Appropriations Requests for

• Cosponsoring legislators' names (if applicable):
• Physical address of legislatively directed spending item recipient and the intended location of the project or activity:
  353 E. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo MI 49007
• The recipient's employer identification number:
  381360598
• Requested amount of the legislatively directed spending item:
  $1,500,000.00
• What is the purpose and how does the legislatively directed spending item provide a public benefit that is an appropriate use of taxpayer money?
  YWCA Kalamazoo seeks $1.5 million to continue the organization’s work to meet the urgent and growing needs of survivors of violence, infants, children, and families across Kalamazoo County and Southwest Michigan. YWCA Kalamazoo hosts many vital and life-saving programs for its community. It is the largest and sole provider of comprehensive emergency services for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, labor and human trafficking in Kalamazoo County. The organization operates an over 50-bed shelter with specialized crisis support services for those fleeing violence while working with individuals and families to navigate legal systems, access safe housing, and support economic empowerment. YWCA Kalamazoo runs two childcare centers known collectively as the YWCA Dreamery, providing comprehensive, high-quality, and affordable early childhood education for families across Kalamazoo. The Women and Infant Supportive Health (WISH) program is the only restriction-free perinatal home visitation program in Kalamazoo County, serving all families regardless of income, access to transportation, or insurance status. In 2024, YWCA Kalamazoo supported 716 adult survivors and 341 children through crisis intervention and comprehensive violence response services. The Dreamery has provided high-quality early education to 185 enrolled children with over 75% receiving tuition assistance and navigated over 400 additional requests for community resources with clients and families. In 2025, WISH served 114 families in childhood developmental, home and healthy living education, supported 320 families in CPR and infant safety training, and expanded staff employment through Community Health Worker certifications with the State of Michigan. This funding request would address a critical service gap projected for 2027 across all programs. YWCA Kalamazoo has experienced a 144% surge in demand for violence response services, with shelter referrals tripling in the last few years. Increases in demand for support is positioned against a backdrop of reduced or eliminated local supportive resources, high-risk pregnancies and health issues disproportionately concentrated in communities of color, and a lack of affordable and accessible childcare in the area. Funding losses in 2025 have already vastly reduced YWCA Kalamazoo’s staffing and restructured services offered across the organization. With the potential for additional losses to federal funding and without swift intervention, YWCA Kalamazoo anticipates continued reductions in the services it can provide to the community, including the closure of childcare services, supports for survivors, and several other lifesaving programs. These closures will likely result in unmet needs and potentially loss of life. YWCA Kalamazoo requests $750,000 to sustain programming for YWCA’s WISH and Dreamery program and $750,000 to support our victim services programs. This funding supports services that are essential, effective, and broadly accessible to the public. The programs reduce long-term societal costs, improve public health and safety, and help families thrive—yielding measurable returns for communities and taxpayers alike. As a nonprofit organization providing direct, nonsectarian public services and operating under state oversight, YWCA Kalamazoo’s work qualifies as a constitutionally sound investment under Article IV, Section 30 of the Michigan Constitution. This one-time funding will help sustain life-saving services while positioning Kalamazoo as a statewide leader in violence prevention, early childhood education, and maternal and infant health equity.
• Has the legislatively directed spending item previously received or been awarded any of the following types of funding in the past 5 years?
  State Funding
• If so, how?
  Amount: $500,000.00
• Estimated time frame for completion of the legislatively directed spending item project:
  October 1 2026 - September 30 2027
• Has the nonprofit corporation continuously operated in this state for the preceding 36 months?
  Yes
• Has the nonprofit corporation had a physical office in this state for not less than the preceding 12 consecutive months?
  Yes
• Does the nonprofit corporation have a board of directors?
  Yes
• List all of the officers and active members on the board of directors:
  Dr. Regena Nelson Susan Springgate Katie Paauwe Elisabeth Von Eitzen Lakeysha Ivy Dr. Nakia Baylis Dr. Deveta Gardner Sonya Datta-Sandhu Dr. Glinda Rawls Margaret Patton Kimberly Peterson Cathy Wortham Samantha Phillips Leigh Ann Sayen Carol Hustoles Angelita Aguilar Kendra Logan

Certification By Sponsoring Legislator