A social media post about a United Way Economic Relief Fund that can help individuals pay bills has gone viral in the last 24 hours, offering a 1-800 contact number. Please know that this post references a fund available to residents in Indianapolis only.

In Battle Creek and Kalamazoo, individuals looking for help related to COVID-19 should dial 2-1-1 to get connected to local resources. If you are looking to give back locally, United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region has activated our Disaster Relief Fund, and you can donate to that fund online at changethestory.org/disaster-relief. Your donations will stay local.

United Way BCKR is working with area nonprofit agencies and municipalities to determine what the needs are and how the Disaster Relief Fund can best support the work. Among the concerns being assessed are access to food, emergency child care and household impact due to lost wages—an especially worrisome risk for families in poverty or ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed).