Out of the Shadows: ASK and Children’s Mental Health Awareness

by Kellie Cochrane

I had the good fortune to spend some time at Advocacy Services for Kids (ASK) this afternoon.  ASK helps parents navigate the often challenging children’s mental health system and also teaches parents how to best support and advocate for their child in a variety of situations.  We’re honored that ASK will be our May feature story on our website.

May 5-11 is National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week, and this year’s theme is Out of the Shadows: Exposing Stigma.

“Exposing stigma is a topic that is very near and dear to our hearts here at ASK,” says Youth Involvement Coordinator, Krissy Dristy.  ”We’re always working toward eliminating stigma for families and children in regards to receiving help for mental health, we want everyone to be able to be happy and healthy.”

In 2010, the National Alliance on Mental Illness reported that only 20% of children and adolescents with mental disorders would receive treatment.  Lack of mental health resources often leads to failure in school, criminal activity, and, in come cases, suicide.  Organizations like ASK are working to make sure the necessary resources are available to all families struggling with mental health issues.

At United Way, we also believe all families deserve every opportunity to live their best life.  So I encourage you to check out ASK or the National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health to find out more about how you can help eliminate stigma.

Staff Leaders Conference

by United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region

Posted on behalf of Rick Chambers

 I want to share my perspective on the recent United Way Worldwide Staff Leadership Conference in Indianapolis. And I’ll start by pointing to the stars.

There’s an incredible episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine titled “The Visitor”—don’t watch it without tissues nearby; you’ve been warned! The main character, Ben Sisko, counsels his aspiring-writer son, Jake, to find a balance between his writing and reality:

“I’m no writer, but if I were, it seems to me I’d want to poke my head up every once in awhile and take a look around, see what’s going on. It’s life, Jake! You can miss it if you don’t open your eyes.”

That quote neatly sums up the value of the Staff Leadership Conference. It was an opportunity to poke our heads up from the day-to-day work of United Way—as valuable as that work is!—and consider the greater impact of our collective efforts:

Children learning to read and reading to learn.

Families achieving financial stability.

Communities with access to quality health care.

And on and on….

True, SLC spent plenty of time on the details of fundraising, relationship building and broad-based partnerships. But it was the stories that stood out, whether it was the familiar tale of Verona Elementary (adroitly delivered by Jennifer Nottingham) or the advances in collective impact happening in places like Salt Lake City and Kansas City.

For me, that was the takeaway. The work that each of you does every day goes far beyond the work itself. You are writing a powerful story! You are changing lives!

Attending SLC with the singular goal of learning new ways to work is a bit like reading The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes just to find out how the Brits spell words. There’s some value in that, but it misses a much bigger and meaningful picture.

During one of the general sessions, Principal Salome Thomas-El, author of I Choose To Stay, quoted Maya Angelou: “People don’t remember what you do. People don’t remember what you say. But people will remember how you made them feel.” What sets United Way apart is that it covers all three of those metrics—and leaves our community forever remembering how you changed the story.

And that really is life!

Youth Day of Caring 2013

by Kellie Cochrane

On Friday April, 26, nearly 500 students from across Battle Creek reported to Full Blast Water Park where they headed into the community for a day of volunteering.  The effort is an annual United Way HandsOn event during national volunteer week called Youth Day of Caring.  This year’s event was the largest yet, with more students and agencies participating than ever before.

Youth Day of Caring brings together students from all of the area schools for both the planning and the execution of the event.  A committee of students, with representation from each school, starts meeting in the winter to plan everything from a venue to approving the projects.  Nonprofit agencies across Calhoun County provide volunteering opportunities, and also give tours of their site and explain their organization’s mission to the students.

Projects include a wide range of activities, from landscaping to reading to children, the students are all assigned to projects that allow them to give back to their community.  Students are assigned to the projects at random, so they’re able to meet and mingle with students from different schools.  Each school provided staff members to help assist in supervision, and everyone pitched in and had a lot of fun.

After the projects were wrapped up, the students came back to Full Blast for lunch and to reflect on their day.  United Way President and CEO Mike Larson addressed the students to thank them for their hard work, telling them: “Whether you believe it or not, you’ve really made a difference in our community today.”

