United Way of Southwest Michigan is an organization that is all about giving back. Now, they are on the receiving end of a prestigious Michigan honor. 

More kids under the age of five living in Van Buren County will get a jump-start on school-readiness with books mailed each month to their homes.

Application-preparation training sessions to be held at Van Buren Conference Center.

The next Whirlpool Appliance Sale is going to be bigger and better than ever! Over 400 appliances will be offered to the public at deeply discounted prices—at a new location: the former Carson’s store at Orchards Mall in Benton Harbor.

The Berrien County Great Start Collaborative bestowed awards for Child Advocate of the Year and Creative Collaborator of the Year at its September 26th meeting at Berrien Regional Education Service Agency (RESA) in Berrien Springs.

“We are here to celebrate some of the individuals in our community who selflessly give their time to others to make Southwest Michigan a great place to live,” said Anna Murphy, president of United Way of Southwest Michigan. “Volunteers are at the very core of the work we do at United Way, but we know that United Way’s volunteers are just a small subset of the tens of thousands of people who lend their time, talent, and muscle to hundreds of nonprofit organizations across our region. Those being honored here tonight are a prime example of the breadth of volunteerism in our community.” 

In July 2018, Stuart represented the United States as the country's top magician in the World Championships of Magic, held in Busan, Korea. Among the world's best magicians, he received a standing ovation for his performance. In all, Stuart took 8th place in the world and remains the highest ranked in all of the Americas.

On November 7&8, hundreds of area volunteers, working as teams, will help seniors in Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren Counties rake and bag leaves and clean gutters as part of United Way’s 9th annual Day of Action for Seniors. The service is FREE of charge and serves seniors, age 60 and older, who are unable to perform yard work and can't afford to pay for services. Seniors are helped on a first-come, first-served basis, dependent on the number of volunteers available.

Known as the Unified Kickoff, the effort allows United Ways of all sizes to spotlight their local impact on a statewide stage, said Michael Larson, president and chief executive officer of the Michigan Association of United Ways (MAUW).