United Way Of South Central Michigan

THE UNITED WAY OF THE BATTLE CREEK AND KALAMAZOO REGION ENGAGES PEOPLE IN BUILDING AND SUSTAINING A VIBRANT COMMUNITY THROUGH EDUCATION, INCOME, HEALTH, AND ADDRESSING BASIC HUMAN NEEDS.

PROGRAM INVESTMENTS - THE UNITED WAY OF THE BATTLE CREEK AND KALAMAZOO REGION (UWBCKR) AND ITS DEDICATED STAFF ARE DEVOTED TO ADVANCING THE COMMON GOOD BY OPTIMIZING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SYSTEMS CHANGE AND IMPROVEMENT IN THE AREAS OF EDUCATION, INCOME, HEALTH AND BASIC NEEDS. IMPACT IS ACHIEVED THROUGH ENGAGING WITH THE COMMUNITY AND WORKING WITH COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS AND A NETWORK OF COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS TO IDENTIFY GREATEST NEEDS AND INVEST RESOURCES IN COMMUNITY PROGRAMS TO ACHIEVE MEASURABLE IMPACT ON STATED OUTCOMES AND COMMUNITY GOALS. THROUGH THE GENEROUS, UNDESIGNATED GIFTS FROM DONORS, UWBCKR INVESTS IN ESSENTIAL SERVICES AND ALSO SUPPORTS COMPREHENSIVE AND INNOVATIVE APPROACHES THAT ADDRESS THE UNDERLYING CAUSES OF PROBLEMS. UWBCKR ASSEMBLES VOLUNTEERS REPRESENTING BOTH THE BATTLE CREEK AND KALAMAZOO COMMUNITIES, WHO GIVE OF THEIR TIME AND KNOWLEDGE TO DETERMINE WHAT PROGRAMS WILL ACHIEVE THE GREATEST IMPACT ON IDENTIFIED COMMUNITY GOALS. STUDIES SHOW THAT STUDENTS WHO ARE UNABLE TO READ BY THE END OF THIRD GRADE ARE FOUR TO SIX TIMES MORE LIKELY TO DROP OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL. ASSESSMENT OF AGGREGATE DATA PROVIDED BY UWBCKR-FUNDED PROGRAMS PROVIDING EARLY GRADE READING SUPPORTS DEMONSTRATED THE FOLLOWING RESULTS FOR 2021: OF THE 972 STUDENTS PROVIDED UW FUNDED READING SUPPORTS, 503 ACHIEVED THE GOAL OF READING PROFICIENTLY AT THE END OF 3RD GRADE AS MEASURED BY A STATE STANDARDIZED TEST. 12.1% OF THOSE ACHIEVING WERE AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS AND 24.9% WERE ANGLO AMERICAN STUDENTS. IN OUR REGION, BABIES OF COLOR ARE 2 TO 4 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO DIE BEFORE THEIR FIRST BIRTHDAY THAN THEIR WHITE COUNTERPARTS. AGGREGATE DATA COLLECTED FROM UWBCKR SUPPORTED PROGRAMS DEMONSTRATED THE FOLLOWING AS RECORDED MEASURABLE PROGRESS ON ADDRESSING THIS STATISTIC IN 2021: 90.4% OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN MOTHERS SERVED GAVE BIRTH TO AN INFANT OF HEALTHY WEIGHT. 41.3% OF MOTHERS SERVED INITIATED BREASTFEEDING. 52% OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MOTHERS SERVED INITIATED BREASTFEEDING. A SIGNIFICANT, ONGOING CHALLENGE FACED BY FAMILIES STRUGGLING FINANCIALLY AND IN THE CYCLE OF POVERTY IS LIMITED FOOD ACCESS. STATISTICS SHOW THAT 1 OUT OF 4 (25%) OF THE CHILDREN IN OUR REGION DO NOT KNOW WHERE THEIR NEXT MEAL WILL COME FROM ON A DAILY BASIS. AGGREGATE DATA PROVIDED BY UWBCKR-FUNDED PROGRAMS DEMONSTRATED THE FOLLOWING RESULTS IN 2021: OVER 132,653 FOOD-INSECURE RESIDENTS IN THE BATTLE CREEK AND KALAMAZOO REGION RECEIVED MEALS OR FOOD DURING THE YEAR. 466,478 HOT/PREPARED MEALS SERVED. 6,690,196 POUNDS OF FOOD DISTRIBUTED THROUGH FOOD PANTRIES, 2,097,906 POUNDS OF WHICH WERE FRESH FRUIT AND VEGETABLES.UNEMPLOYMENT RATES ARE LOW, BUT THE MAJORITY OF NEW JOBS BEING ADDED IN OUR REGION PAY LESS THAN $20 AN HOUR. THE RESULT IS A LARGE POPULATION OF PEOPLE WHO WORK BUT DON'T EARN ENOUGH TO AFFORD BASIC NECESSITIES OR MANAGE A MAJOR CRISIS. AGGREGATE DATA PROVIDED BY UWBCKR-FUNDED PROGRAMS DEMONSTRATED THE FOLLOWING RESULTS IN 2021: 74.1% OF INDIVIDUALS WHO RECEIVED UW SUPPORTED WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT TRAINING ATTAINED CREDENTIALS AND WERE ABLE TO ATTAIN OR ADVANCE EMPLOYMENT; 65% OF THOSE WERE AFRICAN AMERICAN.

