This year’s STAR Awards ceremony showed that the power of volunteerism is stronger than ever, and not limited to a single community. United Way BCKR and Gryphon Place partnered to host the first regional STAR Awards on Aug. 20 at Sherman Lake YMCA Outdoor Center, bringing together volunteers from both the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo […]
Kalamazoo Micro-Enterprise Grants (KMEG) provide $5,000 grants to eligible microbusinesses within the city limits. The program is designed to bring relief to Kalamazoo businesses in need of support. In an effort to remedy historical disparities that exist in funding sources, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) and women-owned businesses, as well as those located […]
WHEN EARLY CHILDHOOD WORKS, WE ALL WORK Ready to increase retention, improve productivity & increase profitability? Employers can start by supporting their employees with young children with policies & practices that address the childcare challenges. Our businesses and communities depend on high-quality, accessible, affordable childcare. Come hear about creative ways leaders are approaching the issue […]
Felecia Parker is looking forward to purchasing a new home this year, and planning to put in a garden with her children. She’s currently in the 21st year of her career as a medical assistant, overseeing remote learning for her 5- and 7-year-old, and actively searching for that new property with space for a garden.… […]
Your United Way partners with data analysis experts to report on how our collaborations and investments deliver results. We now have the capability to measure and report the cumulative impact of all United Way activities—dollars invested, programs supported and volunteers deployed. That means everyone who supports United Way can see progress and know where changes […]
UWBCKR envisions a vibrant community where all people realize their full potential. Violence, fear, and racism are in direct conflict with that vision and our values. We are therefore compelled to acknowledge and condemn the unjust killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers along with the recent killings of Ahmaud Arbrey, Breonna Taylor and […]
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,… […]
United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region applauds this week’s vote by United Way Worldwide’s membership to strengthen the network’s commitment to ending racism and ethnic discrimination. The UWW bylaw changes bring stronger commitments by local United Ways to learning, acting and measuring their impact to creating more equitable communities. When our United […]
“Phenomenal. Amazing. Humbling.” That’s how Dr. Ashutosh “Ash” Goel described his incredible trek up Mount Kilimanjaro. Goel and his daughter, Amiti, along with his nephew Tilak Gupta and niece Shagun Gupta, set off in mid August to climb the famous dormant volcano in Tanzania. In the process, they raised over $8,000 to support childhood education… […]
Families struggling to make ends meet have a tough time under any circumstances. COVID-19 has made it a whole lot tougher. That’s the realization that sparked a virtual community conversation, “ALICE In The Workplace,” sponsored by United Way BCKR and MichiganWorks! Southwest. Around 40 people from the region’s businesses, education and nonprofits gathered online to […]
The average American spends $1,200 per person each year on medications. For those living below the ALICE threshold, that’s a significant financial burden. Throw in a global pandemic and its economic effects, and that burden becomes unbearable. Fortunately, a long-time partnership between United Way and FamilyWize has eased that burden locally by more than $277,000 […]
“Phenomenal. Amazing. Humbling.” That’s how Dr. Ashutosh “Ash” Goel described his incredible trek up Mount Kilimanjaro. Goel and his daughter, Amiti, along with his nephew Tilak Gupta and niece Shagun Gupta, set off in mid August to climb the famous dormant volcano in Tanzania. In the process, they raised over $8,000 to support childhood education… […]
Seventeen Kalamazoo projects recently received federal grant dollars to support their work in addressing the continuing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region, in partnership with the City of Kalamazoo, deployed a total of $1 million – a portion of the City’s Federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) State […]
United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region and our partners United Way of Jackson County (UWJC) and Capital Area United Way (CAUW) have been on individual equity journeys over the past several years. As we continue to increase our collaborative work as a partnership group, we are in search of a contractor that […]