Every individual in Kalamazoo has the right to provide a decent livelihood for their families, which includes the ability to send their kids to school, enjoy a meal together as a family, and earn a living to give their family a better life – no matter zip code, race or gender.

Kalamazoo Community Foundation supports many Kalamazoo County nonprofits in removing barriers that prevents individuals and families from reaching their full potential. However, unforeseen events, such as the Kalamazoo River floods in February and May, have obstructed more than 500 families in their attempts to provide a safe and dry home for their families to live in.

This timeline is an overview depicting how several community partners came together to collaborate and support our community in its most dire need.

We need better emergency resources to offer aid during a community crisis, as well as dedicated funding to help restore the lives of citizens in the Kalamazoo area. One day it might be a flood disaster, another it might be a mass shooting. The greatest needs of our community in the future are unpredictable.

The United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region and KZCF are committed to working together with agency partners and the City of Kalamazoo to develop a comprehensive emergency management plan before our community faces another unforeseen crisis. KZCF has learned a lot from the Kalamazoo Flood Relief Fund and the Help Now! Fund, and we will put what we have learned to use to serve the community even more effectively next time.

To view the complete summer issue of Update, click here.

Click here to read the next article in this issue featuring an interview with the newest member of the Financial Investment Committee Sandi Doctor.