Nearly 300 donors, volunteers, and community partners filled Lake Michigan College’s Mendel Center Grand Upton Hall on Thursday, April 24, for United Way of Southwest Michigan’s Annual Celebration, an evening that looked back on 2024 and honored the people who made  last year’s impact possible. President & CEO Anna Murphy opened the program by reminding guests that the night was really about them and their willingness to “live united” for neighbors across Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren counties. ​

United Way of Southwest Michigan’s annual Rock The Boat cardboard boat races held in the St. Joseph River Channel is coming back Thursday, July 17, 2025 presented by Honor Credit Union. The event serves as one of the signature fundraising events for the organization, hosted by the Inn at Harbor Shores in St. Joseph.

March is National Reading Month, and United Way of Southwest Michigan and our community partners at Honor Credit Union are launching a fundraising campaign to assist in sustaining Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren counties. United Way is looking to meet a goal of $50,000 in new donations during the month to help meet the sustainability goal for the program.

United Way of Southwest Michigan (UWSM) announced that it is accepting funding proposals from Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren County agencies for Phase 42 of the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP/FEMA). The National Board has awarded Berrien County the grant amount of $58,883 for this phase, Cass County the grant amount of $19,779 for this phase, and Van Buren County the grant amount of $30,843 for this phase.

February 11^th (2/11) is National 211 Day – an annual observance celebrating the go-to, 24/7 three-digit (2-1-1) resource that helps millions of people in the U.S. and Canada – including those in Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren Counties. The three-digit service connects information about resources and services available in our local community and is free to utilize.

The Joseph N. and Rosemary E. Low Foundation has once again demonstrated its steadfast commitment to the community with a generous $50,000 donation to United Way of Southwest Michigan. This annual gift, made in memory of Wilma V. Low, will directly benefit the organization’s 2024 campaign, helping to drive meaningful impact across the region.

Applications for Board or Committee positions are due January 28, 2025

Be Healthy Berrien and Corewell Health to support the Community Leadership Academy project with the 2-year grant.

Every year, United Way of Southwest Michigan recognizes outstanding volunteers in Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren counties with two prestigious awards