Tess Ulrey - ALICE Voice

I come from a Midwestern family with an engineer father, a stay at home mother, and the belief that if you kept your nose down and worked hard, things like owning a home with a car in the driveway (that would always start to take you to work) were a given. I graduated high school in 2006, heading into the workforce at the height of the recession, but with the optimism that most people heading into the social service and nonprofit sector have.

My job wasn’t scrubbing floors, wasn’t flipping burgers, or all of the other things we typically think of as unskilled labor paying minimum wage - but it also wasn’t paying me enough to meet basic needs. I cobbled together a schedule that had me working a 9-5 M-F, picking up 3 shifts a week in a restaurant, and eventually taking on contract projects that I could work on in the wee hours of the morning. I was working hard, like I’d been taught, and grateful for the opportunity - but I was always making choices and juggling to keep my, and then my children’s basic needs met. I didn’t qualify for Medicaid, I didn’t qualify for cash assistance, I didn’t qualify for SNAP; I had a good job (well, jobs), and was always in the valley between the programs that could help me and the families making enough to own a home, drive a car that worked, or even send their kids to classes and camps.

Like it was for all my peers - rent was steadily rising, my utilities dutifully tacked on percentages every year, the vehicle I needed to get back and forth to work was less than reliable, visits to the grocery store meant a higher and higher bill - and my wages were never increasing at the same rate and letting me get ahead. I heard my dad talk about emergency funds, and how I needed to be prepared. It’s bleak to know that you’re one emergency away from even your less than ideal living situation collapsing.

A huge piece of this was healthcare. I had to take employer healthcare or “ObamaCare” plans, and it was a massive percentage of my income. However, my employment status and income made me ineligible for federal or state help, and going without was even worse. It’s being stuck between a rock and hard place, but with your health on the line. And those bills didn’t just happen in good times - I returned to work 3 weeks after a c-section that left me in the hospital for a week, and my daughter in the NICU. Before I left the hospital, I knew the NICU bill was looming (the billing department came directly to my room, my IV still in my arm, to make sure I knew), and I couldn’t afford the premiums when I was only getting temporary disability. I was grateful to have a job, and one that gave me some flexibility, but I literally couldn’t make rent or even get food on the dinner table if I didn’t go back to work.

I kept working under the ALICE threshold, juggling and not quite making it despite having a professional job and the financial resources it provided. I borrowed money for a cross-country move that promised a better cost of living, and while our basic needs were cheaper at first, I found the same issue - stagnant wages and exploding costs, just for things like gas and food. Soon, I needed to navigate the world of childcare, and found that my rent and childcare costs were exactly what I made per month - the same situation, firmly in that ALICE valley, juggling additional work just to feed my family (and no happy outlook on any sort of Disney trips, but I didn’t expect that anymore).

In 2019, I found a preschool that worked with families in the ALICE category acknowledging that the $45,000 I was making didn’t really cover the cost of childcare, even though by state guidelines I was far and above the poverty line. I was able to access full day, full time preschool for $150 per week, and it was the first time I was able to pivot - I was able to pour more into work, step back and even save a little for emergencies- even just enough breathing room that I could handle a gas bill that was $100 over what I had expected was life changing.

For the first time in my adult life, I’m over the ALICE threshold. In November of 2022, my salary increased to $65,000 - $900 over the ALICE threshold for a family of four. I’m a single parent of two elementary aged children, and cannot believe the difference it has made in my life. On a larger scale, I’m meeting my family’s basic needs, and we’re looking into the future about what opportunities my daughters can access. My older daughter wants to go to a science camp and a sailing camp this summer, and my younger daughter is able to see a private therapist to help her navigate some tough things. It’s small, but in January of this year, I went to the dentist for the first time in 12 years - like all parents, my children have come first, but like all ALICE parents, dental care for a parent is a luxury when you need to pay rent, put food on the table, and have a car to drive to work.

I’m grateful there’s conversations happening about families at the ALICE threshold, and our community is willing to take a closer look at the impact of this valley that exists. It’s important work, and I know firsthand just how difficult it can be. I’m willing to support more families’ quality of life, and thankful for the United Way’s work in this area!

help continue the impact in our community and celebrate more success stories like Tess by investing in our work.

Tess Ulrey, Individual Giving Manager, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Southwest Michigan

Help navigating life’s challenges

Southwestern Michigan College calls itself “a small college with big opportunities”—a place where students can get a high-quality education they can take anywhere.

With degrees that serve as launch points to study at top universities, a feature-packed Student Activity Center, thriving student life, and some of the nicest residence halls in the state, Southwestern Michigan College offers the full college experience for a fraction of the cost.  

Students from all walks of life come to SMC to pursue their dreams. But for all the promise and potential of the college experience, it’s stressful too. It doesn’t matter if you are a valedictorian, athlete, local pageant queen, science prodigy, rising stage talent, or anyone in between—everyone struggles from time to time and could use some help navigating life’s challenges.

In recent years, the number of college students across the country seeking mental health counseling has skyrocketed—increasing by more than 60% since 2020. However, the vast majority of colleges have grappled to support students’ mental health, with more than half of college students reporting difficulty finding treatment for mental health concerns due to lack of resources on campus, financial hardships, and long wait times at community resources.

Asking for help isn't always easy. So SMC, in partnership with United Way, provides students with access to free teletherapy sessions—one-on-one counseling sessions over Zoom. It takes five minutes to register, select a counselor, and book a free session using any device with internet access. It's discreet, flexible, and safe. 

After all, nothing matters more to students’ well-being and academic success than mental health.

SMC, in partnership with United Way, provides free teletherapy sessions for students, available through BetterMynd. It takes five minutes to register, select a counselor, and book your first session using any device with internet access.

Kathie Gries, Director of Academic Advising

Food and other basic items to anyone

In March 2023, the federal government’s pandemic-related increases ended for programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides food benefits to families with low incomes to supplement their grocery budget so they can afford the nutritious food essential to health. As a result, about 1.3 million Michiganders had at least $95 less in benefits every month--and United Way impact partner The Salvation Army, Benton Harbor Corps has seen an increase in need for food assistance. With the help of United Way funding, its Emergency Social Services program is able to provide food and other basic items to anyone who comes through the door.

A 73-year-old woman, caring for her two great-grandchildren, ages 2 and 3, recently came into the center seeking food. While receiving help to her vehicle, she noticed the protein and the dairy in her bags. She asked the person helping, "Do you always have milk and meat?" The person helping explained, "No, we usually do not always have milk and meat, but because of resources from the community, we can purchase more." The grandmother chuckled and smiled, stating, "Well, babies, you will have some cereal this week!"

The Salvation Army is made up of thousands of officers, soldiers, staff, volunteers, donors, and partners working together to holistically meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of our most vulnerable neighbors. The Salvation Army in Benton Harbor provides a variety of services to people in need in our community.

Navigating the home buying process with confidence

Buying a home is the biggest purchase most people will ever make. Understandably the first time buying one can be intimidating.

Thanks to the Benton Harbor Community Development Corporation—a United Way impact partner—and its First Time Home Buyer Program, prospective buyers can gain the knowledge and tools necessary to navigate the home buying process with confidence. 

Its Home Buying Education Class is designed to empower buyers with comprehensive insight into every step of the home-buying journey. Expert instructors guide learners through the intricacies of the process, ensuring they make informed decisions along the way. The class covers topics including understanding the buying process, financial readiness, mortgage financing options, finding the perfect home, negotiation & contracts, and home inspections & appraisals.

After completing the class, buyers can make a one-on-one appointment with a housing counselor who offers more assistance about particular home-buying situations and helps develop a detailed plan of action.

All attendees have reported an increase in financial literacy after attending the class, and 100 percent of participants in the counseling program have seen an improvement in their overall financial picture. Financial literacy is a critical tool for participants because it empowers them to make informed decisions, avoid financial pitfalls, and maintain financial stability throughout their homeownership journey. By understanding the financial aspects of homeownership, individuals can create a solid foundation for a secure and sustainable future in their new home. The program has produced four new homeowners since October 2022, and there are 20 future homeowners in its pipeline.

Jasmnika Newbern, Housing Counselor

The Benton Harbor Community Development Corporation is dedicated to strengthening the community of Benton Harbor socioeconomically, physically, and mentally by supporting and empowering residents through community development projects and programming in housing, community support services, and economic development.

A path to education & employment success

Youth Solutions, a United Way impact partner, helps young people find their path to education and employment success through a program called Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates (JMG). Brooke Modro, a 2023 graduate of Hartford High School, is a standout of the program. During her senior year, Brooke served as the President of her JMG Career Association. She helped plan and execute five highly successful blood drives, encouraged her peers to apply to college through the #WhyApply campaign, raised funds in the “Hot Cocoa for Kids Fundraiser,” and contributed to initiatives such as creating ribbons for suicide/mental health awareness and organizing school-wide collections for “Cards for Comrades” for active-duty military overseas. Brooke also volunteered for United Way’s “Rake A Difference” event. 

Brooke consistently achieved honors in her classes and served on the Hartford High School Student Council and the Go Green Club. 

Reflecting on her transformative journey with JMG, Brooke said, “If someone asked me what JMG was, I would have a simple, one-word answer: opportunity. Ever since I joined this program, I have been given so many amazing opportunities that will help me become successful in the future. Being a part of JMG is comforting because it’s like a great big family all working together to achieve the ultimate goal of success.”

Brook is now studying at Ferris State University.

Brooke Modro with JMG teacher, Ms. Braddock

Brooke Modro, 2023 graduate of Hartford High School

Youth Solutions is committed to providing Michigan’s youth the support and experiences that prepare them for their futures. Youth Solutions is closing the gap between education and workforce development by providing Michigan’s young people with equitable access to career-focused education and employment pathways through targeted services.

Because of you... Greg receives care

Greg Komula, 36, of Bridgman

Greg has had many health challenges in his 36 years of life and lives with his mother, Dorothy. Greg has cerebral palsy and had a bone marrow transplant for acute leukemia four years ago, which made him cough frequently and feel very weak. Because of his many health issues, including graft versus host disease from the transplant, Greg is prone to infections, his wounds heal slowly, and he requires frequent medical care.

BECAUSE OF YOU…

Connie, a nurse with Berrien County Cancer Services, a United Way impact partner, became acquainted with Greg shortly after his transplant. Greg recovered after being hospitalized and Connie has provided home visits since. The physician managing Greg’s care was in Grand Rapids, so having Connie help him in the home was much appreciated by all. One of Greg’s primary skilled nursing needs was having his blood drawn through a highly specialized central line. Connie was able to be trained in management and care of this line, making Greg’s trips to Grand Rapids less frequent. Connie is there to keep a close eye on his many needs and provide support for Greg and his mother. Connie has also been able to provide items from the Berrien County Cancer Services resource closet such as dressings, bed pads, and essential nutritional supplements. With frequent trips to Grand Rapids because of complications, Berrien County Cancer Services has provided gas cards to help with the costs.

