Change the Story
Taking Impact Personally
Chris Sargent, President & CEO, reflects personally on Impact Week 2018. Every now and then, someone asks what draws me to the work of United Way. The answer is easy: For me, it’s personal. I’ve spent much of my life living in this area. I have children here. Grandchildren, too. This is my home, and…
Read MoreHonoring the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
United Way honors the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Our offices in Battle Creek and Kalamazoo will be closed on Monday, January 16, in recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Honoring Dr. King goes far beyond a holiday. United Way will be involved in community events supporting equity, and our…
Read MoreSweepstakes Winner Gets Surprise of a Lifetime
At Western Michigan University, the magic of winning isn’t limited to the Cotton Bowl bound Bronco football team. Kim LaViolette, an employee in the university’s Landscape department, made that discovery today as she celebrated winning a new vehicle through the 2016 United Way Sweepstakes. WMU President John Dunn took part in surprising LaViolette with the…
Read More#GivingTuesday: The Many Faces of Giving
Giving Tuesday is far more than a day for writing checks to charities. It’s a day for each of us to change the story in our community in our own, unique way. Giving Tuesday was launched in 2012 by dozens of participating nonprofits, including United Way. Held the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving, it’s an alternative…
Read MoreLatest Grants Add $1.16 Million to Region
Sexual assault prevention, mental health support for at-risk youth, and job skill development are among 40 programs receiving a total of $1,161,207 in funding from United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region. UWBCKR announced a second set of grants under its new impact strategy. The new grants are one-year investments to support programs…
Read MoreUnited Way Begins Leadership Transition
Dear friends of United Way, The impact work we do is a partnership – a shared effort between United Way, community agencies and you. Whatever good we accomplish, we accomplish together. In the spirit of that partnership, I’m committed to keeping you informed of changes to our organization. After a great deal of thought,…
Read MoreUnited Way Campaign: It's All About Impact
As we kick off our 2016 campaign, there’s no better way to do so than by spotlighting the partners and programs that help drive impact—fueled by our community’s generosity. So the campaign launches with our announcement of $6.03 million in new investments in 88 programs addressing Education, Income, Health and Basic Needs. These investments…
Read MoreRaising Awareness, Inviting Engagement & Creating Impact Together
United Way has been highly visible this week—and not only in our community! A whole host of local United Ways across Michigan, including United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region, joined forces again this year to share local successes and invite people throughout Michigan to get involved and to support their local communities.…
Read More10th Annual Calhoun County Legislative Breakfast Creating a Trauma-Informed Community
For the tenth year in a row, over 200 local, state and federal officials and nonprofit and community leaders packed the Lew Boyd Room of The Kool Family Community Center for the annual Calhoun County Legislative Breakfast on Friday, June 17. The breakfast was sponsored by the Battle Creek Community Foundation, the United Way of…
Read MoreStryker Volunteers Live Out 'Together' Mission
When employees from Stryker came together for a Day of Caring volunteer project, it was far more than a day away from the office. “Stryker’s mission statement begins with the word, ‘Together.’ That word fuels our commitment to our customers, to our business and to our community,” said Sue Ewing, Stryker human resources. Ewing organized…
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