by Ken Toll
I’m looking forward to normal life—even if I’ve almost forgotten what “normal” looks like.
Nearly 14 months ago, our whole world was upended by the tiniest of intruders, a spiky virus that spread like wildfire. As I write this, nearly 150 million people have been infected with COVID-19 globally, and 3.1 million have died. In the United States, the pandemic has killed 587,000 Americans and sickened 1 in 10 people. Michigan has seen more than 18,500 deaths from 900,000 infections. And here in Jackson County, 14,000 of our neighbors have contracted COVID-19, which took the lives of 257 residents.
Those numbers are horrific. And there’s more to the story—families losing loved ones, or struggling to pay hospital bills; businesses failing or nearly so; people playing catch-up on their bills after being furloughed or laid off.
The list goes on. But there’s another list, too: the list of things that make Jackson County such an amazing place.
When COVID-19 hit, our United Way took a critical leading role in addressing immediate needs. We connected with local government, nonprofits, grassroots organizations and other partners to identify and respond to the demand for food, household essentials, shelter and reinforcing the social safety net. Our partnerships with organized labor and the Jackson Community Foundation, and the support of individual, business and foundation donors, created the COVID-19 Response Fund that made this response possible.
The COVID-19 Response Fund raised and invested more than $393,000, distributed over 300,000 basic needs items, and coordinated with 41 nonprofit and grassroots groups. On top of that, we’ve led the partnership with the federal Farmers To Families initiative to bring in well over 1.5 million pounds of food to be distributed through local pantries.
We’re proud of this work—not just for ourselves, but because it represents a shared effort, the kind of mindset that defines Jackson County.
Finally, the situation is changing. While precautions won’t vanish overnight, we are definitely moving closer to a “new normal.”
In that light, United Way is beginning to shift back to a longer-range focus on financial stability. We were honored to help lead the local response to the pandemic and grateful for the incredible support of the community. Now, as federal and state programs and funds become available to take up that slack, we can re-engage in our commitment to help Jackson County residents build pathways to long-term financial stability.
That doesn’t mean we don’t need your partnership—just the opposite! What the pandemic showed us is that something as small as a virus can upend the financial strength of any family, and especially those who are ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed). And it also showed how essential ALICE is to us. ALICE brings us our packages, takes away our garbage, stocks our stores, and cares for our children and elderly; ALICE kept most of us safe and healthy throughout the pandemic.
The shared commitment that carried Jackson County through COVID-19 is the same one we need as a community to create a financially stable future for every person. And with your continuing support, we have a real opportunity not just to get back to normal, but to create a much better ‘normal’ for all. That’s a “new normal” we can all celebrate! We look forward to working with you to make it happen.
Ken Toll is President & CEO of United Way of Jackson County.