Search results for: ALICE
New United Way Investments Locally Top $5.57 Million
Financial coaching, stable housing, access to food, and social emotional development are among 95 area programs receiving a total investment of $5,571,769 from United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region (UWBCKR). The programs, managed by 65 partner agencies, continue to advance the community toward goals in education, financial stability, and infant and family…
Read MoreMicro-Enterprise Grants Buoy 100 Small Businesses
A grant program unveiled last month will bring $500,000 in relief to 100 Kalamazoo microbusinesses dealing with the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Each of the businesses will receive $5,000 through the Kalamazoo Micro-Enterprise Grants (KMEG) program, a partnership between the City of Kalamazoo and United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region.…
Read MoreGrant Catalyzes Giving in Communities of Color
Equipping communities of color to tackle immediate and chronic needs, especially those heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic, is a key element of work being tackled by the United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region, with the support of a $240,000 grant by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The grant will be divided in two…
Read MoreGrant Program Launched to Support Microbusinesses
A $500,000 grant program launched today will bring crucial relief to Kalamazoo’s smallest businesses hit hard by the economic fallout of the pandemic. The Kalamazoo Micro-Enterprise Grants (KMEG) 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 the Battle…
Read MoreFund Lifts Small Businesses With $1.12 Million in Loans
From restaurants to retailers, Kalamazoo small businesses are tapping a financial lifeline to help them deal with the economic impact of COVID-19. Thus far, the Kalamazoo Small Business Loan Fund (KSBLF) has approved 63 low-interest loans totaling $1,120,600. The fund was created earlier this month through a partnership of the City of Kalamazoo and United…
Read MoreUW Launches Small Business Loan Fund
A new partnership puts United Way in a key role helping ALICE workers and their employers in the City of Kalamazoo affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. With $2 million in support from the Foundation For Excellence, United Way launched the Kalamazoo Small Business Loan Fund. The fund will provide low-interest loans between $5,000 and $50,000…
Read MoreKalamazoo Small Business
Click here to apply for a small business loan Kalamazoo Small Business Loan Fund A partnership of United Way of the Battle Creek & Kalamazoo Region and City of Kalamazoo, supported by Foundation for Excellence About the fund United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region (UWBCKR) has long invested in critical basic needs…
Read MoreCOVID-19 and the Power of Taking It Personally
Taking it personally has never felt so personal. Over the past two weeks, I’ve spent far more time in my home than anywhere else. My meeting schedule hasn’t changed—still more blocks on my calendar than in a kid’s toy box—but I’m talking across an internet connection instead of a conference table. The content of those…
Read MoreDisaster Relief Dollars Feeding Families, Keeping People Housed
Our community – individuals, companies, foundations, governments – has been exceedingly generous during this time of uncertainty as United Way and our partners work to respond to emerging needs. Since mid-March, the United Way Disaster Relief Fund has raised more than $1,100,000 to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on people in our community – particularly…
Read MoreBe Sure You’re Giving Locally
A social media post about a United Way Economic Relief Fund that can help individuals pay bills has gone viral in the last 24 hours, offering a 1-800 contact number. Please know that this post references a fund available to residents in Indianapolis only. In Battle Creek and Kalamazoo, individuals looking for help related to…
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