Go Hand In Hand At Y.O.U.

April 10, 2018

There’s a common misconception that today’s teenagers aren’t interested in jobs, said Karen Carlisle, Director of Youth Opportunities Unlimited (Y.O.U.) in Kalamazoo. The hundreds of applications that flood Y.O.U’s MyCITY…

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'On The Ground' Lands Locally

April 6, 2018

Journalism is about storytelling—and great journalism can help change the story. A partnership involving Issue Media Group and United Way BCKR embeds reporters in a largely low-income Kalamazoo neighborhood to…

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May 1 Marks Start of Diaper Drive 2018

April 5, 2018

Generous community members, corporate partners and volunteers came together last year to help our region’s babies as we launched our inaugural United Way Diaper Drive. We invite you all to…

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We're Kicking Off Our Health Quarter!

April 2, 2018

The health of our smallest residents can tell us a lot about the overall well-being of our communities. And the rate at which babies – particularly babies of color –…

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Generous Donors Lift Flood Fund

March 30, 2018

Donors across the region have stepped up in a big way to support relief efforts for victims of February’s massive flooding in Kalamazoo. The Kalamazoo Flood Relief Fund, established by…

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