BC/Kzoo General
Alyssa Stewart Reflects On UW Career
After a decade as a driving force in United Way’s work, Alyssa Stewart is moving on to a new challenge – but she is still a United Way champion. Stewart, who has been UWSCMI’s Executive Impact Officer, is joining the Kalamazoo Community Foundation, where she will direct impact activities, grantmaking and scholarships. It’s a role…
Read MoreTake the LGBTQIA+ Equity Challenge
United Way of South Central Michigan is partnering with OutFront Kalamazoo to offer a 21-Day LGBTQIA+ Equity Challenge as an opportunity for our communities to learn, come together and break down the systems and biases that keep many people from living a flourishing, equitable life. You will receive one email a day throughout the month…
Read MoreRFP: Community Violence Intervention Grants
KALAMAZOO – United Way of South Central Michigan is now accepting applications for Phase 2 of the Community Violence Intervention grant process. Kalamazoo city commissioners approved the allocation from Community Violence Prevention ARPA State and Local Fiscal Relief funds earlier this month. Programs operated by 501c(3) organizations that align with city priorities are eligible to…
Read MoreHow Gun Violence Affects The Whole Community
KALAMAZOO — Many people think gun violence is something that happens “elsewhere” — some other community, some other school, some other neighborhood. So they pay it little mind, convinced it doesn’t affect them. That view can keep gun violence from being a widely shared priority. It’s also completely wrong. “Gun violence costs all of us,”…
Read MoreAnalysis: Cost of Essentials Outstrips Inflation, Making Things Even Tougher for ALICE
The cost of six household essentials in Michigan has risen at a faster clip than inflation, leaving low-wage workers priced out of affording the basics. That’s the latest analysis from United Way and its research partner, United For ALICE. Over the course of 15 years, low-wage jobs didn’t keep up with the increased cost of…
Read MoreALICE: 39,433 Kalamazoo County Households Fall Below ALICE Threshold
KALAMAZOO COUNTY – The United Way network and research partner United for ALICE released its latest report in April, giving us our first look at ALICE data since the COVID-19 pandemic began. ALICE is an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed — households that earn more than the Federal Poverty Level, but less than…
Read MoreALICE: Calhoun County sees 6% rise in struggling households
CALHOUN COUNTY – The United Way network and research partner United for ALICE released its latest report in April, giving us our first look at ALICE data since the COVID-19 pandemic began. ALICE is an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed — households that earn more than the Federal Poverty Level, but less than…
Read MoreALICE 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…
Read MoreNew ALICE Report Shows Pandemic Impact in Region
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…
Read MoreTutoring Program Grows Confidence in Readers
SLD Read trains volunteers to work one-to-one with students in local schools BATTLE CREEK AND KALAMAZOO – Fifth-grader Chondell hasn’t always been willing to read aloud in class. But in a recent theater activity, he didn’t hesitate to read the part he’d been practicing. Then he volunteered to read additional parts, sight unseen, for students…
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