UNITED WAY OF SOUTH CENTRAL MICHIGAN

Community impact & initiatives: uwscmi drives systems change and improvement through diverse community partnerships, assessment, advocacy, volunteerism, and collaboration to understand and address community needs collectively and strategically via program partnerships, uwscmi-driven initiatives and measurable outcomes.examples of impact & initiatives in last fiscal year:program assistance center -- a michigan energy assistance program providing households with direct energy assistance to pay heat and electric bills. Participants complete a needs assessment so they are connected with non-energy assistance services they need. 5,732 households received energy security/self-sufficiency programming or referrals. 4,970 households were served using state funding and funding from consumers energy.volunteer income tax assistance (vita) -- an irs program administered by partner organizations providing free, high-quality tax preparation services for low- to moderate-income households making $67,000 or less. Uwscmi's vita program expanded to serve kalamazoo and partnered with agencies leading vita programs in calhoun and jackson counties. Households served: 5,207. $7,244,475 in federal and state tax refunds brought back into the community.kalamazoo county continuum of care -- increased coordination and find solutions to the gaps, inequities, and challenges to reducing homelessness. In 2023, the coc administered $1,718,144 in federal funding and $485,820 in state funding to prevent and address homelessness; provided $53,500 dollars in mini-grants to local non-profits serving the unhoused; and redesigned the rentable program to better support alice households in securing or retaining their housing.jobstar -- a resource for employers to help their employees overcome obstacles that may impede their ability to work. 2023 highlight: uwscmi onboarded a new company into jobstar, the result of a focus on recruitment. Referrals provided: 803 referrals across more than 12 businesses.capital area college access network (capcan) -- a community collaborative focused on increasing post-secondary attainment as an achievable reality for all residents by fostering high educational aspirations through the alignment of our institutions and resources. 2023 highlight: capcan staff launched the college ambassador program in which they trained 13 rising seniors in the summer of 2022 to engage with their peers at school regarding the college process and help build a college going culture. Students served: 2,700.