Help Us Honor Our Grandest Heroes! Nominate A Volunteer Or Workplace Today!
They are your neighbors, your friends, and your coworkers. They sit in our classrooms. They bag your groceries or work in our factories. People who carry on with their daily lives while at the same time touching the lives of others. The person who faces adversity and is inspired to help others. The person who devotes themselves to make life better for someone else. They are the EVERYDAY HEROES who make our Lakeshore a better place to live, work, and play.

Each year, United Way of the Lakeshore honors the everyday heroes that live and work among us. Help us recognize these unsung heroes by nominating an adult, retiree, young professional, or youth for our Everyday Hero Award. These awards will be given out at the Live United Heroes Celebration this spring. Nominate someone from within your organization or community that you believe is an Everyday Hero. We will be recognizing individuals that serve in either Muskegon, Newaygo, or Oceana counties whose extraordinarily selfless acts set them apart. 
Coffee & Conversations Was A Hit! Thank You To Our Panelists For Joining Us!
Wednesday, we held our first Coffee & Conversation. Expert panelists from Community enCompass, Dogwood Community Development, Muskegon Continuum of Care, and TrueNorth Services joined us to answer questions about the current conditions of homelessness and housing on the lakeshore. We would like to thank our special guests Kim Leavell, Miranda Paggeot, Lisa Reinecke, Kittie Tuinstra, and our moderator, Rachel Gorman, for an excellent discussion. See an expert from Kittie, Executive Director of Dogwood Community Development by clicking the video below!
Mark your calendars! The next Coffee & Conversation will be on April 26!
United Way of the Lakeshore Celebrates Workplace Champions
Last Friday, United Way of the Lakeshore hosted our annual Employee Campaign Coordinator Appreciation Breakfast. This thank you event for Employee Campaign Coordinators (AKA Workplace Champions) was hosted at United Way to celebrate our workplace campaign leads from all of the companies who host workplace campaigns to support the work of United Way. A special thank you to Lakeshore Employee Benefits and Aflac for sponsoring our appreciation breakfast. A special thank you to our guest speakers who were featured in our 2022-23 campaign video from Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Lakeshore, Catholic Charities West Michigan, and Muskegon YMCA!
 
If you would like to learn more about hosting a workplace campaign, please reach out to J.J. Lewis, Chief Development Officer, at (231) 332-4007 or james@unitedwaylakeshore.org. Thank YOU to all who give their time, talent, and treasure through United Way to positively impact the lives of those who live, work, and play on the Lakeshore!
Appreciation Card Student Art Contest Update
Calling all artists! United Way of the Lakeshore is looking for a beautiful design for our 2023 donor and volunteer appreciation cards, and we want to feature art from a local student! The deadline for submissions is EXTENDED to 5 pm on Wednesday, March 22. The winning artwork will be featured on our 2023 donor and volunteer appreciation cards and the artist will receive a special United Way gift!

A friendly reminder on the rules:

  • Students in grades PreK-12 at any public or private school in Muskegon, Newaygo, and Oceana are invited to participate.
  • Artwork should reflect the theme “Better Together” – as we are Better Together when we come together to support our community.
  • All submissions should be submitted as a high-quality image (JPG, PNG, or PDF) of the original art. Please do not mail any original artwork.
  • Submissions should be emailed to J.J. Lewis, Chief Development Officer, at james@unitedwaylakeshore.org no later than 5 pm on Wednesday, March 22.
  • Three (3) winners will be selected, one (1) per county.
  • Be creative! Have fun!
As the war in Ukraine reaches its one-year mark, United Way Worldwide and its partners continue to provide short- and long-term relief to those who've fled their homeland. In the first six months, United Ways in Hungary, Romania, Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands gave life-changing support to more than 131,000 refugees, mostly women, and children. Learn more about UWW's impact in the new United For Ukraine Impact Report with the button below.
United Way Events: 
Mar. 1 - Beards for Books Kickoff!
Beards for Books is Seeking Champions! - We want you … to put your beard on the line! Do you have, or do you know someone who has, a beard and is willing to put it on the line for literacy? Grow a beard to support our littlest readers and join our Beards for Books challenge, which runs Wednesday, March 1 through Friday, March 31. The Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in Muskegon, Oceana, and Newaygo counties helps our children prepare for kindergarten by delivering books right to their door, and our Beards for Books challenge raises funds to ensure children across the Lakeshore have access to a free, age-appropriate book every month from birth through age 5.
Our 2022-23 Community Campaign is quickly coming to a close and our companies are boosting employee morale by having fun and raising money to support the community where they live, work, and play! As of today, we have reached 83% of our goal! A big thanks to our partners who are currently running their Workplace Campaign and to all those who have supported our 2022-23 Community Campaign!
 
Interested in making a gift to support your community and help us reach our goal? Visit us online and make your gift today! Interested in other ways to support our 2022-23 Community Campaign? Contact J.J. Lewis at (231) 332-4007 or james@unitedwaylakeshore.org to explore how!
When you check off the “United Way Fund” on your Michigan State Income Tax Form, you’re ensuring that families in your community have access to a better education, become healthier and stay financially stable, AND that your community receives 100% of every dollar that is donated through the Tax Check Off. Use the “Voluntary Contributions Schedule” – Form 4642 – to make your donation before April 15!
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