Impact Week In Review, and a Message From Alyssa Stewart

Chief Impact Officer, Alyssa Stewart sits as she discusses impact week

Impact Week has come to a close at United Way of South Central Michigan, and we’re glad you joined us!  Please take a moment to hear a message from our Chief Impact Officer, Alyssa Stewart. Last week, we highlighted the ways in which UWSCMI is looking to ALICE data to drive our investments, partnerships, and programs.…

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Impact Week Day 2: Supporting Mothers and Feeding Children in Battle Creek

It’s Day 2 of Impact Week at United Way of South Central Michigan, and today we are taking a closer look at what’s happening in Battle Creek.  ALICE* data tells us that overall, 21,822 households in Calhoun County – 39 percent – are struggling financially, living either in poverty or below the ALICE threshold. But…

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Impact Week: Let’s meet ALICE

By Ken Toll  Maya Angelou once penned an essay titled I’ve Learned. She offered great nuggets of wisdom, including this one: “I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn.”  After many years leading a legacy United Way and working with communities, I echo Angelou’s insight. I’ve learned a lot—and I have a lot…

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Preparation Softens Pandemic Blow, Strengthens Community

Many disasters have a common trait that leads to the greatest tragedies: lack of preparation. United Way and its community partners have a solid track record of coming together to respond quickly when a crisis strikes — historic flooding in 2018, mass shootings in 2016, violent storms in 2011 and the economic downturn in 2009,…

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Impact Week: From Belief to Impact

Editor’s note: Wrapping up our Impact Week focus is Stephanie Slingerland, Chair of the United Way BCKR Board of Directors and Director of Philanthropy and Social Impact at Kellogg Company. Not long ago, a customer asked about Kellogg’s charitable activities. We were delighted to answer him—Kellogg does a lot all over the world, especially in…

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Impact Week: Volunteers are the Heart

Volunteers create lasting change and provide invaluable support for the nonprofit community. National statistics from the Independent Sector show that in 2019, a volunteer’s time was valued at an average of $25.43 per hour. United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region alone worked with 6,259 volunteers just last year. “Volunteers are transforming our…

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Impact Week: Data’s Role in Driving Impact

Editor’s note: This is the first story in a week-long series exploring the meaning of impact in our organization. At United Way, we talk a lot about impact. The word appears in our mission statement, on the cover of our annual report, in our culture statement, and so many more places in the organization. But…

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