The Berrien County Cancer Service has been caring for Southwest Michigan's cancer patients being treated by any oncologist since 1948. It is a unique skilled oncology nursing service that provides compassionate care for cancer patients and those with related illnesses in the comfort of their own home. It is able to do this at no cost because of the generosity of our community. In addition to nursing care services, it has an extensive loan closet of medical equipment and supplies offered at no cost including nutritional supplements, wound management supplies along with incontinence products. It hosts an art program for children and families impacted by cancer to provide emotional support.

Greg and Dorothy Komula, Greg’s Mother. Photo by Ashley Tenter

Impact Snapshot: Greg PDF

Because of you... Scarlett receives treatment

Samantha and Scarlett. Photo by Ashley Tenter

BECAUSE OF YOU…

During a home visit from Melody Long, an educator with the “Parents as Teachers” program, offered by the Cass County Heritage Southwest Intermediate School District, Melody suspected Samantha’s daughter might have torticollis, a condition in which the neck muscles contract, causing the head to twist and tilt to one side.

Melody encouraged Samantha to fill out a referral to the Cass County “Early On” program, which offers early-intervention services to qualified young children with special needs and their families. After an evaluation with “Early On,” the baby began weekly physical therapy visits to help with the torticollis.

“Parents as Teachers” is an internationally recognized program that seeks to empower the families of young children prenatal to age three in their home environment and in community playgroups. This program is one of the free early childhood services offered to families in the community by the Cass County Heritage Southwest Intermediate School District. The district’s “Parents as Teachers” program is an impact partner of United Way of Southwest Michigan.

As part of the program, specially trained educators travel to family homes to support parents in their role in their children’s development. An individualized program is designed for different parenting styles with screenings, resources, and referral networks as part of the plan. Everyday activities in the home are used that help children learn and grow. When parents aren’t certain of the next step as a parent, the program helps parents sort out the best way to keep families and children strong.

Families who participate in “Parents as Teachers” have children who are healthier and are more ready for learning later on, leading to more positive outcomes in life.

Impact Snapshot: Samantha PDF

Because of you... DT attends college

Davionte Tasker, 18, of Benton Harbor

Benton Harbor High School football defensive back Davionte "DT" Tasker just graduated and is on his way in the fall to Ferris State University in Big Rapids. DT has been awarded numerous scholarships for his community service and involvement, and will be playing on the Ferris State football team, which won the NCAA Division II National Championship the last two years in a row.

BECAUSE OF YOU…

Going to a new school in a new town can be a difficult transition, and DT has done it before—but this time, with the help of United Way impact partner 400 B.L.A.C.K Mentoring Program, he has the skills to successfully step up to the challenge. When DT moved to Benton Harbor from Three Rivers during middle school, he struggled finding himself socially and academically. DT was failing most of his classes his freshman year and had a hard time surrounding himself with positive peers. Since joining the 400 B.L.A.C.K Mentoring Program, his mentor, Nick Blue—founder of the program and athletic administrator at Benton Harbor High School—helped DT with tutoring, post-graduation planning, and healthy decision-making. Nick helped DT navigate the recruiting process for football, as well as scholarships, applications, and applying for financial aid.

Nick Blue, DT's mentor. Photo by Ashley Tenter

Benton Harbor Community Development Corporation’s 400 B.L.A.C.K. (Building Leaders and Cultivating Kinship) Mentoring Program works with Black youth ages 10-17. Nick Blue started the 400 B.L.A.C.K Mentoring Program with two others in 2020, after hosting a community meeting with the men of Benton Harbor to respond to violence in the city. The program focuses on mental health, education, and community support. Nick graduated from Benton Harbor High School in 2007. After college, he worked with youth in residential treatment facilities and juvenile detention in Arkansas and Northern Michigan and returned to Benton Harbor in 2017 to serve his hometown community.

Impact Snapshot: Davionte PDF

Davionte Tasker. Photo by Ashley Tenter

Photo by Ashley Tenter

Because of you... Melissa accesses food

Photo by Ashley Tenter

Melissa, 45, Watervliet

Melissa’s journey became more challenging when she lost her husband in 2019 and became a single parent. Now, she and her son are without transportation, and they depend on monthly benefits to help make ends meet. Often, there are times when she is unable to afford healthy food items and fresh produce. During the most unstable points in her life, the store owners of B&B Grocery Outlet have provided a sense of security for Melissa's family.

Photo by Ashley Tenter

BECAUSE OF YOU…

B&B Grocery Outlet—a Healthy Corner Store partner of United Way, Be Healthy Berrien, and the YMCA of Greater Michiana—began selling fresh produce in 2019. This Healthy Corner Store is a staple for access-burdened community members, such as Melissa. The owners, Beth and Ben, see their patrons as people, not just customers. They are always willing to help when able, and they see the value of providing fresh produce year-round.

Photo by Ashley Tenter

The Be Healthy Berrien Healthy Corner Store initiative improves food access and helps build healthier communities. Be Healthy Berrien is a collective impact effort of United Way of Southwest Michigan that works in cooperation with communities and corner store owners to deliver a comprehensive approach that combines small-business support, nutrition education, wraparound services, and greater availability of affordable, nutritious foods.

Impact Snapshot: Melissa PDF

Earned Income Tax Credit turns financial tightrope into path to success

The Earned Income Tax Credit is one of the most effective anti-poverty, pro-work, pro-business investments we can make as a community. It is a critical proven way to help workers with low to moderate income keep more of their hard-earned wages while boosting local economies.

CRUNCHING NUMBERS and pouring over paperwork—tax returns, no less!—may not sound exciting, but the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program is one of the most important services United Way provides to the community because of its tremendous financial impact that lifts up not only the families helped, but our whole local economy.

Last year, 39 local VITA volunteers clocked 3,073 hours helping Southwest Michigan individuals and families receive $1,723,166 in total refunds—money which then goes back into our community as recipients use these funds to pay for childcare and transportation so they can keep going to work, as well as make necessary home repairs, buy groceries and clothing, or just plain catch up on the bills.

Not all heroes wear capes—some wield calculators, and these volunteer accountants make sure their clients claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) that is vital to working families making ends meet. The Earned Income Tax Credit is the largest and most successful poverty reduction program in the United States and lifts more children out of poverty than any other program.

What is the EITC?

The Earned Income Tax Credit is a tax credit for working people with lower incomes. It puts money in the pockets of workers who need it most so they can meet basic spending needs. More than 700,000 Michigan households receive the EITC. 

Eligible families and individuals can claim both the federal and state Earned Income Tax Credit when filing income taxes. Those who qualify and claim the credit could pay less tax, pay no tax, or even get a tax refund. The average refund for taxpayers claiming the Earned Income Credit is $2,450.

To qualify for the EITC, individuals must have worked and earned income under $57,414. If a federal EITC is granted, the state of Michigan will provide a 6% supplemental EITC when the taxpayer files a state individual income tax return. 

For the 2020 tax year, about 713,000 Michigan claimants received the federal EITC, totaling almost $1.8 billion with an average credit amount of $2,467. That same year, about 650,000 families in Michigan also received the state EITC, with an average credit of $135, putting over $90 million back into the local economy.

Bring EITC back up

Michigan is one of 29 other states that provides a state Earned Income Tax Credit tied directly to the requirements of the federal credit. First established in 2006, Michigan’s EITC has ranged from 20% of the federal credit (through most of its history) to 6% today.  In 2010, our state legislature cut Michigan’s state EITC by 70 percent, increasing tax bills for working families by up to $300 and hurting their ability to pay for essentials.

There are efforts currently underway in the Michigan legislature to raise the state EITC to provide more help to working families and local businesses. Increasing the Michigan EITC to 30% will put additional funds into the hands of Michiganders with the greatest need—families with children, people of color, and households in rural communities—and support the state economy.

In December 2021, the Michigan Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on Senate Bill 417, legislation sponsored by Republican State Senator Wayne Schmidt to increase the Michigan EITC to 30% of the federal credit. Under this legislation, the maximum state EITC would be increased from $32.58 to $162.90 for workers without qualifying children and raise the credit from $150 to $750 for the average Michigan family. Raising the state EITC to 30% of the federal credit would raise the number pumped back into the Michigan economy to $460 million annually. A variety of groups spoke or submitted written testimony in support of Sen. Schmidt’s bill, including the Michigan League for Public Policy, the Small Business Association of Michigan, and the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association. 

The EITC has a proven track record of pulling people into the workforce. Especially these days, as Michigan employers struggle to find workers, the EITC increases the after-tax financial benefit of work. This return-to-work incentive will benefit all employers, but especially restaurants, retailers, and small manufacturers. That’s why 12 local Chambers of Commerce and the Michigan Manufacturing Association also support increasing the EITC.

Bipartisan support

In her State of the State address in January, Governor Gretchen Whitmer indicated her support for increasing the Michigan EITC, opening bipartisan negotiations to expand it. Gov. Whitmer’s fiscal year 2023 budget recommendation takes advantage of the opportunity Michigan has to cut taxes for hardworking families by tripling the Michigan EITC to pull 22,000 Michiganders out of working poverty and deliver 730,000 households an average combined tax refund of $3,000 beginning with tax year 2022.

The EITC has a strong history of bipartisan support. The federal EITC was signed into law in 1975 by President Gerald R. Ford, a Michigan Republican, and passed with a Democratic majority in Congress. President Ronald Reagan signed a major expansion of the credit in 1986. And the Michigan state EITC was created in 2006 with a Republican-led Legislature and signed into law by Democratic Governor Jennifer Granholm. Now there is another opportunity for bipartisan agreement on the state EITC.

“We can all agree that after a tough few years, extra money in your pocket will make a difference. The federal and state Earned Income Tax Credits make a difference for Michigan’s families, whether it’s helping them put food on the table or buy new school supplies for their kids,” said Whitmer this past March. “It'll get more money back to Michiganders at a time they can really use it.” 

“It’s been a challenging year for many residents and the extra income this tax credit provides can be really helpful to working families,” said State Treasurer Rachael Eubanks. “Every refund helps Michigan families care for their children and meet living expenses.” 

“The Earned Income Tax Credit is the largest and most successful poverty reduction program in the U.S. and lifts more children out of poverty than any other program.”

CLICK HERE to tell our elected officials to increase the state Earned Income Tax Credit to 30% of the federal credit, up from the current level of 6%. 

UWSM advocates for increasing the state Earned Income Tax Credit

Our 2022 advocacy agenda specifically focuses on youth, young adults, and those from marginalized communities. UWSM recognizes that the strength and vitality of communities is tied to just and equitable access to resources and opportunities. We support actively dismantling barriers to resources and opportunities in education and economic mobility.

One of United Way’s 2022 advocacy agenda items is: Strengthen the Earned Income Tax Credit so that working families with lower incomes can meet basic spending needs and put money back into local communities.

How can we accomplish this?

Increase the state Earned Income Tax Credit to 30% of the federal credit, up from the current level of 6%. 

Why is this important in Southwest Michigan? 

• Workforce challenges are top-of-mind for the business community, and these challenges are predicted to continue for at least another decade. The Earned Income Tax Credit exemplifies a pro-work philosophy and provides financial incentive to increase participation in the workforce. 

