United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region

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A book is more than an object on a shelf. It’s a gateway to new worlds, new insights and new opportunities in life. 

This is especially true for children. Kids who read proficiently by third grade are far more likely to graduate high school, pursue post-secondary education and land a rewarding career. That’s why United Way emphasizes early grade literacy as part of its education focus.

“John” appeared to have it all—great job, nice house, loving family. But his personal and professional life brought enormous pressures, and a difficult childhood left emotional scars that hadn’t healed.

Annelies Marie Frank packed a lot of life into her 14 years and a lot of wisdom into her little diary. An aspiring journalist in 1940s Amsterdam, young Anne jotted down her thoughts and experiences while in hiding from the Nazis with her family. Among her insights is this nugget:

“How wonderful it is that no one need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”

by Abby Lumbard, HandsOn Battle Creek

April is National Volunteer Month, and this week is National Volunteer Week—two great reasons to get engaged in your community as a volunteer.  Our community needs volunteers to thrive. The beautiful thing about volunteering is that anyone can do it. Everybody is capable of giving a little bit of their time and talents towards a greater cause.

President John F. Kennedy once said, “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” That neatly sums up my thinking about our annual campaign. 

On March 18, United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region announced that the generous support of people like you raised just over $14.5 million for our 2013 campaign. These gifts will support critical programs in education, income, health and basic needs.