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Community investment panel members are needed! |
United Way of the Lakeshore is focused on three priority areas that we believe are essential building blocks for a great life: Education, Income Stability, and Health. Our approach is unique because we invest in programs that meet a need, achieve results, and are good stewards of resources. Volunteers, who are donors and leaders, review and assess programs to determine funding for United Way Partner Programs. Each year, people across our community benefit from programs and initiatives made possible through generous contributions.
We provide annual grants through a competitive proposal process to high-performing organizations that address our community's most pressing needs. All grant applications are assessed through a community-led review process, in which dedicated volunteers evaluate and identify the local collaborations and approaches that can create a lasting impact.
Help determine how United Way dollars are invested this year! On an annual basis, United Way provides funding to local programs that have proven their effectiveness. Through a process we call Community Investment, donor volunteers lead the review of funding requests, program outcomes, financial data, and past performance.
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No one loves filing taxes, right? But this year, it’s easier than ever if you use MyFreeTaxes.com. |
Provided by United Way, MyFreeTaxes is an online tax filing program that helps people file their taxes for free while getting the assistance they need. You can easily access MyFreeTaxes.com from your computer, a mobile phone or tablet and can file federal and unlimited state returns. Did we mention this service is free?
The secure software walks you through the filing process and screens for common tax deductions and credits you may be eligible for, like the Earned Income Tax Credit or the Child Tax Credit. You can also use MyFreeTaxes to claim missed stimulus payments. That’s part of our effort to make sure you get back every penny possible. If you need help, use the helpline to talk to a real person trained by the IRS.
People say doing your taxes is a chore. Prove them wrong. MyFreeTaxes is fast. It’s easy. You can do it from anywhere: your phone, tablet, or laptop. You can start on one device, and finish on another. And it’s free!
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Point In Time Count Update - Results coming soon! |
This week, the Muskegon County Homeless Continuum of Care hosted 28 community volunteers to conduct the Point In Time (PIT) Count of homeless individuals in our community. These volunteers gathered at Fresh Coast Alliance and hit the streets in teams at 8:00 PM. Many have asked why the count is held so late at night. For the PIT Count, our community must count the number of homeless individuals who are “sheltered” and “unsheltered.”
Sheltered - A homeless individual that resides in an emergency shelter.
Unsheltered - A homeless individual that resides in a place not meant for human habitation such as cars, parks, tents, sidewalks, or abandoned buildings.
During the day, unsheltered individuals are often not staying at their sleep site. This makes it difficult to get an accurate count during the day.
We cannot thank the volunteers enough for their hard work. This information is important for (1) service planning; (2) demonstrating a need for resources for grant applications; (3) raising public awareness about the issue of homelessness; (4) accurately measuring and identifying the needs of populations that are the hardest to serve (chronically homeless); and (5) measuring our performance in eliminating homelessness. The results will be released for this survey by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Stay tuned!
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Advocacy Corner! The earned income tax credit & the child tax credit |
The expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC) has had an enormous impact for many families - cutting child poverty nearly in half, reducing food insecurity, and helping families pay for basic necessities like food, rent, and diapers. But Congress has let the enhanced CTC expire, and we are now seeing these gains reversed. There is a federal advocacy push to get the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit extensions included in Congress’ anticipated end-of-year budget bill. Join us in fighting for these policies to support children and workers – and to make sure any final year-end package includes these extensions. We have created a toolkit that has sample social media posts and other resources. Help join us! |
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Over 100 case managers attend implicit bias training! |
On Thursday, January 26, United Way hosted and helped to facilitate an implicit bias training at the annual Case Managers Resource Network Forum. With over 100 in attendance, presenter Kenneth James, Chief Diversity Officer with Muskegon Community College, went on to educate and inspire those in attendance on the topic. “Biases start early, and everyone is prone to biases,” shared James. During the training, participants learned more about implicit bias, how to combat it, and how to continue to tackle it moving forward. The training was also intended to help build a better cultural workplace. For Michigan healthcare professionals, this training fulfilled the State of Michigan requirements for Implicit Bias training. All participants were provided with a certificate of completion at the end of the course.
More about Kenneth James:
With nearly three decades of experience spanning many industries, including non-profit, health care, and higher education, Ken is driven by his passion for initiating cross-cultural dialogue and advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion. As Chief Diversity Officer for Muskegon Community College, he combined his knowledge and lived experiences to deliver creative, intentional programs to students, faculty/staff, community members, and businesses. Kenneth can be reached at kenneth.james@muskegoncc.edu for any group interested in hosting this valuable training.
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Our 2022-23 Community Campaign is underway and our companies are boosting employee morale by having fun and raising money to support the community where they live, work, and play! A big thanks to our partners who are currently running their Workplace Campaign!
Interested in boosting employee morale while supporting your community? There is still time to host a Workplace Campaign as part of our 2022-23 Community Campaign, which has a goal of raising $2.2 million to support our neighbors in need across the Lakeshore! Contact J.J. Lewis at (231) 332-4007 or james@unitedwaylakeshore.org to learn more!
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Mission United Steering Committee: Mission United is looking for volunteers who would like to sit on their steering committee for the 2023 year. These members will help with directional oversight of veteran programming with United Way, and help recruit and plan events like our Memorial Day clean-ups, and Veterans Day activities. If you are interested and would like to find out more, sign up with the button below!
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According to the ALICE Report, a family of 2 children and 2 adults living in the Lakeshore region need to budget $738 a month for housing to meet the ALICE Household Survival Budget. This budget is the minimum estimate of the total cost of household essentials - housing, child care, food, transportation, health care, and a smartphone plan, plus taxes and a miscellaneous contingency fund equal to 10% of the budget. Find out more at: https://www.unitedforalice.org/household-budgets-mobile/michigan
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Stay Up To Date On Social Media! |
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Get the updates that you WANT & not the ones you don't. Use the "Update Profile" link at the bottom of this email to subscribe or unsubscribe from our various mailing lists! This allows you to keep in the know about topics that are important to you. |
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