Archive for 2017
United Against Hunger fights food insecurity with 50,000 meals
Thousands of food-insecure families can count on a nutritious meal because hundreds of volunteers, corporate partners and sponsors came together to fight hunger with us this week. Volunteers packaged a total of 50,000 meal kits in under four hours during two United Against Hunger events in Battle Creek and Kalamazoo. United Way BCKR organized the…
Read MoreKathleen's Story
Kathleen’s Story: Learning Independence Kathleen Terry bears a tattoo on her left forearm that reminds her of who she is and how far she’s come in recent years. The words, she said, have come to symbolize how she strives to live her life – with “Strong Love.” Kathleen was 18 years old and just four…
Read MoreVolunteers Needed: United Against Hunger to Pack 50,000 Meal Kits
Hunger is a reality for thousands of people in our region. On Oct. 16 – World Food Day – dozens of volunteers will gather for the first of two events aiming to address that reality and shine a light on a persistent, pervasive problem in our region: food insecurity. About 1 in 7 adults…
Read MoreBook Drive Delivers Gift of Reading
The first-ever United Way Children’s Book Drive brought in more than 9,000 new and gently used books for young kids—and more are coming in. “Children who read well tend to succeed in school. That’s the genesis of the book drive—our desire to get books in the hands of kids who need them,” said Jennifer Nottingham,…
Read MoreTawana's Story
Nurse-Family Partnership Offers Support to First-Time Mothers Tawana Moss never expected to be a mother. Told they could never have children, she and her husband were stunned last year to discover that she was two months pregnant. “I cried the whole seven months,” she said, laughing as 9-month-old Tatiana squirmed on her lap. “But I…
Read MoreCelebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month
Editor’s note: In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, we welcome this guest blog by Josh Dunn, executive director of Voces and a member of the Battle Creek Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration Committee. National Hispanic Heritage Month runs September 15 through October 15 every year. It began life as just a week, timed to correspond…
Read MoreMarion's Story
Marion’s Story: Making a Change Watching Marion play basketball, talk about his favorite foods or joke around with friends, it’s difficult to see him as anything but a happy, well-adjusted 12-year-old. That was not the case when he joined the S.T.R.E.E.T. program a year and a half ago. “I wasn’t very good at coping with…
Read MoreNurturing a Love of Reading
The grin on Susan Caswell’s face perfectly mirrored that of 120 kids around her. “You can do all the interventions you want, but ultimately it’s about getting books into their hands and inspiring a love of reading,” said the Green Meadow Elementary School principal. Young faces beamed as United Way Campaign Cabinet members, led by…
Read MoreGryphon Place 2-1-1 Answers the Call During Hurricane Crisis
As much of the southeastern United States braced for Hurricane Irma late last week, local 2-1-1 specialists were making preparations of their own. The 2-1-1 contact center at Gryphon Place in Kalamazoo, like many others around the country that provide 24/7 information and referral services to local residents, stood ready if called upon to lend…
Read MoreUnited Way Takes Over Michigan
Michigan United Ways are taking over the state this week to send a message: To live better, we must LIVE UNITED. Collaboration is one of United Way’s greatest strengths. In that spirit, United Ways across Michigan, including United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region, have joined forces again this year to share their…
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