Health & Financial Stability

Committed to Health & Financial Stability for All

We’re fighting to put every person in Genesee & Shiawassee County on a path toward financial empowerment and health stability. That starts with affordable and accessible medical services, senior care, job trainings, and money management programs. 

Community Condition

We know there are households in our community that have to make difficult choices daily such as skipping preventative health care, healthy food options, or childcare due to lack of financial access. These choices have a long term effect on their household’s health, safety, and future. 

  • 41% of households in Genesee County struggled to afford basic household and health care necessities in 2019.¹

  • 60% of Black households in Michigan were unable to afford basic household essentials in their communities in 2019.²

Senior Community Conditions

  • Nearly half of all senior households in Michigan were unable to afford their basic household and health care necessities in 2019.³ 

  • The annual cost for private room nursing home care is $115,158. Most seniors are unable to pay this yearly fee, forcing them to live in shared rooms with people unfamiliar to them. 

UWGC Creating Impact

UWGC Creating Impact

 2021-2022 Community Impact Grantees

  • Communication Access Center (Understand Clear)
  • Faith Foundation Resources (HYPE)
  • Family Service Agency of Mid Michigan (In-Home Eldercare & Representative Payee)
  • Genesee Health Plan (Multicultural System of Care)
  • Greater Flint Health Coalition (CHAP) 
  • Junior Achievement (JA Finance Park)
  • Jewish Community Services (Senior Caring Committee Outreach)
  • Local Initiative Support Coalition (Financial Opportunity Center)
  • MADE Institute (Life Skills)
  • Re-Connections Inc (Coaching, Education and Employment)
  • Valley Area Agency on Aging (KISS, Keeping Independent Seniors Safe)

UWGC Health & Financial Stability Programs

In addition to providing grants to nonprofit organizations, the UWGC operates its own programs that promote healthy independent and financially stable lives

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance A woman with curly hair filling out a form on a clipboard

Low-to-Moderate income families in Genesee and Shiawassee County can file their taxes for free with an IRS-certified volunteer through United Way's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. 

Thanks to our many volunteers and host sites, our VITA Program processed in 2018: 

  • 686 Federal returns resulting in $533,975 in refunds to residents 
  • 204 Earned Income Tax Credit Federal returns resulting in $184,545 in refunds to residents 
  • 862 State returns resulting in an estimated $68,077 in refunds to residents  

Flint Urban Safety and Health Corps AmeriCorps Program Five women in blue shirts in front of a united way van

The Flint Urban Safety and Health Corps utilizes AmeriCorps members to provide programming related to crime prevention, food security and nutrition, behavioral and developmental health, early education, and medical management as strategies toward long-term recovery from the water crisis in the Flint community.

AmeriCorps members are placed with Flint-area nonprofits and other community organizations. Each organization receives the support of an AmeriCorps member based on the organization’s needs, and the member’s skill-set, so in many ways the program is tailored to fit specific needs of essential community organizations with the talent pool of the service members.

UAW and United Way Ramp Program

The Ramp Program responds to requests from disabled and elderly citizens who need wheelchair accessibility for their home. At minimal costs to the resident, UAW/GM and United Way volunteers construct more residential ramps than any other organization in Genesee County.

The Bone Marrow Program

The Bone Marrow Program began in 1992 to recruit life-saving volunteer donors to the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP). Since this partnership began, over 17,000 donors from our community have been added to the NMDP.

Flint Kids Play

Flint Kids Play is a partnership with Make an Impact Foundation, City of Flint, Miracle equipment, FOX66, and The Foundation for Flint to provide safe environments for kids to play by way of new playgrounds. Since its launch in 2016 the UWGC has built 11 playgrounds throughout the City.

Youth Recreation Initiative

Youth Recreation Initiative uses Community Development Block Grant dollars, administered by the City of Flint, to provide mini-grants to small neighborhood recreational programs. Organizations like Battle Cats Wrestling, FWC Berston Boxing, Flint Inner City Youth Hockey, New Direction Youth Program, Evergreen Community Development Youth Initiative and Flint Area United Soccer Program have all received grants up to $10,000 to purchase sports equipment for children of all ages.