Search results for: equity
Black Households Face Greater Financial Risk
Newly released data related to ALICE (Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed) shows just how closely poverty and racism are connected at a local, statewide and national level – and how much work remains in addressing racial and economic disparities. In Michigan, 63 percent of Black households fall below the ALICE Threshold (the minimum income needed to afford…
Read MoreIMPACT! United Way Announces 2020 Local Investments to Drive Financial Stability
Continuing its work to build financially stable families, United Way of Jackson County announced it will invest $480,000 in 24 local programs and initiatives. “United Way strives for a community rich in opportunities for every person to achieve financial stability. We’re excited to make these investments in Jackson County to advance this important work,” said…
Read MoreKalamazoo Small Business
Click here to apply for a small business loan Kalamazoo Small Business Loan Fund A partnership of United Way of the Battle Creek & Kalamazoo Region and City of Kalamazoo, supported by Foundation for Excellence About the fund United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region (UWBCKR) has long invested in critical basic needs…
Read MoreNew Grant to Catalyze Giving in Communities of Color
The grant, part of WKKF’s Catalyzing Community Giving initiative, will allow UWBCKR to work with leaders from communities of color in Battle Creek to create philanthropic activities that impact their communities more effectively.
Read MoreGrants available for Census 2020 push
United Way is taking the lead in Kalamazoo County, working as part of a statewide effort spearheaded by the Michigan Nonprofit Association to mobilize local nonprofits in encouraging census participation among hard-to-count populations.
Read MoreMeeting ALICE
by Ken Toll There’s a quote from the classic book, Alice in Wonderland: “It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.” That’s certainly true of the ALICE I want you to meet. Every day brings a new challenge to the people who are Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed –…
Read MoreImpact Week: Hope Through Education
Benjamin Franklin was right: An investment in knowledge pays the best interest. It also delivers the greatest hope. That’s why United Way BCKR invests heavily in Education, with the goal of improving high school graduation rates to 83 percent by 2030 while reducing racial and economic disparities. Erica’s Story The CLIMB (Concrete Lessons in Mindful…
Read MoreAdvocacy Academy is More Than a Resume Builder
A first job is a big milestone in life. For a person with a disability, it can be loaded with barriers. Advocacy Academy, an 8-week paid summer internship program through Disability Network Southwest Michigan, offers people a way to gain employment skills and minimize those barriers. They learn by planning and implementing a disability advocacy…
Read MorePartnership Tackles Racial Disparities
When it comes to racial equity, our regional community can do better. By Sara Coppo, Guest Blogger “Whether it’s education, whether it’s income, whether it’s health, families of color line up behind at all times.” As CEO of YWCA Kalamazoo, an organization that has been active in the community for 130 years, Dr. Grace Lubwama…
Read MoreEnvisioning MLK’s Promised Land
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is more than a holiday. It’s a day to commit ourselves to pursuing equity and inclusion in our communities — a commitment United Way firmly embraces. On Monday, Jan. 15, United Way will join millions of people and organizations across the nation in honoring and celebrating the life, legacy…
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