Students also heard from retired Col. Frank Walker, who spoke passionately about his love for the Battle Creek community and his pride in seeing the next generation step up to take care of it.  Before leaving for the day, students wrote down reflections from the day on Post-it Notes to post on the walls for everyone to see.  We were truly inspired by this group of young people who clearly know what it means to LIVE UNITED.

For more information or pictures from Youth Day of Caring, check out the Facebook page!

Thank You

by United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region

A community is woven from the threads of stories.

Most people don’t see it.  They see a world spinning upon data, dogma and dispute.  But the truth is, each of us pens our life’s saga, and collectively we author a broader narrative.  That gives us the power to transform our community when we write that story together.

Consider the tale of Aracely.  Her mother, Fanny, describes the preschooler as a candle, fueled by a passion for   learning and new experiences.  Take the fuel away — as was Fanny’s plight in her youth — and the flame would die.  Instead, through the Kalamazoo County Ready 4′s initiative and the Learning Village, Aracely is learning and growing, preparing for kindergarten and for everything else the future offers.

“Her candle will burn long and bright, and that’s all any parent can ask for,” says Fanny.

Then there’s the tale of Charmica.  It’s a story that any of us could experience — job loss, homelessness, isolation.  Into her story stepped the Women’s Co-op of Battle Creek, making it possible to earn her GED, attend college and secure a place to live.  

“Today I’m studying for my nursing boars, and I actively participate with the Co-op in helping others,” Charmica says.

Two stories.  Two chronicles that might have ended differently if not for those willing to help rewrite their narratives.

United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region is proud to support these efforts — and grateful for the generosity, compassion and involvement of donors, volunteers and partners like you.

With our 2012 Campaign coming to a close, we celebrate not merely numbers, but lives transformed.

Of the changing story of our regional community.

And of you, the authors of a truly epic tale.

Sincerely,

Mike Larson, President and CEO and Chris Sargent, Executive Vice President and COO

Helping to Change the Story: Mark Zigterman

by Kierstin Nall

After ten months of unemployment, Mark Zigterman was contacted by a temp agency about an opening at United Way. While he didn’t know it at the time, it would be the beginning of a new journey. Filled with a renewed sense of hope, Mark began his new job at United Way in January 2006 as a Finance Assistant.

Living as “middle class” in the region since the 1980’s allowed Mark to live a blinded life. “You don’t often know how big the problems actually are. We don’t always tend to think about those that are struggling,” says Mark of his life before United Way. “I always knew about United Way. I knew that they were a good organization, but I was never really involved.”

Through his employment, Mark began to learn more about the role United Way plays in the community. “We don’t just fund organizations, we support programs. We provide leadership, accountability and expertise while focusing on the most important issues.” Mark is happy to work for an organization that focuses on the three pillars that he believes are tied to one another: Education, Income and Health. “If a family is dealing with health or financial issues, they cannot focus on education.” Mark comes from a family of educators and fully believes in the work and mission of United Way: To advance the common good by creating a better life for all.

Today, as a Senior Accountant at United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region, Mark works his magic with numbers to ensure United Way’s accounting records are accurate and monitors financial procedures and internal controls. He works hard to ensure United Way can be as effective as possible and he is taking on new roles, such as grant accounting.

“I get up every morning, and I enjoy coming to work. I have a passion for accounting, and I know I am helping make a difference in this region with every number I crunch and spreadsheet I create.”

United Way continues to be successful because of the dedicated employees, volunteers and partners, like Mark. Mark is helping change the story.

Greater Collaboration Provides a Great Start

by United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region

Posted on behalf of Denise Hartsough, Director of Community Investment

Visit www.changethestory.org to learn more about the work we are doing in Education.

At United Way, we believe that positive, nurturing early childhood experiences are vital to creating a thriving community, so that our children are able to begin their journey strong and continue to succeed. We know that when we invest in children from the beginning, we can prevent a great deal of hardship later in their lives and make our community stronger. This is why United Way actively engages in the work of the Kalamazoo County Great Start Collaborative.  I am privileged to support the Great Start Collaborative’s efforts around early care and education, and parenting education and support.