• 37% of southwest Michigan households are working hard, but still struggling to afford necessities. Offsetting some tax responsibility through an expansion of the EITC will help boost earnings for working families, providing them an opportunity to step up and out of poverty toward meaningful financial security. 

• Michigan’s credit, at 6% of the federal credit, is one of the weakest state credits nationwide. 

• EITC is more than a quick fix—In addition to helping pull families, including children, above poverty, it has lasting positive impacts on the lives of children. Research shows that it improves infant and maternal health, school success, college enrollment, and increased work earnings as adults. 

“In tax year 2020, the state EITC not only helped families in need, but it also put over $90 million back into Michigan’s economy. Raising the state EITC to 30% of the federal credit would raise the number pumped back into the Michigan economy to $460 million annually.”

United Way of Southwest Michigan provides free tax preparation for low- to moderate-income working families in Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren Counties. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free tax help to people who make $57,000 or less and need assistance in preparing their own tax returns. One of the focal points of the VITA program is raising taxpayer awareness and receipt of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). 

“A good way to have a good day.”

United Way of Southwest Michigan is honored to feature the Stokes Family as an outstanding example of volunteer service and dedication during National Volunteer Week: April 17-23, 2022.

THE STOKES FAMILY is as much of a fixture at Cass County’s annual School Supply Spectacular as the backpacks that are given away. Each August, you can count on Dowagiac resident Keaka Stokes, 40, and her four children—Jason, 21; Jacob, 19; Joshua, 17; and Kayden, 15—to put in days of hard work in the hot sun making sure as many as a thousand kids in need, from kindergarten through 12th grade, get a backpack filled with grade-appropriate school supplies to start the academic year.

The Stokes Family has been doing this for so long that they don’t remember how long—and neither does anyone at United Way of Southwest Michigan, which has been coordinating the event for more than a decade. All that staff, volunteers, and beneficiaries remember is watching the Stokes kids grow up over the years—taller in stature, of course, and also in character, thanks to a mom committed to instilling values of service in them.

What most people don’t know about the Stokes is that they’ve been on the receiving end of help too—and their journey of healing is what inspires them to tend to others.

Give & receive 

Keaka does remember how she first learned about School Supply Spectacular. It was at Brookside Learning Center in Cassopolis—one of the two locations in Cass County where School Supply Spectacular is held. Brookside Learning Center serves students who have speech, physical, or health impairments. Two of Keaka’s kids, who experienced speech delays in their early years, were students there. 

“The teacher was wonderful. In one year, she got them to speak in small sentences. In two years, they wouldn’t be quiet!” Keaka said. “Now they’re like every other talkative teenager.”

It was around that time that Keaka spotted a flyer at Brookside that advertised School Supply Spectacular. Her kids needed backpacks, and United Way needed volunteers. She signed up for both. “As a single mom, money and time are tight, so it’s hard to find things we can do as a family. And here was a way for us to run around together outside and put the kids’ energy to good use,” she said.

After that first year, it simply turned into an annual family tradition that they all look forward to. “I never had to pull teeth to get the kids to go,” she said. “Receiving feels good—we all know that and the kids have received plenty—but giving is another kind of gratification. Of course, they also know you do it because it’s the right thing to do.”

Do the right thing

Keaka knew exactly the right thing to do in June 2020 while driving with her kids through downtown Kalamazoo. Many storefronts had been smashed during that time of social unrest. When Keaka spotted a man with paint on the sidewalk, she knew how to bring healing to this hurt place. The family got out of the car and asked the man if they could use some of his paint and they started creating murals on boarded-up windows. Other people did the same.

“The best parts of the community came out,” she said. “It was the nicest moment of the pandemic. Everyone was socially distanced and masked, but we were able to be together and have conversations and make art. Everyone painted something different.”

The mural experience has inspired Keaka to work more on her art. She and her family have long made art together as a hobby—from painting to drawing to ceramics.

In total, 36 different artists created nearly 30 murals on boarded-up storefronts in downtown Kalamazoo, all on the topic of togetherness and community support—and people noticed. Once boards were removed from businesses, the Kalamazoo Downtown Partnership relocated all the murals to the Arcadia Creek Festival Place for display.

In September 2020, the Kalamazoo Valley Museum accepted nearly a dozen pieces from the mural project—including Keaka’s, entitled “Lift Every Voice”—as part of its mission to collect, preserve, and promote the region’s history, but also a part of its strategic commitment to become a more diverse, equitable, accessible, and inclusive museum. As part of the museum’s permanent collection, the murals will be used in upcoming temporary exhibits whenever they can be used as interpretive tools, and the pieces will be displayed during special events at the museum, including but not limited to, the annual Juneteenth celebration and Black History Month programs. 

Keaka sums up her philosophy about volunteering: “Small acts of kindness could save someone’s life. That’s a good way to have a good day.”

Pass it on

The mural experience has inspired Keaka to work more on her art. She and her family have long made art together as a hobby—from painting to drawing to ceramics. And it’s something she enjoys as she contends with lupus, which forced her to stop working three years ago. She had worked in hospitality, primarily as a cook, throughout her career.

Lupus is starting to limit her ability to help at School Supply Spectacular—but it’s not stopping her from coming as the kids’ supervisor. Her fledglings are launching, and “they can do it on their own now,” she says of School Supply Spectacular—but also of life.

Her oldest son, Jason, is a graduate of Dowagiac High School, works at Cass County Medical Care Facility, and is studying toward an associate’s degree in biology at Lake Michigan College. “We started volunteering at School Supply Spectacular because of our mom, and we’ll keep doing it for years to come,” Jason said. “She taught us. She’s our role model. She’s passed it down to us to be a leader.”

Her youngest daughter is also going into healthcare. Kayden, a high school sophomore, is already taking college classes. She is very motivated to become an anesthesiologist. She wants to get her prerequisites out of the way while still in high school, so she can go straight into her program at University of Michigan.

“When I told my mom I wanted to be a doctor, she said, ‘What kind?’ I said, ‘I don’t know, I just want to heal people,” Kayden said. “Later I decided that anesthesiology is a crucial part of that process.”

With three older brothers, Kayden is tougher than the average girl—so what does she do for fun? Roller derby. “She’s driven,” Jason said, with obvious pride, “she’s very driven.” Even about volunteering. Kayden said, “It’s nice when you have a straightforward goal and it’s achievable. Everyone works together, and it’s satisfying when you complete it.”

Keaka sums up her philosophy about volunteering: “Small acts of kindness could save someone’s life. That’s a good way to have a good day.” Seems like Keaka has figured out—for herself and her children—how to string a bunch of those days into a good life. ▢

“We started volunteering at School Supply Spectacular because of our mom, and we’ll keep doing it for years to come,” Jason said. “She taught us. She’s our role model. She’s passed it down to us to be a leader.”

Her fledglings are launching, and “they can do it on their own now,” she says of School Supply Spectacular—but also of life.

National Volunteer Week: April 17-23, 2022

SHINING A LIGHT ON THE PEOPLE AND CAUSES THAT INSPIRE US TO SERVE.

National Volunteer Week is an opportunity to recognize the impact of volunteer service and the power of volunteers to tackle society’s greatest challenges, to build stronger communities and be a force that transforms the world. Each year, we shine a light on the people and causes that inspire us to serve, recognizing and thanking volunteers who lend their time, talent, and voice to make a difference in their communities.

National Volunteer Week was established in 1974. Today, as people strive to lead lives that reflect their values, the expression of civic life has evolved. Whether online, at the office, or the local food bank; whether with a vote, a voice, or a wallet – doing good comes in many forms, and we recognize and celebrate them all.

Get ready for Cass County School Supply Spectacular 2022! Mark your calendars: Wednesday, August 17 (Marcellus) & Saturday, August 20 (Cassopolis).

Cass County School Supply Spectacular 2022

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

This event is for students residing in or attending schools in Cass County only. This event is intended to serve those families in Cass County who are experiencing financial hardship and are not able to afford school supplies and backpacks for their children.

Volunteer signup for the event will begin in July. In the meantime, visit Volunteer United to explore opportunities.

Career and Technical Education prepares students for today’s high-wage, high-skill, high-demand jobs

“I grew up tearing engines apart and putting them back together, modifying them to do what I wanted,” said Luke Dillenbeck, a 17-year-old senior at Coloma High School. “That kind of thing clicked with me right away and always came naturally to me.”

WHILE IT TAKES SOME KIDS a while to figure out what they’re good at, Luke Dillenbeck has always known he has a mechanical mind—a simple knack for how things work. 

“I grew up tearing engines apart and putting them back together, modifying them to do what I wanted,” he said. “That kind of thing clicked with me right away and always came naturally to me.”

And while it also takes some kids time to find their professional niches in life, Luke is discovering his potential career paths earlier than others as well.

A 17-year-old senior at Coloma High School, Luke is already working as an automotive technology intern at Coloma Motorsports. As the youngest worker on staff, he does a little bit of everything, he says, from winterizing boats to swapping out motors on four-wheelers. He loves being outside, doing hard work, and getting lots of hands-on experience. It is, he says, “the perfect job.” 

Best of all, in addition to getting paid, he’s also earning class credit toward his automotive technology course at Coloma High School—which is part of Berrien County Career & Technical Education.

Relevant & engaging

Career & Technical Education (CTE) combines academic and technical skills with the knowledge and training needed to succeed in today's labor market. CTE prepares students for the world of work by introducing them to workplace competencies in a real-world, applied context. While automotive technology is a field that’s arguably been associated with technical education the longest, CTE today prepares students for a wide range of high-wage, high-skill, high-demand careers—some of which didn’t even exist a generation ago.

There are many trades that often require less schooling and are in demand for fields such as healthcare, information technology, advanced manufacturing, construction, and automotive. In Michigan, there are 545,000 professional trade jobs, including 15,000 that are skilled, with 47,000 new job openings expected annually.

Career & Technical Education is an essential component of the total educational system in Berrien County. With 66 CTE programs, Berrien County Career & Technical Education offers diverse programming for secondary students—including the 2,345 students currently enrolled in its CTE classes. 

Programs offered include agriscience, construction trades, graphic arts, commercial art, radio & TV broadcasting, business administration, accounting, aviation, machine tool, woodworking, culinary arts, cosmetology, criminal justice, health science, marketing, mechanical drafting, robotics, and more.

Its purpose is to create a more relevant, engaging high school experience by combining the rigorous core academics that students need for college, if they choose that direction, with career and technical education that makes them employable, regardless of their track.

Berrien County does not have a physical CTE center, but it is accessible and available to all of our Berrien County high school students through a system of shared time programs available at most of the county’s local high schools. If a local school district does not offer a specific CTE course, students are able to travel to a district that does offer the desired course. Every day, hundreds of high school students cross district lines to take advantage of CTE programs offered in other districts.

About 30% of Berrien County high school students take CTE classes. CTE boasts a graduation rate of 94.5% and a placement rate of 96%.

According to Chris Machiniak, the Assistant Superintendent of Career & Technical Education and System Improvement at Berrien RESA, not only does career-relevant education keep students engaged in school, but studies have shown that students in such programs have higher graduation rates than students who did not take CTE courses.

