LISC Kalamazoo

Exciting news for Michigan’s early childhood educators! 🎉 Last week, two dedicated teachers moved into rent-free homes in Battle Creek—thanks to the innovative First Home, First Teacher initiative. By providing housing as a benefit, this program empowers educators to focus on nurturing young minds, free from the stress of rising living costs.
With thousands of early childhood educator positions still unfilled across Michigan, bold solutions like this are more important than ever. This local collaboration—including LISC Kalamazoo, Community Action Agency, United Way of South-Central Michigan, Battle Creek Community Foundation, Neighborhoods Inc. of Battle Creek, and Pulse at W.E. Upjohn Institute—is part of a growing national movement to uplift and support our essential workforce.
Together, we’re building stronger communities—one home, one teacher, and one child at a time. 💙🏡 👏

So excited to support innovation and creativity in addressing community challenges. Congratulations to at the Upjohn Institute and Inc. of Battle Creek on a great Move in Day Celebration for the First Home, First Teacher initiative!

'First Home, First Teacher’ initiative provides free housing for early childhood educators It’s known as the "First Home, First Teacher" initiative, an effort that provides a fully furnished duplex to two early childhood educators and their families.

It's ! This month, and every day, we recognize the many contributions LGBTQ+ communities bring to culture, creativity, and community life—helping forge stronger, more connected neighborhoods across the country.

📢 Attention youth-serving nonprofits in Asheville, NC and Altadena/Pasadena in the Los Angeles area! LISC and The DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation are offering grants of up to $100K to help nonprofits build or renovate youth sports facilities in disaster impacted communities. Learn more and apply by July 15: https://www.lisc.org/our-initiatives/sports-recreation/game-on-disaster-relief/

Housing is where LISC began, and it remains the cornerstone of our mission. Carrying that commitment into the future, LISC will invest $5.2B and complete 57,000 units by 2027.

This , learn how we turn strategic vision into lasting change: https://www.lisc.org/our-initiatives/affordable-housing/

Another great quarterly Housing Stakeholders meeting in Battle Creek. Thank you Beth and the Fair Housing Center of Southwest Michigan for offering your insights into all Fair Housing related!

So happy to support homebased childcare providers like Remenyi Ann Williams who, after more than two decades in the corporate world, turned her eye towards serving the children and families of our community. Thank you Remenyi for all you do for Kalamazoo families!

Meet Remenyi Ann Williams, owner of All God’s Children, a home-based childcare program in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She launched the program a few years ago after more than two decades in banking. A longing to do more meaningful work – plus a little divine intervention through prayer – prompted Williams to make the career change.

To help her new business thrive, Williams joined a network of childcare providers convened by Southwest Child Care Resources with support from LISC and Procter and Gamble. Through the network, she learned new strategies for marketing her childcare business, which will help nurture its growth and sustainability.

LISC Kalamazoo

LISC Kalamazoo had a great time with training and fun team building today. Cant't wait!

Thank you for the shout out Fair Housing Center of Southwest Michigan! We are so pleased by the turn-out this morning, and appreciative of all of our community partners undertaking housing work in Kalamazoo. It is complex, heart-felt, critically important work that we do best when we are in space, place and relationship with one another!

Appreciated the opportunity to join this morning’s Kalamazoo housing stakeholders meeting, bringing together partners from across the housing ecosystem — nonprofit, for-profit, and government sectors.

Thank you to Kalamazoo Community Foundation, W.E. Upjohn Institute, and LISC Kalamazoo for convening this space for connection and collaboration.

We heard a great presentation from ICCF Community Homes on their Community Land Trust model and had valuable time to learn more about the work happening across our region.

Conversations like this are critical as we continue working toward housing for all in Kalamazoo County.