BC/Kzoo
Advocacy Academy is More Than a Resume Builder
A first job is a big milestone in life. For a person with a disability, it can be loaded with barriers. Advocacy Academy, an 8-week paid summer internship program through Disability Network Southwest Michigan, offers people a way to gain employment skills and minimize those barriers. They learn by planning and implementing a disability advocacy…
Read MoreTaking You on a Journey United
A new video travels alongside local people whose stories have been changed through United Way. Titled “Journeys United,” this powerful 3-minute production features residents Melrose, Tawana and Alejandro sharing their personal stories. Through tough times, each found the strength and opportunity to build a better life through programs made possible by United Way BCKR donors.…
Read MoreMaking Mentoring Child's Play
Sometimes volunteering in the community can be child’s play. by Sara Coppo, Guest Blogger Eva De La Cruz is a busy Kalamazoo Christian High School senior who spends most of her time volunteering, playing tennis, coaching volleyball and helping out with musicals. But one of the most rewarding parts of her week, she says, is…
Read MoreCadillac Fest to Fete United Way
The Cadillac Fall Festival & Concours d’Elegance will commemorate a respected automobile brand while highlighting United Way. The Cadillac Fall Festival is a celebration of Cadillacs from the beginning in 1903 to 2018. Long revered for its technical excellence, Cadillac has long been the ultimate symbol of innovation and success. Cadillac models featured range from…
Read More4-Star Rating Puts UWBCKR Among Nation's Elite
Charity Navigator awarded United Way BCKR its coveted 4-Star rating for the eighth year in a row. Charity Navigator, the nation’s largest evaluator of charitable agencies, rates nonprofits in two areas of performance: financial health; and accountability and transparency. This helps donors know how efficiently a charitable organization uses their support, how well it sustains…
Read MoreTwo Days Left to Give Books!
Books have been piling up in our United Way offices and at partner locations across the region, but the United Way Book Drive is not over yet! There’s plenty of time to contribute. Until August 15, we are collecting new and gently used children’s books for students ages K-3rd grade, with a goal of getting…
Read More#AreYouALU? Three Reasons to Aspire
Aspiring Leaders United connects young professionals. by Sara Coppo, Guest Blogger Hard-working professionals struggle to find time for networking, socializing and helping the community. Good news: Aspiring Leaders United offers a solution. ALU, an affinity group of United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region, brings together leaders under the age of 45 to…
Read MoreVolunteer Awards Honor Best of Battle Creek
The power of volunteerism gained the spotlight at the 2018 Community Volunteer Awards ceremony held July 26 in downtown Battle Creek. Seven awards – five individual awards and two group honors – were handed out during the event, which was held at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation headquarters. The awards are held each year by United…
Read MoreFrom the Flood, Tales of Hope
The Kalamazoo Flood Relief Fund raised more than $375,000 to help victims of the historic 2018 flood. by Andrea Opalewski, Guest Blogger As we enjoy the summer sunshine and warmer temperatures, it’s hard to believe that a historic flood deluged Kalamazoo a little more than five months ago. But for many people, it’s like it…
Read MoreSaving Babies, Changing Lives
There are days when Kaye Sanders realizes she’s been holding her breath from the moment she woke up. As the Recovery House Coordinator for Community Healing Centers’ Women’s Specialty Program, Sanders and her team walk beside women working to rebuild lives and families while battling addiction. Many of them – particularly those who reside at…
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