“Our goal is to create multiple career pathway options for our students that stress a rigorous core academic curriculum and focus it in a manner that emphasizes hands-on, critical thinking skills that are vital for the employment of our students in the future,” Chris said.

“Whether their next step involves pursuing two, four, or more years of advanced degrees, trade schools, the military, apprenticeships, or pursuing their career choice through on-the-job training, our goal is to ensure they are equipped to take those next steps,” he said.

Potential directions

Ryan Ransom, Luke’s Automotive Technology Instructor at Coloma High School, is himself a perfect example of how technical education opportunities can open up unexpected career paths.

Ryan was a student in the automotive program at Van Buren Tech Center in Lawrence in the mid-90s. He worked as a technician at two car dealerships before he was recruited by Van Buren Tech Center to be service and production manager, arranging work projects for students. After working there with two veteran teachers for six years, he took on his current role in Coloma, where he has been for 17 years now. 

“The automotive industry is so big and so diverse—there are all kinds of jobs in it,” he said. “Maybe a student doesn’t want to wrench but work in the industry in other ways. They can start to figure this out now when it doesn’t cost anything.”

Students join his class for a variety of reasons—maybe they just want to learn enough to tinker with their car, or maybe just because their friends take it—and then there are also students like Luke, who Ryan calls “a promising, perceptive student and a very gifted technician.”

“Luke had lots of pieces of knowledge, but he needed formal training to put it all together,” Ryan said. “His interest went beyond the basics—he wanted to do things that were different and hard. He’s learning how to come up with strategies to tackle problems.”

Ryan says the industry needs technicians—good ones like Luke—badly. “It’s at dire levels,” he said. “Shops are backed up with work, and the average age of technicians is getting older.”

Luke will graduate from high school in the spring of 2022, and he wants to stay open to all career options. He says he’s recently developed an interest in electrical work as well, which could apply to automotive or in other capacities.

“Electrical is not my strongest area—yet—but I’m a hands-on learner, and I feel I could excel at it with some experience,” Luke said.

No need to merely bet on that possibility. With the training Luke has received from CTE, he can build on it instead.

“Luke had lots of pieces of knowledge, but he needed formal training to put it all together,” his teacher said. “His interest went beyond the basics—he wanted to do things that were different and hard. He’s learning how to come up with strategies to tackle problems.”

UWSM advocates for greater support of career & technical education

Our 2022 advocacy agenda specifically focuses on youth, young adults, and those from marginalized communities. UWSM recognizes that the strength and vitality of communities is tied to just and equitable access to resources and opportunities. We support actively dismantling barriers to resources and opportunities in education and economic mobility.

One of United Way’s 2022 advocacy agenda items is: Increase availability and accessibility of career & technical education programs to provide students with multiple pathways to a living wage as adults.

How can we accomplish this? 

Promote Career & Technical Education Opportunities for K-12 students by educating local families and leaders about the value of CTE. 

Why is this important in Southwest Michigan?

• There is a need in our trades industries for certified individuals, but we don't have enough people getting certified through high-school or post-secondary programs. A strong focus and investment in career pathway programs will allow students to begin education in K-12 that leads to certifications and degrees in post-secondary programs.  

• Career & Technical Education is an essential component to equipping students for success in  BOTH college and career. 

• Career & Technical Education creates multiple career pathway options for our students by combining relevant, engaging experiences in both the classroom as well as industry. 

• Career & Technical Education creates a more relevant, engaging high school experience by combining the rigorous core academics that students need for college with the career and technical education that makes them employable, and to do it in an applied, hands-on way that includes real-life experience.

Ryan Ransom, Luke’s Automotive Technology Instructor at Coloma High School, is himself a perfect example of how technical education opportunities can open up unexpected career paths.

With 66 CTE programs, Berrien County Career & Technical Education offers diverse programming for secondary students—including the 2,345 students currently enrolled in its CTE classes. 

About 30% of Berrien County high school students take CTE classes. CTE boasts a graduation rate of 94.5% and a placement rate of 96%.

Photos by Ashley Tenter

“Michigan Reconnect” critical to strengthening state’s workforce and economy

The program’s advocates—including United Way of Southwest Michigan—are calling on state legislators to include funding for “Michigan Reconnect” in the next 2022 state budget proposal and pass it in the fall so the program can continue.

Remember what it was like to be a kid with a dream? When the world seemed like your oyster? You were eager to learn. You couldn’t wait to work hard. Maybe you weren’t sure yet what or how, but you wanted to make something of yourself and build a future. Every generation has faced unique challenges in the pursuit of their dreams—with varying degrees of support along the way. No one has ever had it easy, but our country is predicated on the principle that everyone should have an equal chance.

Today’s students are no different. The world keeps changing—fast and furious—and different obstacles crop up to limit success. Every person has a stake in making sure that anyone who wants a fair shot gets one—that way, all of society prospers. “Michigan Reconnect” is a state-funded program that does exactly that.

“Michigan Reconnect,” which launched in early 2021 by the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, gives state residents aged 25 and older, who have a high school diploma or equivalent and didn’t already graduate from college, the opportunity to attend local community colleges tuition-free. The program requires all students to apply for federal financial aid in order to participate, and the state will pay the remainder of tuition costs not covered by federal grants. Students have four years to earn their degrees. 

Even though the program is brand new, its future is already uncertain. “Michigan Reconnect” is part of Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s goal that 60 percent of the state's residents have a skill certificate or college degree by 2030, and she has proposed continued funding. However, the state legislature has yet to include the $30 million program in its budget proposal for the 2022 fiscal year. 

Bridge to opportunity

Rebecca Miller is experiencing first-hand how crucial “Michigan Reconnect” is for students at Lake Michigan College in Benton Harbor. She is a work/study student at the college and works in the admissions department. “I see so many younger students, who maybe had some academic missteps after high school, and they’re in the late 20s now and they’re grateful and excited they can get on track while they’re still young,” she said. What’s more, “the pandemic made a lot of people realize jobs in certain sectors aren’t always dependable, and they’re at the age now where they’re starting families and they need stability.”

Miller, a 38-year-old Bridgman resident who is currently a sophomore studying sociology, can relate to the situations a lot of younger students face. She originally attended Lake Michigan College when she was 18 and right out of high school. She knew she wanted a career giving back to the community somehow, but “I wasn’t prepared for college yet,” she said. The transition out of the structure of high school was difficult for her. Instead, she became a hair stylist, but after a few years, realized that wasn’t what she wanted to do long-term. Then, she worked at Four Winds Casino for 12 years. The desire to return to college was always there, but life happened—marriage, mortgage, bills. “As you get older and have more responsibilities, your financial burden grows,” she said. But she eventually made the leap—leaving her job in 2020 and enrolling at Lake Michigan College once again, and she’s earning a near-perfect GPA.

She too now is a beneficiary of “Michigan Reconnect.” Upon completing her associate’s degree, she plans to transfer next spring to Siena Heights University, which has a campus in Benton Harbor, to earn a bachelor’s degree in community and human services with a concentration in family systems. She hopes to eventually earn a master’s degree in social work. Her long-deferred dream is taking shape and coming true. “I will be able to give back to the community I live in, ideally with our senior population,” she said. “‘Michigan Reconnect’ is making all this possible for me.”

“I could have done this sooner if something like ‘Michigan Reconnect’ had existed 10 years ago,” she said. “But it’s never too late.”

New skills, fulfilling future

Steve Closson couldn’t agree more. At the age of 55, Closson, a resident of Baroda, is finally pursuing his dream of working in the hospitality industry. “I’ve always had the personality,” he said. “I just need the paperwork.”

Thanks to “Michigan Reconnect,” Closson is on his way to getting that paperwork and becoming only the second person in his family to earn a post-secondary degree. He is beginning his coursework at Lake Michigan College this summer. Once he finishes his associate’s degree, he plans to transfer to Ferris State to earn his bachelor’s degree. His goal is to eventually work as a general manager at a hotel in a resort area.

Closson entered the workforce straight out of high school, starting his career in the 1980s as a computer operator. “I put my nose to the grindstone and learned that way,” he said. “But I don’t like being surrounded by equipment and not talking to people, so I was always looking for customer-based IT work where I could interact with others.” He currently works as a call center supervisor at a dermatology office in St. Joseph. “I love fixing problems, making people feel better, and taking away their worries,” he said—something he can do with even more gusto in his new field given his passion for hospitality.

He always wanted to go to college, but “I was sweating the financial part of it,” he said. “‘Michigan Reconnect’ is the answer to my prayers.”

Make Michigan more competitive

Miller and Closson are two of about a thousand students in Southwest Michigan who are pursuing further education with the help of “Michigan Reconnect,” according to Jeremy Schaeffer, Director of Admissions & Recruitment at Lake Michigan College. About 400 students have already been approved for the program, and about 600 are in the process of being approved. The current-year funding from the state only gets those students through the summer and fall terms of 2021.

“It would be a tragedy if ‘Michigan Reconnect’ is not funded in the 2022 state budget,” Schaeffer said. “Especially as so many students are seeing new hope for their futures. How many will walk away from education without the help of this program? Pulling the rug out from under them just when they’re getting started will be catastrophic to many lives.”

Removing barriers to credential and degree attainment is important for building a stronger economy. With fewer than half of Michiganders holding a post-secondary degree or certificate, the state is behind the rest of the country in terms of the employability of Michigan’s workforce. “For a long time, our state had job opportunities that didn’t require post-secondary training and could provide for a family, but life is more expensive and jobs are more competitive now. We have to retrain the community because the jobs of the future require advanced training and knowledge,” Schaeffer said.

Community colleges are essential to providing that training and knowledge, and are an affordable option as some students work toward more costly advanced degrees. But enrollment at community colleges is going down across the country and in Michigan. The pandemic contributed to enrollment drops at community colleges last year of 13.2% in the state and 10% at Lake Michigan College. 

“We had already been seeing a steady decline in enrollment of about 2-3% every year for the last several years prior to the pandemic,” Schaeffer said. “If these declines continue here and elsewhere, it will have a major impact on the state. We need ‘Michigan Reconnect’ to jumpstart enrollment again.”

A more educated and skilled workforce improves not only the financial health of those workers, he said, but also attracts employers to the state, increases tax revenue, results in stronger infrastructure, improves the quality of industries, and makes life better for everyone.

“We hope that ‘Michigan Reconnect’ not yet being included in the 2022 budget proposal is simply part of the back-and-forth negotiation process, and that it will be in the final proposal that gets approved in the fall,” Schaeffer said. “State legislators need to realize how crucial this program is to the future prosperity of our state. As education administrators, we need certainty so we can help these students going forward.”

Rebecca Miller, a 38-year-old Bridgman resident, is currently a sophomore at Lake Michigan College in Benton Harbor and plans to eventually earn a master’s degree in social work. “I will be able to give back to the community I live in, ideally with our senior population,” she said. “‘Michigan Reconnect’ is making all this possible for me.”

