BC/Kzoo
UWSCMI Announces Federal Grants for Food, Shelter, Utilities
United Way of South Central Michigan (UWSCMI) facilitated a grant process that provided $460,437 in federal funds to local organizations providing food, shelter and utility assistance to people in high-need areas. The emergency funding was announced in February and provided through the Emergency Food And Shelter National Board Program (EFSP), administered by the Department 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…
Read MoreRentAble Revamp Removes Barriers to Stable Housing
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…
Read MoreCelebrating 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’…
Read More2023 B.E.T.A Graduation Ceremony
KALAMAZOO – The 2023 Black Entrepreneur Training Academy (BETA) Graduation Ceremony, held Feb. 8, celebrated the end of training for 14 new graduates of the Black Entrepreneur Training Program, a joint effort by Black Wall Street Kalamazoo and Sisters in Business. This effort was funded in part through the City of Kalamazoo ARPA dollars, and…
Read MoreTime 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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