News and Updates
Kathleen'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…
Volunteers 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…
Book 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…
Tawana's Story
Nurse-Family Partnership Offers Support to First-Time Mothers Tawana Moss never expected to be a mother. Told they could never have children, she and her husband were stunned last year to discover that she was two months pregnant. “I cried the…
Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month
Editor’s note: In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, we welcome this guest blog by Josh Dunn, executive director of Voces and a member of the Battle Creek Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration Committee. National Hispanic Heritage Month runs September 15…
Marion's Story
Marion’s Story: Making a Change Watching Marion play basketball, talk about his favorite foods or joke around with friends, it’s difficult to see him as anything but a happy, well-adjusted 12-year-old. That was not the case when he joined the…
Nurturing a Love of Reading
The grin on Susan Caswell’s face perfectly mirrored that of 120 kids around her. “You can do all the interventions you want, but ultimately it’s about getting books into their hands and inspiring a love of reading,” said the Green…
Gryphon Place 2-1-1 Answers the Call During Hurricane Crisis
As much of the southeastern United States braced for Hurricane Irma late last week, local 2-1-1 specialists were making preparations of their own. The 2-1-1 contact center at Gryphon Place in Kalamazoo, like many others around the country that provide…
United Way Takes Over Michigan
Michigan United Ways are taking over the state this week to send a message: To live better, we must LIVE UNITED. Collaboration is one of United Way’s greatest strengths. In that spirit, United Ways across Michigan, including United Way of…