Since the annual holiday season begins with Thanksgiving Day, I want to bring that theme to this letter. Please accept my deepest gratitude and appreciation for your unwavering support of United Way. Without your generosity we would not be able to mobilize the great resources of our community to improve people’s lives in real, meaningful ways.

As most of you know, this has been a year of major change for our United Way. Since the official merger of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo organizations on July 1, we have accomplished a great deal. We have:

•     Aligned the goals of the two United Ways around education, income and health;

•     Merged and restructured the Board of Directors with cross-regional leadership;

•     Reorganized staff and implemented robust communications to build a strong team;

•     Received $125,000 to date from major sponsors and corporations to help with merger costs and near-term regional projects;

•     Conducted two campaigns this year – one in Battle Creek, one in Kalamazoo – while coordinating regionally to ensure consistent messaging, branding and staff support.

The year ahead will bring continued focus on integrating our operations while advancing the work of United Way and our partners across the region. And, as always, we will honor the intent of donors.

If you’re interested in hearing more about the merger and the work of United Way, please feel free to visit our website or call us at (269) 343-2524. I wish you and your loved ones a warm, safe and uplifting holiday season.

Sincerely,

Mike Larson

President & CEO United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region