NEWS FLASH

Success Story Follow-up

ANOTHER ADVOCACY SUCCESS! Since we published this story, the Michigan state legislature passed a bipartisan budget for fiscal year 2022, which Governor Whitmer signed into law, that includes increased funding for “Michigan Reconnect.” The program will be funded at $55 million, up from $30 million last year. The additional funding will go toward tuition AND wraparound services like childcare and tutoring. BUT there could be additional funding for this program in the future. Thank our state legislators for their support of “Michigan Reconnect” AND ask them to bolster it with additional dollars.

At the age of 55, Steve Closson, a resident of Baroda, is finally pursuing his dream of working in the hospitality industry. “I’ve always had the personality,” he said. “I just need the paperwork.”

Closson always wanted to go to college, but “I was sweating the financial part of it,” he said. “‘Michigan Reconnect’ is the answer to my prayers.”

“I could have done this sooner if something like ‘Michigan Reconnect’ had existed 10 years ago,” Miller said. “But it’s never too late.”

UWSM advocates for greater education access

Aspiring students need a system that helps them climb in the circumstances of today’s world. United Way of Southwest Michigan is one of the organizations that has their backs.

United Way’s 2021 Advocacy Agenda is focused on creating systems that help working people thrive, with a particular emphasis on Southwest Michigan’s ALICE population (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed). The ALICE population—whose incomes are above the Federal Poverty Level but below the basic cost of living—makes up about 37% of households in Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren counties. These families are working hard but still struggling to afford necessities. Additionally, United Way addresses inequities in education and economic opportunity that disproportionately affect those living below the ALICE threshold as well as other marginalized communities. Many families struggling to make ends meet come from historically under-resourced, underserved, marginalized communities, including people of color and people experiencing poverty.

One of United Way’s advocacy agenda items is: Address Michigan’s skills gap and help ALICE gain the job skills needed to increase their household income by removing barriers to credential and degree attainment. 

How can we accomplish this?

• Include funding for the Michigan Reconnect Economic Growth/Workforce Development Program and necessary wraparound services in the state budget & promote Career Technical Education opportunities for K-12 students.

Why is this important in Southwest Michigan?

• Post-secondary educational attainment is shown to produce higher wages for individuals and families. Increasing access to education for the 37% of Southwest Michigan households living below the ALICE threshold would enable them to increase their economic mobility.

• 70% of all jobs in Michigan require some post-secondary education or certification.

• There is a need in our trades industries for certified individuals, but there aren’t enough people getting certified through high-school or post-secondary programs. A strong focus and investment in career pathway programs will allow students to begin education that leads to certifications in K-12 and complete it quickly in post-secondary programs. 

Closson is beginning his coursework at Lake Michigan College this summer. Once he finishes his associate’s degree, he plans to transfer to Ferris State to earn his bachelor’s degree. His goal is to eventually work as a general manager at a hotel in a resort area.

Photos by Ashley Tenter

“I fell in love with these kiddos.”

One-third of Michigan four-year-olds who are eligible for free, high-quality preschool can’t access it because of lack of funding. United Way of Southwest Michigan and its advocates are asking state legislators to support the proposal to put those 22,000 left-out kids into the Great Start Readiness Program.

Ashley Neff had been teaching at a private preschool in Niles for seven years, but after substituting in a Great Start Readiness Program class in February 2019, there was no going back. “I fell in love with these kiddos,” she said. She was offered a full-time, lead teaching position with the Great Start Readiness Program that fall, and she jumped at the opportunity.

“They’re average kids—happy to be at school, to be a big kid, to eat meals at school, excited to recognize numbers,” Neff said of her students. Like every other four-year-old, “they’re little sponges,” she said. “There are so many ah-ha moments.”

But a lot of them need extra attention, she explained, and being there for them is the best—and perhaps most important—part of her job. “Yes, academics are important, but some just need a place where they can feel safe,” she said. Like one little girl, who only felt comfortable sleeping under Neff’s chair.

In case that girl ended up in foster care, Neff and her husband got all the paperwork completed to become foster parents for her—or any other student. “We wanted to be prepared to open our home to kids that need a place,” she said. Their home being a hobby farm—with goats and lambs—in Niles. Neff’s children—a 13-year-old daughter and a seven-year-old son—love the idea of welcoming foster kids into their family.

Her Great Start Readiness Program classroom—housed in a Niles Community Schools building—is the only free preschool in the area. “A lot of kids just don’t go,” she said, “and you can tell in kindergarten which kids went to preschool and which kids didn’t—academically and socially—if that’s their first experience away from mom and dad.”

“I always wanted to be a teacher,” said Ashley Neff. Neff grew up in Niles and earned an associate’s degree in early childhood development and learning at Lake Michigan College and a bachelor’s degree in the same at Central Michigan University. It was Neff’s own preschool teacher—who also taught Neff’s children—who, just before retiring, encouraged Neff to follow in her footsteps.

Expand access to all

Education researchers have long confirmed that children who are able to attend preschool through the Great Start Readiness Program in classrooms like Neff’s show significant positive developmental differences when compared to children from the same backgrounds who did not attend a high-quality preschool program. But only two-thirds of Michigan children who are eligible for the program have access to it. 

The Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) is Michigan's state-funded preschool program for four-year-old children with factors that may place them at educational risk. The program is administered by the Michigan Department of Education, Office of Great Start. Funding is allocated to each intermediate school district to administer the program locally.

Michigan has a strong history of providing high-quality, state-funded preschool to the state's most vulnerable children through the Great Start Readiness Program. Since 1985, the Michigan Department of Education has worked closely with providers across the state to ensure Michigan offers a high-quality learning experience to all children participating in the GSRP. 

In June 2021, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer proposed expanding funding for the GSRP so that the remaining third of left-out children can get access to the program, putting 22,000 more Michigan four-year-olds into free, high-quality preschool. The proposal calls for $32.2 million in additional funding for the GSRP in the proposed 2022 state budget—as part of a $405 million expansion in the next three years ($255 million in federal dollars and $150 million in state dollars). It relies on federal stimulus money to get started, but the plan provides for replacing federal money with state money after three years to keep the program going. The goal is to open new GSRP classrooms for students who are currently waiting for spots.

“We have a unique opportunity right now to make the type of investments in early education and preschool that will pay massive dividends by improving health, educational, and social outcomes for our children decades down the line,” Whitmer said in a news release. Her proposal "will help narrow the achievement gap between high-income and low-income students. As we put Michigan back to work, parents can go about their work day knowing that their children are learning in a safe and productive environment.”

The proposal will require approval from state legislators as they negotiate how to spend $1.4 billion dollars in federal aid for early childhood education. There is an enormous surplus in the state budget thanks to federal pandemic relief and a healthier-than-expected economy.

The program is free to families making less than 250% of the federal poverty line, or $66,250 for a family of four. It provides full- or part-day services.

Long-term investment

“I can’t say enough good things about this program,” said Douglas Mitchell of Niles, whose high-energy son Nolan is in Neff’s GSRP class. He and his wife work full-time, and “this can be complicated to manage” with kids, he said. “The GSRP has been so amazing with him. The teachers work really hard to give each child what they need individually, and this has helped Nolan so much. He loves going to school every day, and is sad on Fridays when he realizes he doesn’t get to go back for a few days. Ms. Neff is amazing at communicating with the parents and even helps them develop better parenting skills and helps get extra resources that the family needs.”

Another parent, Erica Mitchell—no relation to Douglas—echoes his sentiments. Her daughter, Payton, was in a private Montessori preschool, but when the pandemic hit, the family experienced significant hardship. Thanks to the GSRP, Payton was able to continue preschool. “Ashley went above and beyond to get the resources we needed,” she said. “When we seemed to hit a dead end, she found another way.”  Mitchell says she’s so thankful that the GSRP is there to help families in tough situations.  

Neff is grateful for the GSRP too—that she found such a meaningful niche for her lifelong calling.

“I always wanted to be a teacher,” she said. Neff grew up in Niles and earned an associate’s degree in early childhood development and learning at Lake Michigan College and a bachelor’s degree in the same at Central Michigan University. It was Neff’s own preschool teacher—who also taught Neff’s children—who, just before retiring, encouraged Neff to follow in her footsteps.

The positive ripple effect continues on: “What these kids experience in preschool, it’s not just for the year they’re with us,” Neff said. “It sets a foundation for the rest of their schooling and follows them for the rest of their lives.” Neff’s own life is a testament to that.

NEWS FLASH

Success Story Follow-up

ANOTHER ADVOCACY SUCCESS! Since we published this story, the school aid budget passed the Michigan House and Senate that includes expanded funding for the GSRP. Thank you to all who helped bring this effort to fruition.

Education researchers have long confirmed that children who are able to attend preschool through the Great Start Readiness Program in classrooms like Ashley Neff’s show significant positive developmental differences when compared to children from the same backgrounds who did not attend a high-quality preschool program.

UWSM supports expanded state funding for Great Start Readiness Program

All four-year-olds in Southwest Michigan deserve a great start in life. United Way of Southwest Michigan advocates for setting them up for later success.

United Way’s 2021 Advocacy Agenda is focused on creating systems that help working people thrive, with a particular emphasis on Southwest Michigan’s ALICE population (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed). The ALICE population—whose incomes are above the Federal Poverty Level but below the basic cost of living—makes up about 37% of households in Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren counties. These families are working hard but still struggling to afford necessities. Additionally, United Way addresses inequities in education and economic opportunity that disproportionately affect those living below the ALICE threshold as well as other marginalized communities. Many families struggling to make ends meet come from historically under-resourced, underserved, marginalized communities, including people of color and people experiencing poverty.

One of United Way’s advocacy agenda items is: Ensure more children have access to high-quality preschool programs that prepare them for kindergarten. 

How can we accomplish this? 

• Increase the per-pupil allocation for the Great Start Readiness Program in the state budget. 

Why is this important in Southwest Michigan?

• Children living in households below the ALICE threshold experience factors which may place them at risk of educational failure at a higher rate than children in more financially stable households. These children need access to low-cost, high-quality preschool opportunities like the Great Start Readiness Program to reduce this disparity.

• 51.2% of children 3 and 4 years of age in Berrien County are not enrolled in any preschool programming. 63.2% in Van Buren County are not enrolled and 68.5% in Cass County are not enrolled. 

• Many organizations that provide GSRP programs are near a tipping point because there are not sufficient funds to run them. Per-child payments have remained stagnant since 2015, making it increasingly difficult for GSRP classrooms to remain open and provide the required high-quality experiences that have been shown to improve school readiness. 

Ashley Neff and her husband got all the paperwork completed to become foster parents in case a student ends up in foster care. “We wanted to be prepared to open our home to kids that need a place,” she said. Their home being a hobby farm—with goats and lambs—in Niles.

Photos by Ashley Tenter

“I panicked.”

We all remember how scary those first days of the coronavirus crisis were, as our whole community shut down and suddenly it was every-person-for-themselves in getting the necessities. Except it wasn’t like that everywhere… 

While the world descended into dystopia, around the corner from one of Southwest Michigan’s little Main Streets was an apartment building of seniors and those with disabilities who were scared. Like many of us, they had limited food stocked in their homes, but unlike many of us, they didn’t have the resources to get more. Most of the residents in the public housing high-rise in downtown St. Joseph don’t have transportation of their own, and public transportation options were no longer available. They hadn’t yet received additional money on their food assistance cards or additional unemployment benefits. Most live on limited social security income. What’s more, many of the residents have health issues, and being more vulnerable to the disease, they were afraid to leave their units for any reason.

