Financial coaching, stable housing, access to food, and social emotional development are among 95 area programs receiving a total investment of $5,571,769 from United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region (UWBCKR).

The programs, managed by 65 partner agencies, continue to advance the community toward goals in education, financial stability, and infant and family health set by UWBCKR in 2016, as well as ongoing support of a safety net of services for people in crisis, according to Alyssa Stewart, Vice President of Impact & Engagement.

“Tackling the toughest challenges in our region requires a mix of financial investment, strategic partnerships and hands-on engagement,” said Stewart. “We’re proud to make these investments to fuel this important work.”

Some grants will target specific communities while others encompass the entire region. According to Stewart, 34 education programs through 28 agencies will receive $1,388,800, or 25% of the total dollars invested. In income/financial stability, 18 programs through 14 agencies will get $1,005,171, or 18.1%. In health, 14 programs through 10 agencies will receive $1,083,800, or 19.5%. In basic needs, the largest investment area, 29 programs through 27 agencies are getting $1,780,846, or 32.1%. Support for 2-1-1, the region’s resource and referral hub, totals $287,040, or 5.2%.

On top of these grants, UWBCKR has invested $1,621,573 from its Disaster Relief Fund to area agencies during this year’s COVID-19 pandemic. Most of these dollars went to food and housing needs. Response efforts took place in partnership with the Kalamazoo Community Foundation and 80 area agencies and programs. Further, as part of pandemic response UWBCKR partnered with the City of Kalamazoo and Foundation for Excellence to award $1,345,600 in low-interest loans to small businesses and $500,000 in grants to microbusinesses, most of them owned by women and/or Black, indigenous and people of color (BIPOC), within the city.

In addition to the latest local investments, UWBCKR is a partner in four state and national initiatives, five regional initiatives, 15 initiatives in Battle Creek, and nine in Kalamazoo. These range from policy and poverty reduction to hunger, housing and trauma work.

Progress on Regional Goals

In 2016, UWBCKR set the following goals to guide grantmaking:
• Improve high school graduation rates and reduce racial and economic disparities in graduation rates.
• Increase the number of economically stable households.
• Improve family and infant health while reducing racial and economic disparities.
• Ensure a safety net is in place to help individuals and families access basic necessities in times of crisis.

“Partnership across every sector of our region is the key to reaching these goals and creating a strong, equitable community for everyone,” said Chris Sargent, President & CEO of UWBCKR. “It’s how we’ve been able to address the needs of the most vulnerable residents during the pandemic, and it’s the only way we can recover, rebuild and rise beyond the pandemic’s economic effects.”

Building momentum for recovery will be a crucial element in United Way’s work, according to Sargent. “The economic effects of COVID-19 weigh heavily on our entire region, and especially on the ALICE population—those who are Asset Limited, Income Constrained, and Employed,” he explained. “We’ll need a united, concerted effort to rebuild a hopeful future for ALICE. That’s where United Way is uniquely equipped to lead. We were built for this.”

For a complete summary of UWBCKR’s new grants, supported programs and initiatives, including a dashboard of investments, click here.