BC/Kzoo
Impact Week: Making Progress in Education
[su_label type=”info”]IMPACT WEEK[/su_label] Education is called the “passport to the future.” United Way partners and programs strive to make sure every child in our region has the chance to earn that passport. Editor’s note: We’re celebrating Impact Week—highlighting how support for United Way is changing lives. Read our Impact Week overview here. Jennifer Nottingham, Associate…
Read MoreIt's Impact Week! You're Making a Difference!
[su_label type=”info”]IMPACT WEEK[/su_label] “How do I know my donation is really changing lives?” It’s a great question. United Way BCKR is determined to answer it. “Last year, we set powerful, long-term goals for the toughest challenges we face as a region,” said Matt Lynn, Director of Community Impact. “It’s vital that we measure our progress.…
Read MoreJoin Us for Free Screening of 'Resilience'
Raising Kalamazoo County, United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region, and the Michigan ACE Initiative invite you to view the award-winning documentary “Resilience”. “Resilience: The Biology of Stress & the Science of Hope” chronicles the birth of a new movement among pediatricians, therapists, educators and communities, who are using cutting-edge brain science to…
Read MoreFee Waivers for Vital Records a 'Step in the Right Direction'
As a social worker at Ministry with Community in Kalamazoo, Hannah Turner is all too familiar with the difficulty faced by homeless and economically vulnerable residents in obtaining state identification. She begins the process with up to eight Ministry members each week, and depending on the situation, it can take months to track down and…
Read MoreKeeping Kids Warm
During its annual three-day distribution event last month, Charitable Union gave away more than 1,300 children’s coats to Battle Creek families in need of winter gear. That’s a lot of warm kids. But not nearly enough. Teresa Allen, Executive Director at Charitable Union, said they were forced to turn roughly 80 kids away from the…
Read MoreDrop-in Child Care Center Plays Key Role in Family Stability
[su_label type=”info”]Agency spotlight[/su_label] On the surface, Kalamazoo Drop-In Childcare Center looks like many similar facilities, with colorful bulletin boards and murals, bookshelves and activity centers all geared toward early childhood development. But for many families who attend the center, it’s much more than a safe, educational place to take their children. It’s one hurdle cleared…
Read MoreUnited Against Hunger fights food insecurity with 50,000 meals
Thousands of food-insecure families can count on a nutritious meal because hundreds of volunteers, corporate partners and sponsors came together to fight hunger with us this week. Volunteers packaged a total of 50,000 meal kits in under four hours during two United Against Hunger events in Battle Creek and Kalamazoo. United Way BCKR organized the…
Read MoreKathleen's Story
Kathleen’s Story: Learning Independence Kathleen Terry bears a tattoo on her left forearm that reminds her of who she is and how far she’s come in recent years. The words, she said, have come to symbolize how she strives to live her life – with “Strong Love.” Kathleen was 18 years old and just four…
Read MoreVolunteers Needed: United Against Hunger to Pack 50,000 Meal Kits
Hunger is a reality for thousands of people in our region. On Oct. 16 – World Food Day – dozens of volunteers will gather for the first of two events aiming to address that reality and shine a light on a persistent, pervasive problem in our region: food insecurity. About 1 in 7 adults…
Read MoreBook Drive Delivers Gift of Reading
The first-ever United Way Children’s Book Drive brought in more than 9,000 new and gently used books for young kids—and more are coming in. “Children who read well tend to succeed in school. That’s the genesis of the book drive—our desire to get books in the hands of kids who need them,” said Jennifer Nottingham,…
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