Youth United Way Accepting Grant Applications

Youth United Way is an entirely youth led philanthropy experience for local high school students.  These students meet every Monday night to discuss issues in our community, learn about the grant process, volunteer, and of course, have fun.  In order to experience philanthropy first hand, the students are given a budget and award grants to…

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Maybe it’s wiser to surrender before the miraculous scope of human generosity and to just keep saying thank you, forever and sincerely, for as long as we have voices. —Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love I’m a fan of Gilbert’s advice. In our hustling, bustling, plugged-in world, it’s easy to let the power and…

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United Way Invests Millions in Local, Regional Programs

From early grade reading to support services for seniors, 106 programs operated by nonprofit agencies across the region are welcoming support totaling more than $7.6 million from United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region (UWBCKR). “Because of our incredibly generous supporters, United Way is able to fund programs that are changing lives in…

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United We Read: Taking Action

A book is more than an object on a shelf. It’s a gateway to new worlds, new insights and new opportunities in life.  This is especially true for children. Kids who read proficiently by third grade are far more likely to graduate high school, pursue post-secondary education and land a rewarding career. That’s why United…

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March is Reading Month

During National Reading Month, we’re joining partner organizations to spotlight local literacy programs and encourage involvement. “Reading is a doorway to lifelong learning and success,” said Michael Larson, President and Chief Executive Officer of UWBCKR. “Many terrific community efforts, from preschool through adulthood, are opening that door for people across our region.” The need for…

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Just Try It! Insights from a Mentor

By Rick Chambers, Rick Chambers & Associates  Brittany Ughetti’s journey to becoming a Big Sister began with a casual reading of a newsletter. “I read in a monthly newsletter that Borgess offers a ‘Lunch Buddy’ program where associates can use their lunch time to meet with a Little once per week,” said Brittany, a Battle Creek resident…

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United 4 Change Connects Business Mentors, Area Youth

Posted on behalf of Mackenzie Hunter, United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region   Many of us can identify at least one person who encouraged and guided us as we were growing up. Maybe it was a teacher, or a coach, or a supervisor—someone who taught us new things, believed in us and helped…

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Taking a Tour of Education in Battle Creek

Tuesday, October 8 we invited community members to join us for a bus tour through Battle Creek to learn more about how our region is changing the story through education.  We made four stops and we were fortunate enough to have two experts join us on the bus to talk more about certain initiatives. Our…

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Campaign Kick-off 2013: Changing the Story in our Region

The past two weeks have been exciting for our staff, as we got to celebrate two Campaign Kick-off events!  In Kalamazoo, we took over Bronson Park and in Battle Creek we set up at Festival Market Square.  Both events featured healthy snacks, great music by The Cheap Dates, a book drive, and of course, our…

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A Lesson in Tough Choices: ECM Roundtable

Our dedicated Employee Campaign Managers (ECMs) joined us for the annual Roundtable event to begin preparing for our upcoming campaign.  We’re very fortunate to have such committed individuals who work to bring the Live United spirit into their workplaces all year long!  Rickman House hosted this year’s event, and even provided our ECMs with a…

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