When Amanda Drew, Impact Director at United Way of Southwest Michigan, got a call from the St. Joseph Public Safety Department about the situation at 601 Port Street, “I panicked,” she said. That lasted for one second, and then United Way flew into action. Amanda called the apartment manager to find out what was needed.

With funds from the Southwest Michigan Cares Fund—which United Way of Southwest Michigan and Berrien Community Foundation coordinated to create in March for local emergency response and long-term recovery—UWSM sought to buy food for the building in trouble.

Diane Binder, Campaign Relationship Coordinator at UWSM, reached out to Ivan Price, an assistant store manager of Martin’s Super Markets in Stevensville. He offered groceries at discounted prices from suppliers and helped Diane pick out nonperishable items—from spaghetti to peanut butter.

“At the time, grocery stores were dealing with so much uncertainty, about the safety of their employees and customers, and with items running out, but with all the other things going on, Martin’s took the time to help us out with this problem,” Diane said.

Southwest Michigan Community Action Agency stepped in next. They picked up the items from Martin’s, packed them up, and delivered them to the residents in need by April 6. United Way dropped off 50 homemade masks that had been donated by our friends and neighbors in the community. SMCAA’s food truck packaged up another delivery of food from their sources on April 30 to help the residents get by until the shutdown began to lift.

This is one of many stories—of agencies, businesses, and individuals across Southwest Michigan stepping up in so many ways during what has been the most challenging times most of us have ever experienced. Because we’re all in this together. And United Way is here to make the connections. If there’s one thing we know at United Way, it’s that change doesn’t happen alone. Join us: https://www.uwsm.org/change

Photos by Ashley Tenter

United Way fights for health equity for Black moms and babies

Bianca wasn’t going to take any chances with her health or the lives of her babies. Nothing was going to discourage her from seeing the doctor she trusted through her three pregnancies. Not even when the administrators in that obstetrician’s very office tried to persuade her not to return.

Bianca Nash-Miot, a 30-year-old Black resident of Covert, and her husband Samuel are today raising two happy, healthy children—Solene, 3, and Samuel, 2—but it was a scary, heartbreaking journey getting their family to this point because Bianca’s first pregnancy ended in miscarriage and her second pregnancy almost did too. 

Bianca’s obstetrician is highly regarded and sought after by pregnant women in the area, and that’s who Bianca went to when she first became pregnant. At the time, Bianca did not have health insurance because she worked for a small family-owned business that was not required to offer insurance to its workers since it employed fewer than 50. At her first few appointments, Bianca paid in cash. “During each encounter I had with the manager of the billing department, she suggested I apply for Medicaid. I explained to her that I did not meet the income requirements for it, and she explained to me that I would likely not be able to keep paying out of pocket for all of my visits. She further explained that if I did get Medicaid, I would no longer be able to come there because they do not accept Medicaid,” Bianca says. “She insisted I’d be happy somewhere else, but this made me feel very sad and lost.”

It’s common for physicians to only accept certain health insurance, and few providers accept Medicaid, because the amount that Medicaid pays for services is well below what private insurance pays. But, without knowing anything about Bianca’s financial situation, the manager was making assumptions and trying to influence her to make a health choice she didn’t want to make. Bianca could only surmise that the manager’s actions were due to racial prejudice.

Once it became clear that Bianca’s pregnancy was no longer viable, the manager’s constant insistence that Bianca go elsewhere was even more difficult for her to take, she says. “No mother should be told to leave an O.B.'s office due to something as outside of her control as insurance reimbursement rates,” Bianca says. But at that point, Bianca had such a strong connection with her doctor, she didn’t want to go elsewhere, and she returned there during her second pregnancy. This time she had Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance.

“I was not hounded by the billing manager as much the second time, but she still insisted that I should apply for Medicaid as secondary insurance because my primary would not pay for everything and I would have co-payments,” Bianca says. “And she kept reminding me they did not accept Medicaid.”

At 28-weeks gestation, Bianca again had a pregnancy in jeopardy, but her obstetrician got her through the crisis—physically and mentally—and after two terrifying hospitalizations, Bianca’s daughter was born full-term. “This was the first time I understood what an advocate was and what it meant to have an advocate,” she says of her doctor, who took her and her symptoms seriously when other hospital staff were dismissive. Her doctor also helped her with lactation problems while nursing her new baby and pregnant for the third time, enabling her to breastfeed exclusively until her daughter was eight months old.

During her third pregnancy, the billing manager still insisted that Bianca apply for Medicaid and go elsewhere. “At this point, I was upset and tired of being made to feel like I didn’t belong there, and I felt like her comments were racially based and it was time to take action,” Bianca says. So she told her doctor what was happening. Bianca doesn’t know who said what to whom, but the billing manager apologized immediately after that. “I was signed up for Medicaid as a secondary insurance and it was no longer an issue from that point on,” she says. It was only then that she was informed that women who are uninsured or underinsured automatically qualify for Medicaid when they become pregnant. She remained a patient of her doctor, and her son was born healthy and full-term.

Bianca was inspired by her challenges to start a breastfeeding support group in her area, and she is becoming a doula and lactation consultant to help other women like her. “Advocates are so necessary, because there are huge disparities in the healthcare community” when it comes to race, she says. “This needs to change.”

NEWS FLASH:

Success story follow-up

Thanks in part to Bianca’s courage to share her story of overcoming injustice—along with the advocacy efforts of United Way of Southwest Michigan and other groups and allies—Michigan state legislators were persuaded to pass $12.6 million in funding for “Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies,” a statewide effort in Michigan, in the state’s fiscal year 2021 budget. 

Help us fight for moms like Bianca!

Bianca’s stress during her pregnancies was needlessly and unfairly exacerbated by racial bias in the healthcare system, a widespread problem that United Way of Southwest Michigan is helping to address. UWSM’s 2020 advocacy priorities include ensuring more moms and babies have positive health outcomes regardless of the color of their skin or where they live, and it supports funding for Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies, a statewide effort in Michigan, that specifically reaches new moms of color.

The United States has the highest maternal death rate in the developed world, and black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. Yet, 44% of maternal deaths in Michigan are preventable. Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies seeks to ensure that Michiganders are given the care they need to have a healthy pregnancy, to combat bias against women of color among medical professionals, and to expand support for interventions that are proven to increase health outcomes for women and their children.

Why is this important in Southwest Michigan? In 2017, 41.9% of mothers in Berrien County, 49.4% of mothers in Cass County, and 39.4% of mothers in Van Buren County were receiving less than adequate prenatal care. That year, the rate of all infant deaths per 1,000 live births in Berrien County was 5.2%, but the rate of African American infant deaths was higher, at 7.4% in that county.

United Way’s objective is to educate elected officials and community members on the importance of adequate prenatal care and significant disparities among those living in poverty and among people of color, and its strategy includes sharing stories like Bianca’s, as well as directly reaching out to state representatives and senators and mobilizing UWSM’s network of advocates in the community.

We need you to Advocate to end racial bias in healthcare: Tweet/email our state reps!

Advocate to end racial bias in healthcare:

Tweet your support of Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies to our state reps.

Black women are 3x more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women @PaquetteBrad18 @BethGriffin66th @SenKimLaSata @aricnesbitt Support #HealthyMomsHealthyBabies to ensure all moms & babies have positive health outcomes #UWAdvocate

Email our state reps urging them to support Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies.

To: BradPaquette@house.mi.gov, PaulineWendzel@house.mi.gov, aronMiller@house.mi.gov, BethGriffin@house.mi.gov, SenKLaSata@senate.michigan.gov, SenANesbitt@senate.michigan.gov

The COVID-19 crisis has demonstrated the significant health disparities among those living in poverty and in people of color. We need to ensure that moms and babies in these communities are receiving adequate care right from the start to work towards resolving this unnecessary disparity. The United States has the highest maternal death rate in the developed world, and black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. Yet, 44% of maternal deaths in Michigan are preventable. Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies seeks to ensure that Michiganders are given the care they need to have a healthy pregnancy, to combat bias against women of color among medical professionals, and to expand support for interventions that are proven to increase health outcomes for women and their children. Why is this important in Southwest Michigan? In 2017, 41.9% of mothers in Berrien County, 49.4% of mothers in Cass County, and 39.4% of mothers in Van Buren County were receiving less than adequate prenatal care. That year, the rate of all infant deaths per 1,000 live births in Berrien County was 5.2%, but the rate of African American infant deaths was higher, at 7.4% in that county. Thank you for your efforts to support Michigan families during this unprecedented crisis. Please continue to work towards additional measures that will provide support for Michigan moms and babies.

Photos by Ashley Tenter

“If I’d known … I never would have reported it.”

“If I’d known what my child was going to go through, I never would have reported it.”

That was the sentiment of one mother in Alabama, decades ago, after her child was the victim of sexual abuse—and was re-traumatized by the system that was supposed to protect her.

But tremendous good eventually came out of their horrible experience. The prosecutor on that case fought for change in the way child sex abuse victims are treated by the system—and a new model developed nationwide, one that reduces the trauma of criminal investigations and compassionately meets the needs of sexually abused children in a child-oriented, neutral environment.

The United Way-funded Children’s Advocacy Center of Southwest Michigan is an example of this vastly improved model. It facilitates and coordinates the work of organizations responsible for the investigation of sexual abuse of children between the ages of 3 and 18 in Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren Counties. The need is certainly great: One in 10 children will experience sexual abuse or exploitation before age 18.

The St. Joseph-based Children’s Advocacy Center provides consistent and timely response to abuse reports, dramatically reducing the number of interviews a victim must undergo while ensuring the child obtains effective medical and mental health services or referrals to professional support services immediately. Because of its multidisciplinary approach, the nonprofit has increased successful prosecutions. More important, the Children’s Advocacy Center delivers critical hope and healing for children and their non-offending family members to move forward with their lives.

The center has also developed age-appropriate prevention programs for children—to teach them how to reduce the risk of abuse and assault—and for adults—to prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse. “If you can spare one child from abuse, it’s worth it,” says Allie Kibler-Campbell, prevention and outreach specialist at the Children’s Advocacy Center. “The whole program is worth it.”

Prevention 

Allie spends most of her time in classrooms in six school districts, including Bridgman, Brandywine, New Buffalo, Niles, River Valley, and St. Joseph, as well as at Lake Michigan Catholic Middle and High Schools. She visits every classroom once a year, talking to about 5,000 students annually.

“All kids have a right to feel safe,” Allie says. “If someone is making them feel unsafe or uncomfortable, they have the right to tell them that and to get away and talk to someone else about it. We teach kids they don’t have to keep secrets and they can look out for each other. The more awareness there is, the safer kids will be.”

