UWImpactReportof2025_FIN - Flipbook - Page 12
PRIORITY AREA
COMMUNITY
RESILIENCY
No one should have to face a crisis alone – especially those
neighbors and ALICE families who are already stretched thin.
It often takes just one disaster to move a family into 昀椀 nancial
hardship. That’s why we work hard to build community resiliency,
bringing together local leaders, nonpro昀椀 ts, government of昀椀 cials,
funders and businesses to build the connections and proactive plans
that make it possible to survive a crisis and recover stronger.
Disaster Relief Fund
Funding is available to nonpro昀椀 t
organizations supporting response
and recovery in instances of natural
disaster and community crises that
affect individuals and families below the
ALICE threshold.
During the 2025 昀椀 scal year, UWSCMI
activated the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF)
three times:
November 2025: When millions of
families were at immediate risk of
losing access to bene昀椀 ts from the
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program (SNAP), Disaster Relief Funds
were granted to nonpro昀椀 ts or public
entities who provided food security
services to residents in our region.
January 2026: Extreme cold brought
into stark relief the gap in resources for
people who were unhoused. Through
the DRF, we provided support to local
nonpro昀椀 ts as they worked to expand
the capacity and services of emergency
shelters and warming centers across
the region.
March 2026: After an apartment 昀椀 re
in Jackson displaced more than 70
families, over $31,000 was invested
in short-term assistance and longterm recovery in partnership with
local nonpro昀椀 ts and other community
leaders.
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2025–2026 Impact Report
County Response Consortiums
Our community resilience work includes
the management of the County
Response Consortiums for Calhoun and
Kalamazoo counties, which transitioned
to United Way this year. We launched a
similar consortium in Lansing in January
of 2026. Both Gryphon Place and 211
remain key partners in the work.
The consortiums, made up of
nonpro昀椀 ts, government agencies and
local businesses, aim to coordinate
ef昀椀 cient, effective access to resources
and improve emergency response
capabilities of local human service
agencies.
Renwick Ballew, Associate Director
of Community Resilience, said the
relationships build through the
consortiums before a community crisis
occurs are key to a quicker response.
“Our approach involves connecting with
the people who are doing that work
rather than trying to stand up an
alternate process to recreate
something that’s already
happening. It allows
us to do it faster. It
allows us to do it in
relationship to one
another,” Ballew
said. “When it comes
to humanitarian aid,
there hasn’t been a structure to do that
until we created one. And it’s working.”
2-1-1
United Way continues to invest in
2-1-1 partnering with Gryphon Place
in Calhoun and Kalamazoo counties
and Central Michigan 2-1-1 in Clinton,
Eaton, Ingham and Jackson counties.
2-1-1 call center representatives connect
callers with resources for almost any
non-emergency need, from child care
to housing, food assistance to tax
preparation.
Local agencies
came together in
January for the County
Response Consortium
launch in Lansing.
