MLK Day Was A Success Thanks To Our Amazing Volunteers!
This past Monday, 25 volunteers joined us at the United Way of the Lakeshore Human Services Center for a Day of Service to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.! Volunteers mixed trail mix for Kids Food Basket. Kids Food Basket feeds 1,600 children "sack suppers" through local school districts in Kent, Muskegon, Ottawa, and Allegan counties. Kids Food Basket is also a Station Partner for our AmeriCorps Seniors Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP).

Together, these volunteers packed enough trail mix to feed to go into the 1,600 sack suppers. This trail mix weighed in at a whopping 204 pounds. Thank you to all of the volunteers and those who donated goods to make this Day of Service a success!
Hygiene Drive To Kick Off In February! We Need Your Help!
Join United Way of the Lakeshore across Muskegon, Newaygo, and Oceana counties for our annual Hygiene Drive. During the entire month of February, United Way will be collecting hygiene products to pack "spa bags" for our local pantries!

The Need: Imagine having to choose between deodorant and feminine products or gas to make it back and forth to work for the week. For some of our families, these tough decisions leave them without quality hygiene care which can later impact their health and wellbeing.

The Ask: We are looking for businesses, agencies, schools, and churches that will host a box for donations for our hygiene drive! Box hosts will have a box delivered to them by our generous volunteers, promote the drive at their location, and have the box picked up at the end of the drive. You can find the flyer and sign up below!

Diverse Hair Care Products: Along with our traditional drive item needs, this year we will be making special requests for products that cater to diverse hair. Women of color spend a lot more on hair care than other women as they often need more products, tools, and accessories to take care of their hair. With minimal representation in consumer stores, there is an even bigger gap in our local pantries that rely on donations. According to the 2019 ALICE Report on the Lakeshore (Muskegon, Newaygo, & Oceana combined), 71% of all Black households are under the ALICE Threshold, 63% of all Mixed households are under the ALICE Threshold, and 46% of all Hispanic/LatinX households are under the ALICE Threshold. For these households, it is important that there is representation and proper supplies in our agencies that support their needs.

Special thanks to our Student United team for hosting this drive! If you would like to sponsor this drive call our Chief Development Officer, JJ Lewis, at (231) 332 - 4007 or emailing at james@unitedwaylakeshore.org.
Still Time To Get Your FREE Ticket To The Black Man Premiere!
Tickets are still available for the FREE premiere of the documentary "Black Man!" The premiere will be held on Sunday, February 5, starting at 3:00 PM at the Frauenthal Center. The documentary has placed in several film festivals across the country including the Capital City Black Film Festival. It is described as a raw, real, riveting kaleidoscopic view of several Black Men in a small town ages 21 to 91 sharing their thoughts on life, love, longings, losses, and America. The men highlighted throughout the film are all Muskegon natives!


Special thanks to our sponsors of the event: Betten Baker, Core Reality Partners, Tyler Sales, and Webb Chemical. Special thanks as well as our community partners for planning and promoting the event: the Jon Covington Group, Muskegon Area District Library, Hackley Public Library, 103.7 the Beat, Muskegon Museum of Art, the Frauenthal Center, and the Community Foundation for Muskegon County.
Fresh Coast Alliance Financial Success Program Helps People Get Financially On Track!
Fresh Coast Alliance was officially formed in 2018, but you may have worked with them in several capacities before that. As a product of the EXIT (Empowering Ex-Offenders in Transition) and 70x7 Life Recovery, Fresh Coast Alliance (FCA) is the only Michigan Association of Recovery Residences accredited provider in Muskegon County.

Fresh Coast Alliance:
  • Helps with reentry and recovery housing
  • Hosts recovery groups like Alcoholics Anonymous, Relapse Prevention, Art Therapy, Narcotics Anonymous, and so much more
  • Offers professional therapy
  • Coaches for employment opportunities
  • And recently started a Financial Success Program that is a partnership with your United Way

The Financial Success Program (FSP) is a new program designed to help participants better manage their time and money, leading to improved outcomes with employment, housing, and economic stability. FSP teaches participants how to not only manage time/resources but also improves their access and utilization of community services through a trained and certified Community Healthcare Worker (CHW).

United Way of the Lakeshore is proud to have Fresh Coast Alliance as a funded partner agency!
United Way Board Member, Stacy Mellema, Becomes New Shareholder For Hungerford Nichols CPAs + Advisors
We would like to congratulate our Board Member & Treasurer, Stacy Mellema, for being elected as a shareholder for Hungerford Nichols CPAs + Advisors!

About Stacy:
Stacy is passionate about client service and is truly focused on people. She thrives in situations where problems must be analyzed, and creative solutions must be found. She specializes in assurance and accounting services related to for-profit, not-for-profit, and employee benefit plan industries. Stacy is experienced in dealing with closely held businesses in the manufacturing, food processing, distribution, funeral home, and professional services industries. Stacy is a member of the AIPCA and MICPA.
 
Stacy earned her Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting from Central Michigan University. She serves as the Treasurer of the United Way of the Lakeshore, is a member of the Davenport University Accounting Advisory Board, and is an advocate for women’s leadership initiatives. 
 
Tessa Keena, CPA, Shareholder shares, “Stacy is a pillar in the Muskegon community, where she is personally and professionally rooted. She is a role model and champion for our team members and growing the next generation of leaders. She invests her time, treasure, and talents in all those she meets, and her impact is far-reaching. Stacy leads with conviction and compassion and is an anchor in the fiercest of storms to calm waters. In the words of RBG, Stacy ‘fights for the things she cares about and does it in a way that leads others to join her.’ Her unwavering commitment to our firm, clients, community, and profession is undeniable, and she will be an excellent addition to our Shareholder group.”
Our 2022 Community Campaign is off to a great start and our companies are boosting employee morale by having fun! A huge shout out to our partners who completed their Workplace Campaigns this past week: White & Associates Insurance. 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 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!
Book Sorting With Read Early. Read Often., Goodwill Industries, & United Way: Clean, sort, sticker, and pack used books to be re-distributed in the community to families and children who need them. 
Did you know you can schedule an appointment to have your taxes filed for free by a trained volunteer through VITA West MI? There are 5 satellite sites in Muskegon, Newaygo, and Oceana counties where they are preparing taxes!

Call 211 to schedule your appointment today!
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