WHAT’S HAPPENING
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Nominate a Volunteer
Nominate a Volunteer for the 2026 Margaret B. Upton Volunteer Leadership Award for Berrien County, or the Judge Susan L. Dobrich Volunteer Leadership Award for Cass County
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Join a Board or Committee
United Way is looking for board & committee members for 2026 and beyond.
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NEED HELP? CALL 211
If you aren’t sure what to do or where to go, 211 has the local resources you need to help with basic needs like food, housing, clothes, utilities, and more. It’s a free service to you funded by United Way of Southwest Michigan.
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ROCK THE BOAT 2026
Join us at the Inn at Harbor Shores on Thursday, July 16, 2026 at 5pm!
We’re already planning for 2026’s event. Click to get updates on early bird registration and more!
STORIES OF OUR WORK
United Way of Southwest Michigan is once again seeking nominations of volunteers to receive recognition at our Annual Celebration, to be held on April 23, 2026 at the Lake Michigan College Mendel Center Grand Upton Hall in Benton Harbor. Two awards will be featured at the event: The Margaret B. Upton Volunteer Leadership Award, and the Judge Susan L. Dobrich Volunteer Leadership Award for Cass County. Nominations for both of these awards will be taken through January 31, 2026 at uwsm.org/nominate-a-volunteer.
The organization plans to use the donation for a new kitchen installation at the shelter.
When neighbors come together to learn, listen, and lead, a community’s future begins to shift. Over the past several months, a group of Benton Harbor residents has been doing just that—meeting after work, asking hard questions, and building the skills needed to act on the issues that matter most to them.
Southwest Michigan is a community powered by people who step forward—often quietly—to make life better for their neighbors. From mentoring youth and organizing food drives to serving on nonprofit boards and responding in moments of crisis, volunteers are the heartbeat of our region. Their commitment strengthens families, supports nonprofits, and creates lasting change.
This past week many Americans paused after the swirl of Black Friday and Cyber Monday to support Giving Tuesday — the global generosity movement that began in 2012 as a simple campaign to redirect holiday energy toward giving, volunteering, and community support. But just because the calendar has turned doesn’t mean the spirit of generosity has to end. There’s still time to make a difference by supporting United Way of Southwest Michigan, keeping your charitable dollars local!
When the heat goes out in the middle of a Michigan winter, or when a single parent has to choose between groceries and rent, there’s one number that can offer hope: 2-1-1.
