Joe Gentry

The year 2022 was one of transition for the United Way of Northeast Michigan. We changed our business model to improve fundraising and the delivery of program and services enhancing the common good by creating opportunities for all in our communities served. Previously, 80% of our support was provided by workplace campaigns and employee pledges. The pandemic, changing workplaces, mergers, and centralized payroll and accounting has resulted in a decline of workplace support. Today, workplace campaigns account for less than 30% of our campaign success. Corporate partnerships, grants, special fundraisers and individual donations support our programs and services.

Our old business model had the United Way as a “pass-through” organization where our campaign fundraising provided direct support to community investment partners who went through an application and vetting process annually. Community advisory teams would review applications and make decisions on the programs and services being funded. We continue to support community human services agencies through a simpler and timelier mini-grant process and we’ve redirected much of our financial support into our own programs – Christmas Wish List, 2-1-1, Stuff the Bus, Dolly Parton Imagination Library, Eat on the Beat, Gear Up, homelessness support and reducing food insecurity. Our new business model has taught us that we can be ready to meet the needs of the communities we serve and our relevance is in our ability to respond quickly.

Last year our Christmas Wish List program provided 396 families and youth basic needed items during the Christmas season. Over 150 individuals responded to this program with in-kind gifts or monetary contributions.

We introduced the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program to all children age 0-5 in Alpena County in 2022 and added the children of Presque Isle County in 2023. This program provides a free monthly book mailed directly to the enrolled youth’s home. Currently we have 957 active enrollments and 515 children have graduated from the program after reaching their 5th birthday.

Every year, our Stuff the Bus program collects more than 10,000 school supply items which are distributed to school success workers working for Northeast Michigan Community Service Agency (NEMCSA) in our local area schools.

We have provided low-income families the opportunity to join volunteers on a before-school shopping trip to help their teenaged children be better prepared for the school year. Annually, 40 to 50 youth participate in this program.

We work with homeless human service workers at MDHHS, NEMCSA, Sunrise Recovery Center, Center for Charity and Sunrise Mission providing TBTA Dial-a-Ride vouchers, gas cards, food cards, clothing, footwear and vouchers for shower access at the APlex.

We have affectionally become known as the “shoe fairies” through our relationship with a peer United Way that has provided us nearly 5,000 pair of high-quality shoes and boots. We have been able to support local jails, police departments, schools, human service agencies, the Office of Veteran Affairs, health care providers, public work employees, service workers and families in need with good footwear.

Food insecurity is an on-going challenge in Northeast Michigan. We have partnered with DTE Foundation, Consumers Energy Foundation, Michigan Association of United Ways and FEMA’s Emergency Food and Shelter Program to provide for pop-up food pantries in Alcona County and Montmorency County (serving nearly 2,000 families). We’ve provided food cards to laid off DPI employees, Holiday food boxes to the Boys and Girls Club, Grace Lutheran’s Little Food Pantry and the V.A. We partnered with the NEMI Healthy Food Project in efforts to increase access to affordable healthy food by seniors, children and low-income families, sponsored a Regional Food Summit, sponsored fresh produce pop-up markets and CSA subsidized membership while assisting small farms to enhance financial viability and market access.

President Jimmy Carter created the Carter Center and remarked, “We are not attempting to do what others are doing or can do, we are filling the vacuum.” This is a reflection of what our mission has become — fill in the crack where people’s needs are not being met and services needed are not being provided — all in an effort to make our community a safer and better place to live.

We are relevant and impactful. It is up to all of us to sustain our work.

Joe Gentry is the executive director of the United Way of Northeast Michigan. Reach him at 989-354-2221 or jgentry@unitedwaynemi.org.