The old theory of making lemonade when life hands you a bunch of lemons is on display in full-tilt, albeit contact-free, mode this week thanks to the innovative and creative minds of United Way of Southwest Michigan and myriad volunteers who turned the ordinarily huge, in-person, annual campaign celebration into not only lemonade, but tossed in limeade, orangeade, and apparently even a pomegranate or two for good measure.
Because its annual Celebration, originally planned for March, ended up — like so many other events — canceled due to the pandemic, the local United Way team has uncorked a sea of appreciation in creative contactless fashion.
Originally scheduled to have been held on March 19th at Lake Michigan College, United Way of Southwest Michigan’s annual Celebration took a different form. United Way crafted a unique experience to acknowledge the generosity of donors and the impact made in the community in 2019. Yesterday, Thursday, August 27th, United Way staff fanned out into the region to deliver stunning “Celebration 2.0” boxes to their award winners. The Hollywood-esque boxes, designed in a glamorous Roaring ‘20s style, contained success stories that would have been premiered at Celebration, the awards celebrating the winners, and other goodies.
Award winners were encouraged to photograph or video themselves unpacking the box and upload them to social media, tagging UWSM and using the hashtag #uwsmcelebration so everyone in the community could see.
Anna Murphy, President and CEO of United Way of Southwest Michigan, says, “When you look at the example of this year’s award winners—the outstanding corporate partners and the stellar individuals—about how to step up and lead, commit with passion and determination, and overcome obstacles to advance the common good, nothing could stop us from finding ways to acknowledge them for it.” Ironically, she adds, “2019 was a banner year—we saw how strong and caring our community is—and that is getting us through the difficult year we’re currently in.”
The event was to be hosted by Jonny Reinhardt and Matt Malone of 97.5 Y-Country—who reprised their roles from last year with more hilarious misadventures getting to the venue, which were captured on video for the audience to watch. Instead, the video is now available on UWSM’s YouTube channel and is being shared on its other social channels. Give it a watch for some fun surprises.
You can find the video and all of the “Celebration 2.0” content at this online link: http://uwsm.org/celebration-2-0
Murphy says, “The work we do is hard, and we are so proud to showcase to the community all that they help us to accomplish,”and concludes, “We have so much from the past year to celebrate and we look forward to the recovery and resiliency we are working to create in our region.”
As the largest non-governmental funder of health and human services in the local community, United Way of Southwest Michigan stewards millions of dollars and tens of thousands of volunteer hours every year. By way of example, in 2019:
- 10,000 children got their education off to a great start…
- 500 people prepared themselves for in-demand jobs…
- 6,000 people built up their emotional health and resilience…
- 430,000 meals were provided to some of our most vulnerable neighbors…
- 600 people learned about big issues like trauma and structural racism…
In one year, United Way of Southwest Michigan impacted the lives of more than 82,000 people.
Importantly, the many organizations and individuals who helped make 2019 a success were recognized with the following awards:
Best Campaign Growth –
- Area Agency on Aging, Region IV
- Cassopolis Public Schools
- Domestic and Sexual Abuse Services
- Old National Bank
- Cass District Library
- City of Buchanan
- Niles Precision Company, Inc.
- Lovejoy
- County of Berrien
Best Year-Round Partnership –
- 1st Source Bank
- Lake Michigan College
- LOGAN Autism Learning Center
- Berrien County Cancer Service, Inc.
- Tyler Automotive
- Berrien RESA
- Martin’s Super Markets – Stevensville
- Joseph Public Schools
- Spectrum Health Lakeland
Best Community Leadership –
- Honor Credit Union
- Andrews University
- Berrien Springs Public Schools
- K&M Machine-Fabricating, Inc.
- Mid-West Family
- Van Buren ISD
- Entergy-Palisades Power Plant
- United Federal Credit Union
- Horizon Bank
Corporate Champion of the Year – Large Business –
- Western Diversified Plastics
- Gast Manufacturing, Inc.
Corporate Champion of the Year – Medium Business –
- Vomela Transportation Graphics
Corporate Champion of the Year – Small Business –
- Competitive Edge
Employee Campaign Chair of the Year – Large Business –
- Cathy Summers, Indiana Michigan Power, an AEP Company
Employee Campaign Chair of the Year – Medium Business –
- Evelyn Castrejon, Kinexus Group
Employee Campaign Chair of the Year – Small Business –
- David Brooks, Wolverine Pipe Line Co.
Inspired Giving –
- United Parcel Service
Campaign Cabinet Choice –
- Coloma Township Police Department
- Ravitron
- Meijer
David J. Weichhand Award –
- Kinexus Group
Whirlpool Community Commitment Award –
- Indiana Michigan Power and its D.C. Cook Nuclear Plant
Excellence in Innovation –
- Great Start Collaborative of Berrien County
Excellence in Collaboration –
- Tri-County Head Start
Excellence in Impact –
- Domestic Violence Coalition
Impact Cabinet Choice –
- Southwest Michigan Planning Commission
LIVE UNITED Award –
- Shelitha McKee
- Sue Danielson
United Way of Southwest Michigan fights for the Health, Education, and Financial Stability of every person in every community. They have the influence and relationships to make sustainable change a reality. By harnessing resources from corporate, nonprofit, and public partners, they provide immediate assistance to the most vulnerable populations among us while addressing the root causes of the community’s longstanding challenges and changing lives for the better. To join the fight—through giving, advocacy, and volunteering—visit online at: www.uwsm.org.
