Kent County is the home to the Blue Bridge and trademarked by the Grand River. But the beauty of this community is felt beyond the bustle of downtown or the vibrancy of its neighborhoods. There is something special about Kent County, and it lies in the passion of its neighbors. From coffee conversations to workplace partnerships, we hear how this community believes in creating lasting opportunities for all.
Yet even in a community with so much opportunity, financial stability remains out of reach for many.
Today, 37% of Kent County households live below the ALICE Threshold, meaning thousands of families struggle to afford essentials like housing, childcare, food, and transportation. These challenges rarely happen in isolation. Housing affects employment. Childcare affects the ability to work. Financial instability at home affects what children experience at school. That's where Heart of West Michigan United Way comes in.
Strong communities are built when people have access to the resources that pave pathways to possibility and systems that stick with them as they move forward. Through the United Way Invest. Build. Mobilize model, solutions are taking root right here in Kent County designed to meet immediate needs, navigate challenges, and strengthen the infrastructure that helps communities thrive.
Investing in What Makes a Difference
Behind every strong community are people and organizations working hard to make life better for their neighbors. We believe in amplifying the impact of local agencies with strategic investments offering multi-year financial support, partnership, and collaboration.
In Kent County, that means strengthening pathways to affordable housing, creating access to food resources, and helping young people realize their full potential. This looks like partnerships with organizations like ICCF Community Homes, Community Food Club, New City Kids, and many more as they help individuals and families navigate financial hardship, housing challenges, and other barriers to stability.
Kent County is home to an extensive network of nonprofit partners and programs working across a broad range of community needs. During the 2025–26 fiscal year, United Way directed $3,526,300 in strategic community investments in Kent County and mobilized another $402,300 through donor designations, supporting 216 additional nonprofits.
Every investment represents a belief in what this community can accomplish together.
Building Pathways to Possibility
Sometimes, the biggest difference starts with making sure someone has what they need to take their next step.
For families across Kent County, that might mean finding help with housing costs, accessing mental health resources, or ensuring their children have the tools to succeed in school. When we identify needs that existing programs aren't fully meeting, United Way builds solutions of its own to help close those gaps.
When crisis hits – when rent is due, when food runs out, when you don’t know where to turn – 211 is here. 211 is United Way’s 24/7, free, and confidential helpline that connects people to local resources that offer real help, right now. We received over 38,000 calls from Kent County residents seeking information and referrals to essential services. With one call, neighbors know that they do not need to navigate crisis alone. 211 meets people where they are and stays with them as they take the next step.
Neighbors were connected to our Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program that helps individuals and families file their taxes for free and ensure they receive the refunds and credits they have earned. Last year, we returned $9.9 million to the community through 11,461 tax returns, helping households keep more of their hard-earned money. Because when people can keep more of what they earn, they can build something stronger.
These refunds allow neighbors to meet their basic needs, build savings, and strengthen their families’ sense of stability.
Through our Family Stability Program, we work with families to stop eviction before it happens. This initiative is designed to meet both immediate needs and long-term goals through financial assistance, personal case management, and connections to community resources. Last year, we served 172 households, with 86% remaining housed after six months and 95% of children remaining in their school of origin. Because when a family stays housed, everything else stays possible.
Preventing eviction can mean much more than keeping a roof over someone's head. It can mean a parent staying connected to work, children remaining in their classrooms, and a family having the breathing room to address the challenges that put their stability at risk in the first place.
For children, stability feels like safe home, access to food, and feeling prepared for school.
Through our Stuff the Bus collection drive, 6,030 Kent students received school supplies to fuel their academic success from the first day forward. And through Stuff the Sled, 1,163 holiday gifts were delivered to Head Start children, reminding families that their community is thinking of them during seasons that can bring added financial pressure.
These aren't just programs or numbers. They're opportunities for a child to feel confident walking into a classroom, for a parent to find a little breathing room, and for a family to know they're not navigating life's challenges alone.
Mobilizing a Community That Cares
One of Kent County's greatest strengths is its people. When neighbors come together, generosity becomes action, and individual efforts become something much bigger.
Through volunteer opportunities like Day of Caring and Operation United, we help create meaningful ways for people to give their time, share their talents, and make a difference close to home.
And sometimes, the need is immediate.
When the federal shutdown led to a delay in SNAP benefits beginning November 1, thousands of neighbors faced the same urgent question: How will we afford groceries this week?
SNAP is one of the strongest tools families use to stay stable. When it faltered, the impact reached every corner of our region — food pantries strained, lines grew longer, and calls to 2-1-1 surged as neighbors searched for help. We deployed our United Response Fund, and within days, we mobilized $48,500 to front-line food access programs, ensuring food access for more than 2,500 families.
This response wasn’t just about filling a temporary gap. It was about protecting families from falling into deeper crisis and supporting the long-term resilience of our region. Because when systems falter, community doesn’t. And when Kent County steps up, neighbors have a community ready to respond.
The Heart of a Stronger Kent County
We know the work of building a thriving community doesn't happen overnight. It happens through relationships built over time, organizations that show up day after day, and neighbors who believe everyone deserves the opportunity to move forward.
That's what inspires our work in Kent County. We're proud to stand alongside the people and partners who are making a difference, and we're committed to continuing that work — investing in local solutions, building pathways to opportunity, and mobilizing the resources and community that help our neighbors thrive.
Because building a thriving Kent County means more than meeting immediate needs. It means addressing the interconnected challenges that hold families back and creating pathways from crisis to stability, and from stability to opportunity.
United is the Way.