EVERYTHING CHANGES: WIDOW TACKLES LOSS, FINANCIAL WOES WITH HELP FROM UNITED WAY, PARTNERS

As Ginger Penfil sat down to balance her checkbook – reconciling the stack of mounting bills against the account’s remaining funds – her heart sank into her belly.

“I was in disbelief, really,” she said. “Shocked.”

The financial and emotional shocks had stacked up against Ginger and her husband, Robert, over the past several years.

GREAT YEAR AHEAD: UNITED WAY KICKS OFF 2022-23 COMMUNITY CAMPAIGN

Each year, United Way rallies its corporate and labor partners and the community to raise funds. Last year’s efforts helped raise more than $43 million to provide essential support and services across Oakland, Wayne and Macomb counties. This year, the team decided to stay the course and reset our goal of $40 million raised and 40,000 volunteer hours.

NETWORK OF PARTNERSHIPS HELPS DETROITERS STAY IN THEIR HOMES

If every home has a story, then the little three-bedroom bungalow on Milner Street in Detroit weaves an inspirational tale of hardship and triumph – themes the home’s owner, Renetta Frazier, knows well.

In 2020, Renetta and her husband, Marvin, lost the home to property tax foreclosure. After avoiding notices because they lacked resources to catch up on payments, Renetta came home one day to find a note and lifeline taped to the front door.

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FAMILIES MAXIMIZE REFUNDS BY VISITING FREE TAX SITES

From childcare and education resources to free tax prep and financial coaching, United Way for Southeastern Michigan partners with hundreds of organizations across the region to provide services that help families become stable and ensure children can thrive.