The Kalamazoo County Great Start Collaborative aims to “assure a coordinated system of community resources and supports to help all Kalamazoo County families provide a great start for their children from birth to age five” (www.kalamazoogreatstartcollaborative.org). That system includes home visiting for families of children ages 0-3, and high-quality pre-kindergarten for 4-year olds.  I am excited to announce that a new grant will strengthen the system by offering scholarships for high-quality care and education for 3-year olds.  Consumers Energy has awarded $20,000 to help families of 3-year-olds in our community. Children with a scholarship for  high-quality care and education at age 3 will then move to a high-quality preK program when they are 4 years old–Head Start, state-funded preschool, or a Kalamazoo County Ready 4s provider.  Two years in high-quality programs will give participating children a great start as they head into kindergarten!

The Great Start Collaborative is partnering with Child Care Resources for this scholarship program.  Child Care Resources serves as the fiduciary of the grant and will disburse the funds directly to the early care and education providers.  Eligible families who receive the scholarship will choose from providers rated at the four or five star level in the state-wide Great Start to Quality rating system.

I am happy to have been able to help strengthen the early childhood system in our community by writing this grant with staff from the Great Start Collaborative and Child Care Resources. This is yet another example of how well our community collaborates for positive change.

To learn more about United Way, and our work on Education, Income and Health in the region, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @LIVEUNITEDbckr.

DRIVE UNITED: How Local Auto Dealers Partnered to Advance the Common Good

by Kellie Cochrane

Posted on behalf of Rick Chambers, Rick Chambers & Associates 

Sweepstakes winner, Terri Musolff, picking out her new car

The automobile sales industry is one of the most competitive on Earth. With production costs rising and personal income stagnant or declining, every sale matters. As a result, dealers work hard to distinguish their businesses from their peers.

Yet 11 Michigan auto dealers in Battle Creek and Kalamazoo put their rivalries in the back seat during the recent United Way campaign. Those dealerships, along with the Kellogg Community Federal Credit Union, pitched in a total of $30,000 to support a car sweepstakes as an incentive for people to contribute to the campaign.

“I was amazed by this partnership,” said Mike Larson, President and CEO of the United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region (UWBCKR). “The dealers were enthusiastic supporters. They wanted to do everything they could to enhance the campaign and benefit the community.”

By co-sponsoring the sweepstakes – over and above their normal United Way contributions – the dealers offered a vehicle of choice up to $30,000 to the grand prize winner. Donors who gave to United Way for the first time or who increased their gift by at least $50 over the previous year were automatically entered in the drawing; others used our website to enter.

While incentive sweepstakes have been held before in conjunction with United Way campaigns, this was the first to cover the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek region collectively. Dealers displayed vehicles at 59 different locations, often in conjunction with campaigns at local businesses. Marketing and information materials highlighted the partnership and the dealerships involved. In all, more than 80,000 working adults were exposed to the effort.

The promotion made a difference: 10,987 donors qualified for the drawing, contributing a total exceeding $1.4 million. In December 2012, long-time United Way donor Terri Musolff, an employee at Kazoo Inc./Edwards Garment, won the vehicle of her choice.

Two of the sponsoring dealers said the collaboration was fun and beneficial to their communities.

Added Jeff DeNooyer, President of Metro Toyota in Kalamazoo and a UWBCKR board member, “It’s what United Way and its slogan, LIVE UNITED, is all about. I’m glad that all the participating dealers were able to demonstrate the power of partnership.”

Organizations that supported the sweepstakes were the following:

Maple Hill Auto Group

Kellogg Community Federal Credit Union

Cole Nissan Cadillac GMC Buick

Seelye Wright Automotive Group

Henkel Chrysler Jeep Dodge

Orrin B. Hayes Inc. Jeep/Mercedes-Benz/Mazda

Lakeview Ford

Zeigler Automotive Group

DeNooyer Chevrolet

Metro Toyota

Heritage Chevrolet

Sunshine Toyota

 

United Way: A Year-round Commitment

by United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region

Posted on behalf of Christopher Riker, Director of Marketing &
Communications at the United Way of the Battle Creek & Kalamazoo
Region

There are a lot of responsibilities that only interrupt us once a year: renewing license tags, spring cleaning, and if you’re not an accountant, taxes.  Our responsibility to our community, however, must be an ongoing commitment.  There is no time or season more important than another, and the work is never truly done.  We’re on a mission to constantly improve the quality of life within our region.

