United Way Day of Caring; Changing the Story Together

Amanda's Story

A couple weeks ago, the United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region kicked off the annual campaign with a week long virtual kickoff. To finish off the action-packed week, UWBCKR Staff and a few Board Members gathered together, rolled up their sleeves, and actively engaged in helping to change the story in our…

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How Partnership Changes The Story

Jackie's Story

  Shared aspirations and partnering for community impact were the key takeaways at “Changing The Story With United Way,” a forum hosted by Stryker Corporation on Sept. 1.  Ninety people from business, education, government, nonprofits and other organizations turned out for the gathering, which was held at Stryker’s corporate headquarters in Portage. “The forum was…

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Coming Together Around A Common Cause: IMPACT

  Don’t be surprised if you see United Way everywhere you turn in September—on billboards, online, in newspapers, on the air. During the week of Sept. 14, United Ways across Michigan, including the United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region, will join forces to tell their stories on a statewide canvas. Billed as…

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Takin' It To The S.T.R.E.E.T.: Execs Connect With Community

Melrose's Story

  Within minutes of arriving at the S.T.R.E.E.T. Center, 19 business executives had 22 new best friends. The connections happened through a joint Day of Caring service project involving senior leaders from Stryker Corporation and Pfizer Inc. The executives bonded with teen boys participating in the S.T.R.E.E.T. Program, part of Community Healing Centers. S.T.R.E.E.T is…

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Take An Inside Look At United 4 Change

  In an earlier blog, we highlighted the work of United 4 Change, a business-led partnership focusing on early grade reading achievement and middle/high school career mentoring. The goal of U4C is to spur students to academic and career success. Now you can see this program at work for yourself in a new video available…

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Bearcat Camp Brings Studies to Life for BC Kids

Gwen's Story

What’s so amazing about watching 100 third- and fourth-grade kids playing in the sand and splashing through the chilly water of Lake Michigan? Knowing that many of them never had the chance to do so before. What most people take for granted about summertime in childhood was a new experience for kids who took a…

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WANTED: 1,000 People to Help Change The World

  Ever feel like the rope in a tug-of-war match? You want to make a difference in the world, but life’s daily demands keep yanking you away.  The good news is, there’s an easy way for one person to transform a life. We’re hoping to do it a thousand times over. It’s the Early Grade…

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Another One Rides The Bus – Learning About Impact

“Whirlwind” rightly describes the May 20 tour at Goodwill Industries of Southwest Michigan – not so much from brevity as from activity. Workers moved through their duties with speed and efficiency – sorting donations, handling forklifts, managing retail sales and emergency food distribution – while two dozen employees from Stryker Corporation watched the action and learned how…

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United 4 Change: Partnering to Drive Impact in Education

A dozen middle schoolers dropped to their knees, interlaced their fingers and pressed down on the chests of vinyl mannequins. A nurse’s counting set the hundred-beats-per-minute pace. As the kids caught the rhythm, somone hit the “Play” button on a CD player, and the room filled with the foottapping tones of the Bee Gee’s “Staying…

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