It’s Day 5 of Impact Week at United Way of South Central Michigan, and today we are taking a closer look at what’s happening in Kalamazoo County.
ALICE* data tells us that overall, 39,433 households – 39 percent – are struggling financially, living either in poverty or below the ALICE threshold. But a deeper dive into the demographics and individual budget items for a typical family or individual tells us much more. What we’ve learned allows us to better see specific areas of need in Kalamazoo, and helps us determine where donor dollars will have the greatest impact.
Here are two examples of where ALICE data has informed our work:
Prenatal and Wraparound Care
The Data: In the City of Kalamazoo and City of Portage, 85 percent of Black children and 76 percent of all children under the age of two are living in households below the ALICE threshold, with parents working hard but struggling to make ends meet each month.
Our Investment: These numbers are why we sit on the Board of and invest in Cradle Kalamazoo, an initiative led by YWCA Kalamazoo that supports BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) families in receiving top notch prenatal care and wraparound services for the first year of their babies’ lives.
Supports for Hispanic/Latino community
The Data: In the City of Kalamazoo and City of Portage, 89 percent of all Hispanic/Latin households with children are living below the ALICE threshold.
Our Investment: This drives UWSCMI’s partnership with El Concilio, a nonprofit whose focus is to help Latino residents support their families, contribute to society, and appreciate their cultural significance in the region. UWSCMI supports El Concilio’s bilingual preschool, after school and summer programming for Hispanic/Latin youth, and their ability to meet immediate financial needs for Hispanic/Latin families experiencing hardship.
Housing Resources
The Data: In the City of Kalamazoo and City of Portage, 5,689 children are living in households that are burdened by the cost of housing, spending more than 30 percent of their income on rent or mortgage payments each month. This means they are more at risk of losing their housing and experiencing temporary or chronic homelessness.
Our Work: UWSCMI is proud to operate the Kalamazoo County Continuum of Care, which in 2021 administered over $2.3 million in federal and state funding with a majority of these resources supporting short-term rental assistance and services for families in Kalamazoo County.
Cradle Kalamazoo, El Concilio and Kalamazoo County Continuum of Care are just a few of the many United Way-supported programs providing assistance and working toward solutions in Kalamazoo County. Click here to see a list of all of our funded partners, all working to improve health, education, and financial stability outcomes for individuals and families who are ALICE or living in poverty.
*ALICE = Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed
Your donation helps support these programs and investments. Please consider a gift to United Way this season.