Some parents have expressed concern about what exactly Allie is teaching, but she explains to them, “It’s not sex ed, it’s safety ed.” She’s teaching kids about healthy and appropriate personal boundaries, both physical and emotional. “We have a K-12 curriculum about body ownership, that they can tell people no. When we get to older grades, we talk about healthy relationships versus the cycle of abusive relationships, which follow a predictable, recognizable pattern, and we talk about what harassment and bullying look like, and Internet and cell phone safety,” Allie says.

The kids find Allie’s lessons empowering. “The kids surprise me,” she says. “They’re really smart and catch on fast. They like someone telling them that they have rights.”

One unexpected result of the prevention program is that some kids have used it as an opportunity to disclose sex abuse. In the last school year, 22 kids have come up to Allie after lessons and made disclosures of abuse that were then reported to law enforcement. Eleven of those came to the center, and eight of them participated rigorously in its free therapeutic services. Because of those disclosures, two perpetrators have had criminal charges filed against them. “Those kids may have never said anything if it wasn’t for us being in the classroom talking about prevention,” Allie says.

Forensic interviewing

When a child is referred to the Children’s Advocacy Center by law enforcement or the Department of Health and Human Services, a highly trained staff interviewer, who has knowledge of the child’s developmental and emotional stage, conducts legally sound, non-leading and neutral interviews. The group uses an unbiased approach to seek the truth and to support fair decision-making in the criminal and child protective services system. The forensic interviewer interviews the child one-on-one in a room separated by one-way glass, following strict protocols to ensure the child is able to participate. The multidisciplinary investigation team meets in the observation room, unseen by the child. This approach dramatically reduces the number of times the child has to tell the story, therefore reducing the trauma to the child.

“The way it used to be—and still is in some places—there would be several interviews: first Child Protective Services did one, then law enforcement, then a nurse, then the prosecutor,” says Brook Thomas, a forensic interviewer and licensed clinical social worker at the center. “The process was oriented around the professionals involved, not what was best for the child.”

Retelling their story is obviously painful for children, and can result in inconsistencies in the story—”not because the child is lying, but perhaps because the interviewers are asking about different incidents or because the interviewers are recording the details differently,” Brook says. “It’s an example of the telephone game.”

Another problem with the old model was that the interviewers often had no training in how to interview children. “You interview children who are 3 differently than children who are 6,” Brook explains. What’s more, lack of training led to “in some cases, biased interviewers asking leading questions that led to false disclosures.”

To further reduce trauma, the Children’s Advocacy Center provides medical examinations and evaluations of sexual assault victims on site in its child-oriented environment. Through collaboration with Spectrum Health-Lakeland, the organization utilizes Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners who are well-trained and knowledgeable in how to interact with assault victims to collect evidence while preserving body integrity.

The fact that everything is conducted in the same familiar place at the center—forensic interviewing, then medical examination, and later therapy—eases stress for the kids and families.

The center’s support dog, Pawnee, provides support to children and caregivers waiting for forensic interviews and is available to go to therapy sessions with children. A 60-pound Chocolate Labrador who is always on a leash and controlled by a handler, Pawnee loves to play with kids and provides distraction and comfort.

Therapy

The center also provides crisis counseling services and ongoing therapy to victims of child sexual abuse, their non-offending family members, and to adult survivors of child sexual abuse.

Kaitlin Sieber, LMSW, a therapist at the center, says they use a type of treatment model called trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, which is heavily based on play therapy and art therapy. “We engage many different ways for kids to heal and learn to cope through that model,” Kaitlin says. Children meet with a therapist weekly for an hour session for 12 weeks on average, and their caregivers are involved in the sessions. Therapy begins as soon as the day after the interview.

Therapists also help with preparing children to testify in court with a mock courtroom that looks exactly like the county courtrooms. “We hope perpetrators get prosecuted, but that’s not our focus,” Kaitlin says. “Prosecution unfortunately doesn’t help much with healing—not as much as people think it will. Sometimes victims come back later for more help once they realize that unresolved trauma has not been dealt with.”

Non-offending family members need therapeutic help too. “About 90% of perpetrators are known to the victim. They are often a relative or partner of a caregiver, so family relationships are very challenged by this experience,” Kaitlin says. “There’s blaming, sometimes resenting the victim, for what happened to the whole family.”

According to executive director Jamie Rossow, the center’s goal is to expand the reach of its services and increase its staff to meet needs they know exist in every community of Southwest Michigan. As much as people don’t want to believe child sexual abuse occurs in their midst, Rossow says they help victims in all types of families, in all socio-economic groups, from all racial and ethnic backgrounds, in all kinds of neighborhoods.

“We are the only children’s advocacy center in our tri-county area,” Jamie says. “We want to make sure all children are able to receive the services they need and deserve.”

Learn more about what United Way of Southwest Michigan is doing in HEALTH at uwsm.org/health.

The center’s support dog, Pawnee, provides support to children and caregivers waiting for forensic interviews and is available to go to therapy sessions with children. A 60-pound Chocolate Labrador who is always on a leash and controlled by a handler, Pawnee loves to play with kids and provides distraction and comfort.

"The way it used to be—and still is in some places—there would be several interviews: first Child Protective Services did one, then law enforcement, then a nurse, then the prosecutor,” says Brook Thomas, a forensic interviewer and licensed clinical social worker at the center. "The process was oriented around the professionals involved, not what was best for the child.”

Hear from the women who do this amazing work for children in our community. Video by Josh Kirshman.

"All kids have a right to feel safe,” says Allie Kibler-Campbell, prevention and outreach specialist at the center. "If someone is making them feel unsafe or uncomfortable, they have the right to tell them that and to get away and talk to someone else about it. We teach kids they don’t have to keep secrets.”

Kaitlin Sieber, LMSW, a therapist at the center, says they use a type of treatment model called trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, which is heavily based on play therapy and art therapy. "We engage many different ways for kids to heal and learn to cope through that model,” Kaitlin says.

Classroom libraries set kids up for success, making avid readers early

Shipwrecks are a big deal to some kids. For one kindergarten boy at Sam Adams Elementary School in Cassopolis, the sinking of the Titanic is utterly fascinating. Another kindergarten boy at Justus Gage Elementary School in Dowagiac is riveted by the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald. They’re hungry to learn everything they can about these wrecks, and with the help of the United Way-funded Reading Now Network classroom libraries project in Cass County, both boys are getting their hands on books about them—and preparing to succeed in later grades and beyond as a result.

“Because he’s so interested in this topic and he’s enjoyed books about it, it’s helped him to open up to other books, and a love of reading is taking hold,” says Corey Sheets, the kindergartener’s teacher at Sam Adams.

For these young shipwreck aficionados, there aren’t a lot of books at their reading level about their beloved topic. No matter, says Kristin Ausra, the other kindergartener’s teacher at Justus Gage. There’s more than one way to learn how to read a book—through pictures, identifying sight words, and memorization from being read to—and that’s perfectly okay, she says. In fact, it should be encouraged, because it gets kids aiming high and reading—as best they’re able—beyond their level. It pushes them, through sheer enjoyment, to advance their reading skills.

For these and all kids, reading success starts early. It’s essential that kids in kindergarten to third grade are offered a plethora of options to satisfy their myriad interests—and that means well-stocked libraries in the classrooms. 

“It’s an equity issue, to have tons of choices,” Kristin says. “Students love options and deciding for themselves, rather than what a teacher says they have to do. This independence gives them so much control over what they are learning.”

Joining forces

The Reading Now Network classroom libraries project is a collective impact initiative funded by United Way of Southwest Michigan. Reading Now Network is a collective effort of school superintendents, school boards, and school districts throughout West Michigan that works to improve early literacy and student achievement across all grade levels.

Through this project, United Way of Southwest Michigan partnered with Lewis Cass Intermediate School District in Cass County, granting funds over three years to provide the resources needed to ensure access to well-stocked classroom libraries for students in kindergarten through third grade in Marcellus Community Schools, Edwardsburg Public Schools, Dowagiac Union Schools, and Cassopolis Public Schools. More than 80 classrooms and nearly 2,000 students are benefiting.

Classroom libraries are different than—and just as important as—main school libraries. Classroom libraries are accessible to kids all day. If a book they’ve chosen isn’t what they expected, they can change it out right away instead of waiting until the next library time. Also, classroom libraries are set up by themes and grouped by genres, in engaging ways that are integrated into their classroom environment, so the books are organized to be conducive to constant interaction with younger kids.

“Classroom libraries are key to promoting literacy and increasing student motivation, engagement, and achievement,” says Karen Thornburg, instructional specialist and early literacy coach for Lewis Cass Intermediate School District. “Creating a purposeful and effective classroom library exposes students to various genres, authors, topics, and levels of high-quality text rich in language and vocabulary. In turn, immersion in text deepens students’ knowledge of the world around them and builds capacity of literacy.”

“Books turn students into problem-solvers, analytical readers, and productive citizens,” Karen says. “With the right tools and scaffolding put into place, we set students up for success and create strong literate beings in Cass County—or wherever our kiddos land. We are shaping our future one book at a time with our classroom libraries initiative.”

The classroom libraries project is in its second year of implementation, and a second round of book ordering and delivery is underway. Kindergarten through third-grade classroom libraries grew by about 300 texts each during the first year, adding genres spanning five grade levels of text within each classroom. “You should always have books that are a range of levels, above and below. Kids never all fall at their grade level,” explains Corey.

“Sometimes kids get pigeonholed that ‘they’re not that type of reader yet’ and they struggle to get to the next level. But when they have choices, they get to own their reading experience and use what they already know to advance to learning new things,” says Kristin.

Book bonanza 

Now, with upwards of 800 books total per classroom, the libraries are becoming “like Barnes & Noble,” Kristin says. “We want the books to look nice and new so the kids will think they’re cool and interesting.”

“If they haven’t been in a preschool program, they haven’t seen these many books before,” she says. “They learn to respect books and use them. They learn what it means to be a reader.”

There was a major focus on adding nonfiction and informational genres last year. This year, there’s been more emphasis on adding books that teach social and emotional skills. For example, the teachers are ordering books on mindfulness, kindness, tolerance and acceptance, that everyone makes mistakes, habits of happy kids.

“The reality is that schools—teachers—are addressing not only academic needs but increasingly also social and emotional needs,” Kristin says. “We’re seeing kids who are struggling with empathy. We’re looking for books that help teach how to be a good human being.”

Books that reflect diversity will also be a priority because it’s important for kids to identify with the people they see in their books. “Not all of my students are Caucasian girls with blond hair and blue eyes. The characters should look like different children to keep all kids engaged in the reading,” Kristin says. “I’m also passionate about books that show women in math and science roles so girls will be able to picture themselves doing those things.”

Call to action

Books should be considered ongoing consumables, not infrequent capital investments, and without this project, teachers would be stocking their own classroom libraries out of their own pockets, according to Lauren Sheeley, assistant principal and response-to-intervention coordinator at Sam Adams. So Lewis Cass ISD is exploring options to keep the program ongoing.

Corey says, “This helps me to be a better teacher because I don’t have to spend my own money and worry about what books are in my library. This allows me to focus on my lessons and having fun with my kids.” He urges, ”You should never have books that are more than five years old. By the time this project ends, we’ll soon need new books again.”

