CEO Summit: When Early Childhood Works, We All Work

Bell's Back Room, with people seated at round tables looking up at a stage featuring four panelists seated at tables.

More than 50 business leaders representing companies across Battle Creek and Kalamazoo gathered last month to learn about childcare challenges and steps the business community can take to help solve them. United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region, in partnership with KC Ready 4’s and Pulse at the W.E Upjohn Institute for Employment…

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Kalamazoo Grant Program Returns,
Providing Relief for Smallest Businesses

city of kalamazoo with Kalamazoo Micro Enterprise Grants as title

KALAMAZOO, Mich. [March 30, 2022]—A grant program in its third year of bringing crucial relief to Kalamazoo’s smallest businesses will offer two additional rounds in 2022. The Kalamazoo Micro-Enterprise Grants (KMEG) program provides grants of $5,000 to eligible microbusinesses within the city limits. The grants are a partnership between the City of Kalamazoo and United…

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Area United Ways Announce Merger

Graphic depicting State of Michigan, with Calhoun, Clinton, Eaton, Ingham, Battle Creek, and Kalamazoo counties shaded red. Also includes new United Ways of South Central Michigan logo.

New United Way Organization Will Maintain Local Presence, Staff, Investments The merger of three United Ways based in south and mid-Michigan will bring exciting new opportunities to the region while strengthening local impact and maintaining their local presence. The boards of directors for Capital Area United Way, United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo…

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United Way Grants Address Disparities in Vaccine Access

A healthcare worker delivers a shot in the arm of a masked woman.

Community grants totaling $50,000 will help local nonprofits and grassroots groups connect underserved people to information and opportunities to get vaccinated against COVID-19. United Way BCKR provided the local grants as part of the Get Vaccinated Michigan campaign led by the Michigan Association of United Ways and the Michigan Nonprofit Association. The statewide effort aims…

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Partnership Brings Crucial Grants to 90 Microbusinesses

A unique local partnership is bringing $450,000 in crucial funds to strengthen 90 Kalamazoo microbusinesses. United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region (UWBCKR), the City of Kalamazoo and the Foundation for Excellence jointly announced the second round of Kalamazoo Micro-Enterprise Grants (KMEG) for the second consecutive year. In 2020, the partnership granted $500,000…

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Vaccinate the Great Lakes State

Vaccinate the Great Lakes State NOTE: This grant process is now closed. Due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19 in our communities, the State of Michigan seeks to vaccinate at least 70% of the eligible population to mitigate the spread of the virus. Although efforts have been underway to vaccinate the population, barriers to access…

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Application assistance available for KMEG Grants

Eligible entrepreneurs can now tap free, in-person assistance to apply for grants aimed at supporting Kalamazoo’s smallest businesses. The Kalamazoo Micro-Enterprise Grants (KMEG) program provides Egrants of $5,000 to eligible microbusinesses within the city limits. The grants are a partnership between the City of Kalamazoo and United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region,…

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Summer Stock Up Launches June 1

United Ways across Michigan are teaming up with Kellogg Company and food pantries to make sure families stay fed through the summer and beyond. Summer Stock Up aims to fill the gap for families seeking food assistance during the summer months. Generous donations typically help food pantries stay well-stocked in the winter months, but can…

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Kalamazoo Micro-Enterprise Grants Return

A grant program launched last year to bring crucial relief to Kalamazoo’s smallest businesses during the pandemic will offer a second round of grants. The Kalamazoo Micro-Enterprise Grants (KMEG) program provides grants of $5,000 to eligible microbusinesses within the city limits. The grants are a partnership between the City of Kalamazoo and United Way of…

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Summer Stock Up

When: June 1, 2021 @ 8:00 am – June 30, 2021 @ 6:00 pm
Where: Virtual

Every year, food pantries across the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region are stocked in the winter months thanks to generous donations. But when summer comes, donations drop dramatically and pantry shelves become sparse. With the…

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