Jackson County
IMPACT! Building the Pathways Early
The first steps on the pathway to financial stability begin in childhood. That’s where people can build a foundation for their entire life by learning well and succeeding in school. But sometimes tough circumstances can unsettle a young student. That’s why United Way invests in the Student Advocacy Center to help families and children deal…
Read MoreIMPACT! Finding a Safe and Secure Future
We live in a tough and dangerous world. Sometimes that puts families at risk. Fortunately, United Way invests in and partners with experts who help those families find a pathway to a safer, more secure future. Legal Services of South Central Michigan provides this powerful example: LSSCM represented a Jackson County mother of two children…
Read MoreIMPACT! Feeding The Hungry Gives Hope
Helping people develop a pathway to financial stability sometimes means getting them through a time of crisis. Perhaps no crisis is greater than feeding hungry children. United Way partners with the Salvation Army to provide food, energy, and housing assistance for low-to-moderate-income residents. Here’s an example of that impact: A single parent called the Salvation…
Read MoreUnified Kickoff Celebrates United Way’s Impact Statewide
“United Ways: assemble!” Like The Avengers of movie fame, United Ways across Michigan, including United Way of Jackson County, are joining forces during the week of September 9 to share stories of local impact and to invite the entire state to be heroes in their community. This is the fifth year that United Ways statewide…
Read MoreCardboard Boat Race Shows the Power of Community
Now in its eighth year, United Way of Jackson County’s annual cardboard boat race shows no sign of sinking from site. What Floats Your Cardboard Boat? Race is a celebration of the fun and partnership that makes Jackson County great. This year, 16 boats put together by area businesses, schools and organizations will compete for…
Read MoreLive United: How Labor & United Way Transform Our Community
by Colleen Sullivan Editor’s note: On upcoming this Labor Day weekend, United Way celebrates and thanks our friends in Labor who generously give their time and resources to support our work. We asked our Labor Liaison, Colleen Sullivan, to share her perspective. Live United! We wear the shirts, slurp coffee from mugs emblazoned with it,…
Read MoreMaking It Personal: Local Boy Helps ‘Stuff The Bus’
At age 13, Hunter Clemons impacted more lives this month than most of us do in a year. When the eighth grader at Michigan Center Junior High heard about United Way’s Stuff The Bus, he decided to earn chore money and invest it in backpacks and school supplies for kids in need. “One day my…
Read MoreCalculating Move: Empowering People to Succeed
by Bethany Stutzman One of the big lessons that we in the nonprofit sector keep learning is this: We don’t have all the answers. But much of the time, the people we’re trying to help do. A case in point: A few weeks ago, I and several of our United Way staff visited the Family…
Read MoreRising STAR: JobSTAR Adds New Cohort, New Success Coach
by Ken Toll Just 17 months ago, I had the honor of leading the announcement of JobSTAR, Jackson County’s new business resource network. It was an exciting day! I remember how proud I was of the partnership that formed JobSTAR—the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, Michigan Works! Southeast, the Department of Health and Human Services,…
Read MoreHelping Families With The Most Basic of Needs
WE LIVE UNITED by helping struggling families with their most basic of needs. Families living at or near the poverty level often times don’t have access to quality food. Money, transportation, and work schedules are just a few examples of obstacles that can prevent a family from getting to the grocery store to purchase healthy…
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