‘Amazing!’: Board Member Climbs Kilimanjaro

“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…

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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…

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Itzel’s Story

La Academia Azteca is funded in part by United Way and aligns with our community goal of improving graduation rates by supporting the social and emotional well-being of students. The program utilizes Latinx volunteers from Western Michigan University and provides a safe space for students to explore their social, emotional and academic development in a culturally competent environment. The youth choose how they want to spend their time, which can include mentoring, tutoring, traditional dance, soccer and conversation focus groups.

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Triniti’s Story

Triniti and Patricia

Triniti was one of dozens of students this year to be paired with a volunteer Reading Buddy as part of Kalamazoo RESA’s Reading Mentorship Program, funded by United Way as a strategy to improve early grade reading.

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5 Ways to Grow Passionate Readers

Ian reads

Learning to read is a big milestone in a young student’s life, and an important one. In fact, United Way has identified early grade reaching achievement as a key strategy in improving graduation rates and fostering success in academics and beyond. Schools and other educational programming will always be a big part of that strategy,…

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Taking Impact Personally

Taking Impact Personally

Chris Sargent, President & CEO, reflects personally on Impact Week 2018. Every now and then, someone asks what draws me to the work of United Way. The answer is easy: For me, it’s personal. I’ve spent much of my life living in this area. I have children here. Grandchildren, too. This is my home, and…

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Impact Week: Hope Through Education

Hope Through Education

Benjamin Franklin was right: An investment in knowledge pays the best interest. It also delivers the greatest hope. That’s why United Way BCKR invests heavily in Education, with the goal of improving high school graduation rates to 83 percent by 2030 while reducing racial and economic disparities. Erica’s Story The CLIMB (Concrete Lessons in Mindful…

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Impact Week 2018: Delivering Results, Changing Lives

Impact Week Shots

Making a charitable gift or volunteering your time isn’t just a feel-good exercise. It’s an investment, and you want to see that investment pay off. United Way wholeheartedly agrees. “Our impact begins by identifying where we can invest resources, people and expertise to solve our region’s biggest challenges,” said Matt Lynn, Vice President for Community…

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Help Us Collect 10,000 Books for Kids!

Children who read well tend to succeed in school. In that light, United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region is leading an effort to collect 10,000 donated new or gently used children’s books and get them in the hands of kids across the region. According to Matt Lynn, Vice President for Community Impact…

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