Last month when Moore, Oklahoma was hit by the tornado I was shocked to see what total devastation a storm like that can create. Where do you turn for help when everyone around you needs to be helped also? Who knows what steps to take to help people find shelter, clean water, medical care, and [...]
From Kelly Hostetler, executive director of the St. Joseph County United Way: Hostetler can be reached by calling the St. Joseph County United way at (269) 467-9099. Source: Information from Kelly Hostetler of St. Joseph County United Way
Car accidents are the number one killer of children ages 1 to 12. The best way to protect a child in the car is to ensure that they are in a car seat or a booster seat of the proper size. It’s difficult sometimes for parents to know if they have the right car seat [...]
The Three Rivers Fire Department is pleased to announce they will be hosting a FREE CPR/AED Training on Saturday, June 22nd, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Church of the Nazarene, on Coon Hollow Road in Three Rivers. Training will be limited to the first 50 pre-registered participants who must be at least [...]
Next month there will be an exciting new activity in Sturgis for young people aged 6 through 13. The Trojan Youth Triathlon, conceived by Tom Shumaker and sponsored by several Sturgis businesses and organizations, will be held on June 22. The triathlon will begin at 9 am with a swim at the Sturgis Community Pool [...]
Three Rivers Area Mentoring is busy preparing for the annual Stand for Children picnic. This event is always held on or near June 1 and the goal is to raise awareness in the community of the many needs of children. TRAM is asking for volunteers to help set up booths, to sign people in, to [...]
The WBET 4th Annual 18-Hour RadioThon – benefiting St. Joseph County United Way – is set for Thursday (May 23) from 6 a.m. until midnight. In reporting on plans for the fundraising event, United Way Executive Director Kelly Hostetler said, “For 18 hours, hear about local and state issues, our agencies and programs in the [...]
May is National Foster Care Month. There are approximately 14,000 children in foster care in Michigan at any given point in time. These children have many needs and the community can play an important role in helping. Regardless of how much time you have to give, there are ways that you can help. Check out [...]
Now that warm weather has finally arrived, it’s time to get outdoors and start on those spring chores. On Saturday, May 11, Three Rivers residents are invited to participate in Three Rivers Community Pride Day. Volunteers will be busy pulling weeds, planting flowers, picking up trash, painting lamp posts, and cleaning out the ponds at [...]
When a person is diagnosed with mental illness they often lose important parts of their life. They frequently lose their jobs, relationships with people close to them often disintegrate, and they may seem to lose their role in society. They, in a sense, sometimes become nothing more than their mental illness. In St. Joseph County, [...]
This is the final week of our April series spotlighting outstanding volunteers in the St. Joseph County area. These individuals were nominated by the agencies with whom they work as a way of recognizing their generous contributions and the value they bring to those organizations and the clients they serve. It has been a personal [...]
This week we are spotlighting another special St. Joseph County volunteer. This series of interviews is our way of celebrating National Volunteer Week, which falls in April every year, and allows us to give some well-deserved recognition to individuals who are giving back to their communities. We hope that by reading their stories you will [...]
This week we are continuing our series of interviews as a way of celebrating National Volunteer Week. We asked local agencies for names of volunteers who have gone above and beyond in their efforts to help in their agencies and the clients they serve. Our hope is that the individuals we write about will receive [...]
National Volunteer Week, sponsored by the Points of Light Foundation, falls in the third week of April every year. It is a time when we focus attention on the power of community engagement and the generous people who choose volunteering as a way to give back. During this month we will be spotlighting the work [...]
Everyone who’s had children can remember the exciting days when their kids were young. If you’re like me, those memories might be a little blurry because you were so busy and often sleep-deprived. At the same time, a parent’s role during the early years of a child’s life will have important, life-long consequences for that [...]
On any given day there are about 135 children from St. Joseph County who are temporarily living somewhere else because their parents are unable to keep them safe or care for them appropriately. Every effort is made to eventually return these children to their parents but, until that can be done, the children need a [...]
I’m sure there are people who don’t agree but I’m always glad for the return of Daylight Savings Time. It puts sunshine in parts of the day when I most can use it and, more important, it means that the snow and cold of winter will soon give way to warm, coatless days and open [...]
Animal Rescue Fund has been active in St. Joseph County since 1998. During that time, they have spent over $200,000 to help spay or neuter over 5,000 pets when the owners couldn’t afford to have it done. They also provide straw and pet food to pet owners who struggle to pay for those items. Finally, [...]
‘The Duster’, a Three Rivers Health Variety Show, delivered lots of entertainment to an enthusiastic audience Saturday evening (March 2) in the Three Rivers Middle School auditorium. The show, a fundraiser for the St. Joseph County United Way, was preceded by a pancake dinner in the cafeteria. The two-hour show was produced and presented by [...]
‘The Duster’, a variety show produced and presented by Three Rivers Health employees, will take to the stage of the Three Rivers Middle School auditorium Saturday evening (March 2nd). The show, a fundraiser for the St. Joseph County United Way, will get underway at 6:30 p.m. Lots of great, local talent will perform during a [...]
