June 10, 2024
Jessica Matthews / news@whmi.com
Livingston County United Way is increasing funding for local humanitarian programs.
United Way’s 2024 Community Investment Process was recently completed and received final board approval, which officials said is encouraging news, as the process brought together more than 50 community volunteers and leaders to review program funding requests and make final recommendations.
An average 15% increase in funding for 46 community benefit programs was recommended and approved by the board. Funding for the programs will be provided in the new fiscal year that begins July 1.
Kelly Mathews, Chair of the Community Investment Council (CIC), commented, “We are so grateful to the many community volunteers who participated on our panel and gave input to the CIC on the awarding of the grants. We appreciate their time and thoughtful comments. Their comments really influenced the committee’s ultimate grant recommendation to the Board.”
The United Way released the latest statistics, noting that the number of ALICE cases in Livingston County is on the rise.
ALICE refers to “asset-limited, income-constrained, employed” families, typically those who work in the local service industry. Recently released statistics show that 5% of Livingston County’s population lives in poverty, and an additional 23% struggle to meet basic needs. This represents a 5% increase in ALICE families since last year’s report. Rising prices for many goods, including food, utilities, gasoline and transportation, further strain household finances.
“We’ve just completed our annual Community Investment process and received the new ALICE report, which shows us that our work is more important than ever. We need even greater community support to make a difference for these even more struggling families,” said Patricia Sliter, Executive Director of Livingston County United Way.
Families in Livingston County are better off than many other communities: According to the new report, Michigan’s average poverty rate is 13 percent, which, when combined with 28 percent of the ALICE population, means 41 percent of families in the state are living at or near the poverty level.
For more information on the coalitions and programs funded by Livingston County United Way, please follow the links provided.
