WNEM TV 5 Economy, cuts hit United Way hard

Economy, cuts hit United Way hard

Emergency food and shelter programs will receive less funding this year.

The Bay County United Way handed out $57,588 to area organizations, but that number is down 40 percent from last year.

The money goes to helping residents with food, rent/mortgage payments and utility bills. Some of the groups that receive funding include the American Red Cross, Good Samaritan Rescue Mission and Salvation Army.

The dollars come from the federal government but are distributed by the state. Last year Michigan received about $9.5 million. This year that number dropped drastically to $5.2 million. The cuts will impact almost every county in the state.

"There's no question, there will be fewer people helped this year over last year. At a 40 percent cut it's absolutely impossible to sustain services," said Bay County United Way CEO Jennifer Carroll.

The state distributes the federal money to counties based on unemployment numbers and other economic factors. This year Saginaw County received $100,354 and Genesee County received $240,822.

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