Kristin agrees: “The most-loved books get worn out really quickly when you have little hands on them all day. So we have to replenish our libraries all the time.”

Lauren says their students are thriving because they have new relevant books that are encouraging them to learn what’s up and coming in the world as well as to grow their fluency and comprehension. “Everything changes quickly nowadays and the future will be very different for these kids, so we need to stay on top of that and be up-to-date to prepare them,” she says. “We want to help them achieve their dreams and we need the right books to do that.”

Learn more about what United Way of Southwest Michigan is doing in EDUCATION at uwsm.org/education.

"Classroom libraries are key to promoting literacy and increasing student motivation, engagement, and achievement,” says Karen Thornburg, instructional specialist and early literacy coach for Lewis Cass Intermediate School District.

"Books turn students into problem-solvers, analytical readers, and productive citizens,” Karen says. "With the right tools and scaffolding put into place, we set students up for success and create strong literate beings in Cass County—or wherever our kiddos land.”

"Because he’s so interested in this topic and he’s enjoyed books about it, it’s helped him to open up to other books, and a love of reading is taking hold,” Corey says.

See classroom libraries in action and hear from the teachers. Video by Josh Kirshman.

"This helps me to be a better teacher because I don’t have to spend my own money and worry about what books are in my library. This allows me to focus on my lessons and having fun with my kids,” says Corey Sheets, kindergarten teacher at Sam Adams Elementary School in Cassopolis.

"It’s an equity issue, to have tons of choices,” says Kristin Ausra, kindergarten teacher at Justus Gage Elementary School in Dowagiac. "Students love options and deciding for themselves, rather than what a teacher says they have to do. This independence gives them so much control over what they are learning.”

“There’s a light at the end of the tunnel.”

"Everything we ask of Jami—she’s just been a darling,” Sue says. “If she doesn’t know the answer, she’ll find out. She’s getting us where we need to be, thankfully. She gives us hope.”

Sue Ulam is a doting 74-year-old grandmother who was thrilled when her daughter and six grandchildren—ages 3 to 15—moved into her Bangor home. Sue’s husband died a year ago, and she was eager to surround herself with the loving company of her family.

“The kids are, needless to say, a handful, but I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Sue says. “It’s not quiet, but it’s nice.”

But crisis struck just a few months into this transition when Sue’s water service was cut off because she was behind on paying her water bill. The recent loss of her husband’s income was putting a big strain on Sue’s budget and she owed $1,450, including late fees and penalties, for water service. Their household of eight went without water for a month and a half—and they were also struggling to afford groceries. Sue was desperate and didn’t know what to do. So she called Senior Services of Van Buren County. 

Ray of help

Based in South Haven, Senior Services of Van Buren County provides professional services and caring support for seniors in Van Buren to enhance their quality of life and living situations. 

“We match seniors up with necessary services, assess their needs, make sure their home is safe,” says Diane Rigozzi, executive director. “If we don’t offer the exact service, we refer them to the organization that does and follow up to make sure they get it.”

Its Care Watch program, funded by United Way, sends trained, professional care managers to home-bound seniors to help with anything they need—calling, visiting, figuring out Medicare and Medicaid, connecting them with food assistance and medical equipment, assessing mental health issues, and arranging for handicap ramps and medical transportation.

“We do as much as we can,” says Care Watch care manager Jami Branson. “Once I went to a lady’s house and set up her cable. So it can be something like that to ‘I have no electricity tomorrow.’”

In addition to Care Watch, Senior Services of Van Buren County also offers an affordable, private-pay, in-home care service, which is not skilled nursing but rather assistance with housework and errands as well as companionship—at a low rate per hour since the service is partially subsidized. The organization also sends out one food truck a month that rotates to different spots throughout the county and provides emergency assistance for utilities in cases such as Sue’s.

Jami worked to get water service restored to Sue’s home—but it wasn’t so simple. After all, change doesn’t happen alone.

Beacon of hope

Sue had first reached out for help to St. Vincent de Paul Sacred Heart Church in Bangor. The church was able to contribute $350 to the outstanding balance on Sue’s water bill—and put hot meals on Sue’s table. But she still owed $1,100.

Jami from Care Watch worked with Sue to fill out a State Emergency Relief application through the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, which offered to pay $175 toward the bill. However, DHHS would not make that payment until only that portion remained on the bill. Senior Services of Van Buren County contributed $350 to the bill. Jami got the City of Bangor to remove most of the fees from Sue’s bill, and United Christian Services, another United Way-funded organization, to pay the remainder of a little over $250. Sue’s water service was restored in time for Thanksgiving. Jami also got Sue approved for SNAP benefits to address their food insecurity. 

Sue’s problems aren’t over, however. She suffered a stroke this winter, is using a wheelchair and an oxygen tank, and needs 24-hour home healthcare. Her daughter lost her job and is now Sue’s full-time caregiver. “I know how hard it is,” Sue says of her daughter’s responsibility for her. “I was my husband’s caregiver, so I know.”

“I’ve reached out to Area Agency on Aging [also a United Way-funded partner] about a program that pays a family member to be your care provider,” Jami says, which would make a big difference for the Ulams who are all living on Sue’s social security income. Because of the poor condition of their house, Jami is applying for USDA rural housing grants for repairs. Jami is also working with Sue to connect her with additional food and clothes for the kids.

“Everything we ask of Jami—she’s just been a darling,” Sue says. “If she doesn’t know the answer, she’ll find out. She’s getting us where we need to be, thankfully. She gives us hope.”

“There’s a light at the end of the tunnel,” says Sue. “Somebody out there really does care.”

Learn more about the work United Way of Southwest Michigan is doing in BASIC NEEDS at uwsm.org/basic-needs.

Listen to Sue tell her own story. Video by Josh Kirshman.

"The kids are, needless to say, a handful, but I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Sue says. “It’s not quiet, but it’s nice.”

“Somebody out there really does care.”

— Sue Ulam, Van Buren senior

"I know how hard it is,” Sue says of her daughter’s responsibility for her. “I was my husband’s caregiver, so I know.”

Photos by Ashley Tenter

Alternative high school bridges gap for students facing barriers

"Destiny never lost sight of her goal, and we kept showing up and reaching out to her,” says Allie Knapp, director of Bridge Academy. "Once she was able to commit, we were here for her.”

Foster kid. Teen mom. School dropout. Any one of those challenges is hard. But 17-year-old Destiny, a soon-to-be GED graduate at Benton Harbor’s Bridge Academy, isn’t letting all three stop her from pursuing a career in nursing and giving her 3-year-old son, Remi, a better start in life than she got.

Destiny was born and raised in Paw Paw. Her mom struggled with addiction and wasn’t able to provide stable housing. Her dad wasn’t in the picture. “We were doing things we shouldn’t have,” Destiny says of herself and her sisters. “But we didn’t have people to show us what to do.” Shortly after Destiny was put in foster care, she found out she was pregnant. She quit school in eighth grade.

Not long after Remi was born, Destiny learned about Bridge Academy, where her son’s father was taking classes, and she started going there too. “My son matured me a lot,” she says—and it made her want more for herself and for him. “Remi was the motivator to come back and get my education.”

Kick-start studies

Bridge Academy, a United Way-funded partner, is an alternative public high school, where students can earn their GED or high school diploma. Bridge Academy also offers vocational training in certified nurse assisting, pre-apprentice construction, and retail. 

“Traditional school didn’t work out for me,” Destiny says. “When you’re a teen parent, you can’t really do traditional hours. And the classes there are big, but here at Bridge Academy, teachers can focus on you more when you need help because there are not as many kids.”

Destiny has been enrolled at Bridge Academy for three years, but has only been going consistently for the last year. “Before, I was having trouble getting transportation and babysitters,” she explains.

Through a program for former foster kids at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Destiny was able to qualify for a small grant to buy a car. Then, with the help of child care assistance from the state, she was able to enroll her son in daycare at Lake Michigan College.

Now, with those issues resolved, Destiny is on a roll. “Once I got this stability, there was nothing holding me back and I could focus on school,” she says. She has passed three of the four tests to receive her GED. With the help of interview preparation with a success coach at Bridge Academy, she recently landed her first job as a cook and cashier at Sonic Drive-In in Benton Harbor. The income will enable her to move out of the home of family friends and into subsidized housing for herself and her son.

On track to complete her GED this winter, Destiny plans to immediately start a certified nurse assistant program at Bridge Academy. After finishing this accelerated four-week course, she hopes to get a job in that field and then likely go on to Lake Michigan College to continue studies in nursing—a field that has interested her since she was a little kid. Her end goal is to become a nurse anesthetist—a smart choice since that medical specialty is experiencing strong employment growth.

Stay the course

The Bridge Academy is run by Michigan Works! Berrien, Cass, Van Buren—a subsidiary of Kinexus Group—and in partnership with Berrien Springs Public Schools. Kinexus is a Benton Harbor-based nonprofit that develops solutions to economic challenges and seeks to create thriving businesses and competitive workforce talent. Michigan Works! is part of a statewide network of workforce development boards that specializes in educating, training, and employing individuals of all ages by working with local businesses to help them attract and retain talent.  

Students at Bridge Academy work closely with a Kinexus specialist who supports them throughout the vocational training process and helps them learn more about potential employment options in the community. Students have the opportunity to apply their studies and training through working with employers in the community.

“This community has so much to offer when it comes to education, but some students get left behind,” says Allie Knapp, Bridge Academy’s director. “We want Bridge Academy to be the in-between, the safety net that supports students who have fallen off the radar in a traditional school sense. Our typical student wasn’t thriving in a traditional setting because of certain barriers in their lives—kids who are trying to find their place in the midst of a lot of chaos. With the resources we have at Bridge Academy and in the surrounding community, those barriers are all manageable.”

Change doesn’t happen alone, and for Destiny and other students at Bridge Academy, having multiple forms of academic and job support—and even other agency offices, such as Department of Health and Human Services—in the same Kinexus building makes a big difference. “There are so many touchpoints to leverage here,” Allie says.

“Destiny never lost sight of her goal, and we kept showing up and reaching out to her. Once she was able to commit, we were here for her,” Allie says. “Nothing is too big a challenge for Destiny. I’m so excited to watch where she’ll go from here.”

Had Destiny stayed in a traditional school, she would have graduated in 2020. With the help of Bridge Academy, she’s still on schedule to reach where she deserves to be.

Learn more about the work United Way of Southwest Michigan is doing in INCOME at uwsm.org/income.

Listen to Destiny tell her story in her own words. Video by Josh Kirshman.

Now that her transportation and daycare issues are resolved, Destiny is on a roll. "Once I got this stability, there was nothing holding me back and I could focus on school,” she says.

"Traditional school didn’t work out for me,” Destiny says. "When you’re a teen parent, you can’t really do traditional hours. And the classes there are big, but here at Bridge Academy, teachers can focus on you more when you need help because there are not as many kids.”

"My son matured me a lot,” Destiny says. "Remi was the motivator to come back and get my education.”

"Nothing is too big a challenge for Destiny,” Allie says. "I’m so excited to watch where she’ll go from here.”

Photos by Ashley Tenter