BC/Kzoo
United We Will: Our Region is Rising
Nothing focuses your mind on the impact of a deadly disease than thinking a loved one—and possibly you—could have it. One of my adult daughters began showing symptoms of COVID-19. Like any concerned parent, I took her to the doctor to be tested. Results took 48 hours, putting our family on pins and needles. And…
Read MoreUW Wraps Up Pandemic Grantmaking
Our regional community responded generously to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, all funds given to meet urgent local needs have been disbursed. United Way created the Disaster Relief Fund last year to strengthen the community’s ability to respond quickly to critical needs. Generous corporate donors provided seed money for the fund. When COVID-19 struck, United Way…
Read MoreNew United Way Investments Locally Top $5.57 Million
Financial coaching, stable housing, access to food, and social emotional development are among 95 area programs receiving a total investment of $5,571,769 from United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region (UWBCKR). The programs, managed by 65 partner agencies, continue to advance the community toward goals in education, financial stability, and infant and family…
Read MoreUnited Way Takes Reins of Homelessness Program
United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region is taking the leadership reins of Kalamazoo County’s Continuum of Care program, which aims to help homeless families and individuals. According to Alyssa Stewart, Vice President of Strategy & Engagement, the Continuum of Care, or CoC, brings together partners and programs serving the homeless to better…
Read MoreMicro-Enterprise Grants Buoy 100 Small Businesses
A grant program unveiled last month will bring $500,000 in relief to 100 Kalamazoo microbusinesses dealing with the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Each of the businesses will receive $5,000 through the Kalamazoo Micro-Enterprise Grants (KMEG) program, a partnership between the City of Kalamazoo and United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region.…
Read MoreGrant Catalyzes Giving in Communities of Color
Equipping communities of color to tackle immediate and chronic needs, especially those heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic, is a key element of work being tackled by the United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region, with the support of a $240,000 grant by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The grant will be divided in two…
Read MoreUWBCKR Statement on George Floyd
UWBCKR envisions a vibrant community where all people realize their full potential. Violence, fear, and racism are in direct conflict with that vision and our values. We are therefore compelled to acknowledge and condemn the unjust killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers along with the recent killings of Ahmaud Arbrey, Breonna Taylor and…
Read More2-1-1 Answers The Call During Pandemic
Mention “frontline workers,” and you probably think about doctors and nurses, first responders, grocery store workers, and delivery staff. Yet there’s another crucial role to keep in mind: the call center staff at Gryphon Place 2-1-1. Maricela Alcala, CEO of Gryphon Place, said the team has been fielding calls from home since Michigan’s stay-at-home order…
Read MoreGrant Program Launched to Support Microbusinesses
A $500,000 grant program launched today will bring crucial relief to Kalamazoo’s smallest businesses hit hard by the economic fallout of the pandemic. The Kalamazoo Micro-Enterprise Grants (KMEG) provides grants of $5,000 to eligible microbusinesses within the city limits. The grants are a partnership between the City of Kalamazoo and United Way of the Battle…
Read MoreConsumers Energy Foundation Gift to Spark Small Business Microgrants
A $200,000 donation from the Consumers Energy Foundation will support the creation of a new microgrant program for small businesses in the City of Kalamazoo. The program, which will focus on women- and people-of-color-owned businesses impacted by COVID-19, will be a partnership between the City of Kalamazoo and the United Way of Battle Creek and…
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