Members of Youth United Way are learning early just how much impact they can have on their community.

The group, composed of Kalamazoo County high school students, celebrated the end of the school year earlier this month by announcing 23 grants totaling $60,000. They awarded funding to organizations serving youth in the areas of college/career readiness or racial healing and transformation after identifying what they felt were the prevalent issues facing youth in the community.

“It made me take a deeper look into what happens in Kalamazoo,” said Shemaiah, a Loy Norrix high school sophomore.

Youth United Way is a partnership program between United Way BCKR and the Kalamazoo Community Foundation, which provides funding. The program seeks to empower youth to make a difference through volunteerism, advocacy and grant-making. Since its inception in 1989, YUW members have granted more than $1.2 million to impact nonprofit organizations serving youth.

“The group spends a lot of time reading and reflecting on the grant requests,” said YUW Director Mary Lou Boughton. “Knowing they have much less available to grant than requested, YUW members use critical thinking skills as they read the requests and come up with sound reasoning for the funds they award.”

YUW members say the program gives them the opportunity to make an impact, meet other like-minded teens, and in some cases has helped shape their future plans.

“I’ve met the greatest people through YUW,” said Abby Antias, a Gull Lake High School graduate, “and it helped me figure out what I want to do with my life.”

Abby was the 2018 recipient of the Glen C. Smith Award, chosen by her peers as one who best epitomizes the values of YUW with her attendance, enthusiasm and friendliness. She was awarded the opportunity to make a $300 gift to an area nonprofit. She chose Rootead.

Membership in Youth United Way is open to high school-aged residents of Kalamazoo County. Contact Mary Lou Boughton at marylou.boughton@gmail.com for details about joining.

2018 Youth United Way Community Grant Recipients

• ASK Family Services
• Black Arts & Cultural Center
• Community Healing Centers
• Disability Network of SW Michigan
• Douglass Community Association
• Fire Historic & Cultural Arts Collaborative
• Free Store at Sunnyside United Methodist
• Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan
• Great Lakes PeaceJam
• Gull Lake Community Schools
• Kalamazoo County Youth Cabinet
• Kalamazoo Institute of Arts
• Kalamazoo Junior Girls
• Kalamazoo Nature Center
• Kalamazoo Public Schools
• Open Roads
• Out Front Kalamazoo
• Peace Pizzazz
• Portage Community Center
• RAWK – Read and Write Kalamazoo
• S.H.A.R.E Center
• Young Kings and Queens
• YWCA of Kalamazoo