Posts Tagged ‘covid-19’
New ALICE Report Shows Pandemic Impact in Region
While aid programs during the COVID-19 pandemic likely eased financial stress on many households, the risk of more families struggling is rising, according to a new report on financial hardship in Michigan. ALICE in the Crosscurrents: COVID and Financial Hardship, released today by Michigan’s United Way network and the research organization United For ALICE, shows…
Read MoreIMPACT! Touching a Single Life
The COVID-19 pandemic upended life for all of us. When the most vulnerable are affected, that’s where United Way partnerships make a powerful difference. Consider the story of an elderly woman, which came out of our investment in the Jackson Guardian Program through Family Service & Children’s Aid: “Norma” is an 80-plus-year-old that lives in…
Read MoreIMPACT! Back to School Makes a Difference
The COVID-19 pandemic pushed many students into a virtual classroom. While that worked fine for some, others struggled to keep pace. Our partnership with the Student Advocacy Center provided a means for one family to find a better way—and to succeed academically: The SAC advocate assisted three siblings—a 3rd grader and two 4th graders—who had…
Read MoreAnalysis: Pandemic Hits ALICE Families Hard
Lower-income people struggled in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to financially stable households, according to a new analysis. “The Pandemic Divide: An ALICE Analysis of COVID Surveys” found a much higher percentage of lower-income people struggling to get by, having lost jobs and income, and wrestling with depression and anxiety. The report comes…
Read MoreIMPACT! Trusted Advisors Encourage Vaccination
Being there for people who are struggling can make all the difference. Trusted Advisors, an initiative through the Great Start Collaborative, depends on individuals living in high-poverty areas who are trained and trusted to help others in need navigate support systems in housing, food, employment, health care and other needs. Here’s how Trusted Advisors encouraged…
Read MoreNew Grant Program Supports Protective Measures for Kalamazoo Small Businesses
A new fund created through a partnership between the City of Kalamazoo and United Way will help city-based small businesses afford protective measures that keep workers and customers safe from COVID-19.
Read More#JacksonWeGotThis Week: Celebrating Success, Taking the Next Step
by Ken Toll What a difference a year makes! Last November, I posted a blog titled, “Why Every Day is #GivingTuesday.” In this lead-up to the annual day of charitable giving, I made this observation: “Modern life is so busy, so complex, with so many daily challenges, that there’s value in having a day where…
Read MoreIMPACT! 2-1-1 Answers The Call During Pandemic
Jackson County’s essential workers—from health care providers and first responders to retail and service sectors, educators and nonprofit volunteers—have been celebrated during the COVID-19 pandemic, and rightly so. There’s another essential group that deserves kudos, too: the professionals staffing the 2-1-1 call center. According to Melissa Ladd Patnode, 2-1-1 Program Supervisor at Lifeways Community Mental…
Read MoreUnited We Will: Setting Our Sights on Recovery
by Ken Toll The week after Independence Day, we did a soft reopening of our office. Our staff still mostly works from home, but a few come to the office when needed. Meetings are by appointment, so there’s no steady stream of visitors. I confess, it all feels weird. Not that weird is a new…
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…
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