A STAR is Born: 2022 STAR Awards

United Way of South Central Michigan (Battle Creek Kalamazoo Region) and Gryphon Place are honored to recognize 19 individuals or groups of volunteers who were nominated for the 2022 STAR Awards. The STAR (Sharing Time and Resources) Celebration and Community Volunteer Awards have long been a time to volunteers for their contributions of time, talent,…

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Seeding Leaders Grants: Blossoming Nonprofit Leadership

bloomed flowers sit beneath a sunset/sunrise with "seeding leaders" and the uwbckr logo on the page

United Way of Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region has awarded $2,500 mini-grants to 10 local leaders as a part of a new program called Seeding Leaders. These grants are intended to support the wellness, leadership, and professional development of nonprofit leaders and primarily focused on leaders who identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Person of Color),…

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Kellogg Grant Provides Hot Meals, Infant Nutrition

The Battle Creek Family YMCA may not be serving up its traditional fitness options this summer, but the organization has found other ways to contribute to community needs. In partnership with United Way BCKR and with funding support from Kellogg Company and its charitable funds, the YMCA channeled its staff and volunteer capacity into serving…

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Grant Catalyzes Giving in Communities of Color

Equipping communities of color to tackle immediate and chronic needs, especially those heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic, is a key element of work being tackled by the United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region, with the support of a $240,000 grant by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The grant will be divided in two…

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Battle Creek Generosity Bolsters Relief Fund

Photo shows aerial view of Battle Creek, featuring the Heritage Building in the center.

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, Battle Creek area foundations and individual donors are stepping up in a big way. Recent donations from the Battle Creek Community Foundation, the Miller Foundation and the Binda Foundation strengthened United Way’s Disaster Relief Fund by $25,000. What’s more, those gifts will bring an additional $15,000 from DTE,…

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New Grant to Catalyze Giving in Communities of Color

The grant, part of WKKF’s Catalyzing Community Giving initiative, will allow UWBCKR to work with leaders from communities of color in Battle Creek to create philanthropic activities that impact their communities more effectively.

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Battle Creek Area Students to Take Part in Youth Day of Caring

On Friday, May 17, more than 300 Calhoun County high school students will set a powerful example of making a difference through volunteerism Students from 10 area schools and organizations will take part in the 11th annual Youth Day of Caring. Volunteer groups, ranging in size from five to 75 high schoolers, will spend the…

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Generous Spirit Brings In 55,000 Diapers

The Battle Creek and Kalamazoo region showed its generosity once again by donating 55,134 new diapers to the area’s first United Way Diaper Drive, exceeding the drive’s goal of 50,000 in just five days. United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region (UWBCKR) spearheaded the drive, which brought together residents, businesses, nonprofits and volunteers…

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Chris Sargent Named President & CEO

Chris Sargent, a Battle Creek resident with nearly two decades of nonprofit leadership, including multiple roles with United Way, has been named President and Chief Executive Officer for United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region (UWBCKR). “The board is excited to have Chris take the leadership reins permanently,” said Erick Stewart, chairman of…

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