Community efforts help West Michigan families overcome holiday financial challenges

For many financially strapped families, giving children a joyful holiday can feel out of reach. Agencies across Allegan and Kent counties — including Heart of West Michigan United Way’s 2-1-1 line — are working to ease that burden by connecting families with seasonal assistance and by mobilizing community support.

One of the largest efforts is United Way’s Stuff the Sled program, which matches children served through Head Start of Kent County and Allegan with community sponsors to ensure they receive a holiday gift. 

The goal is to provide each child with a gift bag containing an age-appropriate toy, a family game, a book, and winter hat and gloves. Donors can purchase items online, which are then shipped to United Way, where volunteers wrap and deliver them to Head Start sites.

United Way leaders say the program offers more than presents — it helps families preserve holiday traditions and gives residents a simple way to support neighbors facing financial strain.

Additionally, United Way created a Holiday Giving and Volunteering Guide on its volunteer hub, GivePulse. The guide highlights ways to donate or volunteer across Allegan, Kent, and Ottawa counties, including donating hats, gloves, and toys, packing emergency food boxes, helping at holiday events, and wrapping gifts. Many agencies also share wish lists for donors looking to stretch Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals.

Gun Lake Casino Resort in Wayland has stepped up with a $5,000 donation to Heart of West Michigan United Way and several other nonprofits after federal funding shortages tied to the government shutdown strained local food assistance programs.

Casino leaders said the gift is part of a broader effort to support families facing food insecurity. Earlier this year, the casino provided $30,000 in free slot play to charities, with winnings directed to their missions.

“We are proud to partner with Heart of West Michigan United Way and other local charities to help offset recent reductions in funding,” says Brian Decorah, senior vice president and general manager. “Supporting families in times of need is a responsibility we take seriously.”

The casino’s annual Stuff the Trailer donation drive is also underway through Nov. 30. Guests 21 and older can receive up to $100 in free slot play per day by donating items such as clothing, nonperishable food, and hygiene products.

Maribeth Groen, United Way’s director of events and public relations, says the giving and volunteer guide brings together options that meet both immediate needs and long-term community goals. By coordinating efforts with partner agencies, she says, United Way helps ensure resources reach families where they’re needed most.

Rapid Growth caught up with Groen to learn more about this effort to help families across Allegan and Kent counties during the holidays. 

Rapid Growth: United Way has created a comprehensive Holiday Volunteer and Giving Guide to make it easier for community members to support families in need across Allegan, Kent, and Ottawa counties. Can you share what inspired the creation of this “one-stop shop” and what gap you hoped it would fill for donors and agencies?

Maribeth Groen: The guide started 10 years ago. We know people are looking to give back during the holiday season. Through our partnerships with nonprofit organizations in the community, we are aware of so many holiday programs that operate in our community, but the general public may not know about them.  As part of our mission to connect community resources, we knew we could help connect nonprofits with donors and volunteers during the holidays.  Rather than promoting a limited number of holiday programs, we can provide equal promotion to any agency that participates in the guide. Donors and volunteers can search for opportunities that suit their interests, time, and budget. Whether you are looking to volunteer, sponsor a child and shop in person, or purchase an item from an online wish list, there is an opportunity for you.

RG: The guide highlights a wide range of volunteer and donation opportunities, from packing food boxes to wrapping presents, and encourages people to make the most of holiday sales to help local nonprofits. What types of needs are you seeing most this year, and how can community members make the biggest impact? 

Donors can make the biggest impact by purchasing items that are on the organization’s or child’s wish list. The wish lists have been created with input from the families and staff who work closely with their clients. Often, you will find essentials, such as winter gear, clothing, hygiene products, and household items. If donors are looking to further expand their impact, we encourage them to check out the wish list of their favorite nonprofit agencies. There are so many great deals for Black Friday and Cyber Monday that you can take advantage of and put to good use. Agencies that focus on housing can use bedding, towels, kitchen gear, and more. Nonprofits that work with children could use toys, games, etc. Look at their list to see if you can find anything on sale.

Volunteers are needed not only during the holiday, but also during the winter months. For some agencies, their regular volunteers go down south for the winter, or they may not feel comfortable driving in the winter, so they have gaps to fill. Volunteering can help fill those gaps, and it’s a great way to beat cabin fever.

RG: Stuff the Sled is one of the featured programs, pairing Head Start children with community sponsors to make sure every child receives gifts for the holidays. How does this program work behind the scenes, and what do you want people to know about the children and families it serves?

MG:  In West Michigan, one in three families is struggling to meet basic needs, including many working families. At the end of the month, after paying their bills, there isn’t a lot of money left over. Holiday programs relieve some of the burden for families. Some of the programs focus on children in the foster care system, as well as families and individuals who are experiencing homelessness. For these families and individuals, this may be the only holiday gift they receive.

MG: Planning for Stuff the Sled starts in late summer when we work with Head Start to identify age-appropriate and educational toys and games. We work with buyers, including Meijer, to purchase the items. We try to select toys that are open-ended and board games that can easily be played as a family to encourage family participation. Children also receive a hat/glove set and a book.

Companies and Individuals can participate in the drive. Companies form a team, and employees can purchase gifts online. Or a company can sponsor a “Party with a Purpose.” Companies sponsor gifts for either 100 or 160 students, and we bring the items and gift-wrapping supplies to the company. Employees can select the gifts, color a gift bag, and wrap the items. Some companies have incorporated this into the company or department holiday party. 

The public can support Stuff the Sled by purchasing gifts online at www.hwmuw.org/stuff-the-sled. In mid-December, members of  U.A. Local #174 and the West Michigan Mechanical Contractors Association team up to deliver the gifts to all the Head Start locations in Kent and Allegan Counties.

Families qualify for Head Start through the following guidelines:

• Income – At or below the federal poverty level.
• Public assistance – Families received public assistance such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or Supplemental Security Income.
• Homelessness – Children experiencing homelessness are eligible.
• Foster Care – These families have a great need for assistance..

RG: More than two dozen organizations across the region are participating in the guide, representing a broad network of social service agencies, shelters, community centers, and youth programs. How were these organizations brought together, and what has collaboration looked like in preparing this year’s holiday offerings?

MG: Each program is independently run.  We invite any nonprofit agency or organization that has a holiday program to list their opportunities in our guide through our volunteer hub, GivePulse. We encourage the agencies to use the platform year-round to list their volunteer opportunities.

RG: United Way hopes to expand the guide in the coming years, especially in Ottawa County, so more agencies can benefit from increased visibility and support. What would you say to local organizations or businesses that are considering getting involved next year? 

MG: In 2024, Heart of West Michigan United Way joined forces with Allegan and Ottawa County. We are continuing to build and strengthen our partnerships in these communities. Agencies may not be familiar with this guide yet, and we want to invite organizations in all counties to be a part of this.

The Holiday Volunteer and Giving Guide is a wonderful way to get in front of thousands of donors. We share the guide with companies that run campaigns, and on our social media and traditional media platforms. Many people are looking for ways to give back either as an individual or a family.  We hear from people who, instead of doing a gift exchange among family members, have decided to use their funds to support a family. Companies are also looking for ways to give back, whether it’s adopting a family, collecting toys and gifts in the lobby of the building, or coming together to volunteer for an afternoon.  Our goal is to make it easy for the agency and donors.