DONOR DESIGNATIONS - UWBCKR ALLOWS DONORS TO DESIGNATE GIFTS TO OTHER UNITED WAYS OR OTHER QUALIFYING AGENCIES. APPROXIMATELY 1,639 DONORS DESIGNATED THEIR GIFTS TO 439 AGENCIES IN THE 2021 CAMPAIGN.

COMMUNITY IMPACT/SERVICE DIVISIONDEDICATED STAFF DEVOTED TO ADVANCING THE COMMON GOOD BY OPTIMIZING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SYSTEMS CHANGE AND IMPROVEMENT IN THE AREAS OF EDUCATION, INCOME, HEALTH AND BASIC NEEDS. THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH ONGOING PARTNERSHIP, ASSESSMENT AND WORK WITH COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS AND A NETWORK OF COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS TO UNDERSTAND COMMUNITY STRENGTHS AND NEEDS, SUPPORT COLLABORATION AND LEARNING, AND TO INVEST FUNDS IN TARGETED OUTCOME AREAS AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS WITH MEASURABLE OUTCOMES.

UWBCKR ALSO CREATES "VALUE-ADD" WITHIN THE COMMUNITY THROUGH ITS UNIQUE POSITION TO CONVENE, CONNECT AND ENGAGE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, INSTITUTIONS AND PEOPLE TO CREATE COLLABORATIVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PLANNING & EXECUTION OF INITIATIVES, LEVERAGE FUNDING FROM SOURCES OTHER THAN THE ANNUAL CAMPAIGN, LEAD COLLECTIVE ACTION/SHARED EFFORTS, ETC. SOME EXAMPLES OF THIS INCLUDE:1. DISASTER RELIEF FUND. AN EVERGREEN REGIONAL DISASTER RELIEF FUND WHICH WAS ACTIVE FOR PART OF 2021 IN RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. THIS FUND SERVES AS A VEHICLE FOR PUBLIC AND PRIVATE INVESTMENT INTO BASIC NEEDS IN TIMES OF CRISIS. IN 2021, THE COVID-19 ACTIVATIONS FOR KALAMAZOO COUNTY WERE CARRIED OUT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE KALAMAZOO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, RESULTING IN POOLED RESOURCES AND A SINGLE ACCESS POINT FOR FUNDS. 2. KALAMAZOO CONTINUUM OF CARE. UWBCKR SERVES AS THE CONTINUUM OF CARE FOR KALAMAZOO COUNTY, OPERATING A COC BOARD AND COORDINATING COMMUNITY PLANNING AND ADMINISTRATION OF STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDS IN AN EFFORT TO REDUCE HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING INSTABILITY. 3. SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORTS. UWBCKR PROVIDES SMALL BUSINESS LOANS AND GRANTS THROUGH A PARNTERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF KALAMAZOO. THESE GRANTS ARE INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEANINGFUL FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO MICRO & SMALL BUSINESSES, WITH A FOCUS ON SUPPORTING BIPOC AND WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES IN THE EASTSIDE, EDISON, AND NORTHSIDE NEIGHBORHOODS.