That’s the perspective of United Way. Our role goes beyond the outdated image of a once-a-year fundraiser. We partner across all sectors to create opportunities for a better life for all.  People in our community don’t stop caring because the workplace campaign has ended, and we are inspired by the volunteers who are driven by passion rather than a calendar.

There are more than 1,800 independent and autonomous United Way’s around the world, and the very best are having ongoing conversations across all sectors to address real, relevant issues and advancing the common good for all.

Our vision for our community is big: that all students enter school ready to learn and graduate, that families have a stable income, and everyone has access to quality healthcare.  Working together is the only way to realize that vision.

We have an opportunity to do more and the responsibility to do better. Collectively we can do more than anyone can do individually. As we look forward to 2013, let’s unite and work together to build the strongest, healthiest and most vibrant region possible.

Creating Opportunities Through Reading

by Kellie Cochrane

Nyekah Guest is the mother of 6 year old Nizjaylah Guest, a student enrolled in the Verona Early Grade Reading Pilot Program.

I’ve always been impressed by the great work being done through the Early Grade Reading Pilot Program at Verona Elementary School in Battle Creek.

But it’s much more powerful to actually see the excitement the children had for reading.

Last week Thursday, I joined several families for Verona’s Literacy Night. I saw first-hand that this program has achieved more than just better reading scores; it has brought hope to many families.

The numbers themselves tell a story of progress: Kindergarten students went from 5 percent reading at the proficient level or higher to 71 percent in a single year. Incredibly, more than half of the children were reading at an advanced level – higher than grade level.

That alone is impressive. Beyond that, I was inspired to see all of the families, many of whom had toddlers and other siblings in tow, who had taken time out of their night to come and support the program and their children.

Take six-year-old Nizjaylah Guest. She was never interested in reading before the program.  When her mother, Nyekah, would try an engage her with books, she would refuse.  Nyekah says the most winning component of the program for their family has been Razz Kids.  Razz Kids is the online counterpart to what the children are learning in school. Nyekah says it made reading more than “just a school thing” for Nizajaylah. “It’s in our home and it’s fun for her.”

Sharing in the Literacy Night experience made me realize that this program is about much more than helping children read proficiently; it’s about engaging parents, teachers and community members to set those kids on a path toward success. The children at Verona – and now Coburn, where the program is expanding – are being empowered to take charge of their education, which creates opportunities to change their lives for the better.

United Way: Why Partnering Matters

by United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region

Posted on behalf of Christopher Riker, Director of Marketing &
Communications at the United Way of the Battle Creek & Kalamazoo
Region

As the saying goes, “Nothing ever changes until somebody motivates a critical mass of the right people to commit to change.”

It’s a good saying – and it happens to be true.

The need for change is immense. You don’t have to look far to find troubling statistics on school readiness and achievement, children and families in poverty, and individuals and families struggling to gain access to high quality and affordable healthcare.

The first step in summoning real, lasting, community-wide change is acknowledging the reality of the needs. This requires open, honest and inclusive conversations as well as coming together to organize and mobilize efforts and resources in effective, strategic ways. That’s how we collectively create meaningful change.

To take that first step, people must recognize that money alone is not the answer. If it were, we would have “fixed things” by now. We live, work, play and innovate in a region that is home to extraordinarily generous companies, foundations, nonprofits and individuals. That’s a critical part of the mix. Beyond that, transforming the community
requires all of us to have shared goals, awareness and commitment to working together to achieve success.

The good news is, United Way has always partnered across all sectors to identify the greatest needs in the community, define their root causes, and mobilize human and financial resources to accelerate change and advance the common good for all. Even better, we’ve succeeded because so many in our greater community have been willing to partner as well.

That’s the call to action I want to make today. Each person’s willingness to provide the “critical mass” to bring about change is crucial to achieving specific goals in the areas of EDUCATION, INCOME and HEALTH. Our collective success hinges on our ability to continue and grow these partnerships.

We all win when a child realizes his or her full potential.  We all win when individuals and families have enough income to support themselves through retirement. We all win when individuals and families have access to high quality and affordable healthcare.

If you’re already engaged, thank you! If you’re looking for the opportunity to join us, welcome aboard! To LIVE UNITED, you can GIVE, you can ADVOCATE and you can VOLUNTEER. I look forward to showing you how! Please email information@uwbckr.org