The Berrien County Great Start Collaborative bestowed awards for Child Advocate of the Year and Creative Collaborator of the Year at its September 26th meeting at Berrien Regional Education Service Agency (RESA) in Berrien Springs.

“We are here to celebrate some of the individuals in our community who selflessly give their time to others to make Southwest Michigan a great place to live,” said Anna Murphy, president of United Way of Southwest Michigan. “Volunteers are at the very core of the work we do at United Way, but we know that United Way’s volunteers are just a small subset of the tens of thousands of people who lend their time, talent, and muscle to hundreds of nonprofit organizations across our region. Those being honored here tonight are a prime example of the breadth of volunteerism in our community.” 

In July 2018, Stuart represented the United States as the country's top magician in the World Championships of Magic, held in Busan, Korea. Among the world's best magicians, he received a standing ovation for his performance. In all, Stuart took 8th place in the world and remains the highest ranked in all of the Americas.

On November 7&8, hundreds of area volunteers, working as teams, will help seniors in Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren Counties rake and bag leaves and clean gutters as part of United Way’s 9th annual Day of Action for Seniors. The service is FREE of charge and serves seniors, age 60 and older, who are unable to perform yard work and can't afford to pay for services. Seniors are helped on a first-come, first-served basis, dependent on the number of volunteers available.

Known as the Unified Kickoff, the effort allows United Ways of all sizes to spotlight their local impact on a statewide stage, said Michael Larson, president and chief executive officer of the Michigan Association of United Ways (MAUW).

There are currently 195 children enrolled in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in The Pokagon Fund service area, which includes Harbert, Lakeside, New Buffalo, Sawyer, Three Oaks, and Union Pier. There is a total of 354 eligible children in that area. This promotional push seeks to enroll the remaining children via a campaign that targets kids 0-5 years old in the next two years beginning in the third quarter of 2019.

United Way of Southwest Michigan invites the public to attend its FOURTH “Pop Up Giving” event on Thursday, August 8 from 5-7 p.m. at LakeHouse Restaurant & Bar in St. Joseph.

United Way of Southwest Michigan is proud to partner with area businesses and organizations in Cass County to present School Supply Spectacular. This annual event provides free backpacks with age-appropriate school supplies to students in kindergarten through 12th grade. 

This year’s Berrien County winner is Caleigh Dahn. Our Cass County winner is Bailey Anson.