United in Purpose in Oceana County!
Oceana County, located on Michigan’s west side along beautiful Lake Michigan, is known for its fruitful farmland, beautiful scenic landscapes, and endless outdoor recreation opportunities. They are home to the Silver Lake Sand Dunes, Little Point Sable Lighthouse landmark, and are known as the “Asparagus Capitol of the World.” According to the 2020 Census, Oceana has a population of 26,659 residents, and many more flock to our shores in the summer tourist season.
Get Connected. Get Help. Dial 2-1-1.
United Way of the Lakeshore helps thousands of people each year through 211. In a crisis or in a disaster, 211 is here to help every person in our community find food, pay bills, and connect to other essential services. 211 is an easy way to find help of all kinds, right in your community. Need help with food, housing, or paying bills? Need support in a family crisis or community disaster? They are here for you. Any time. All the time. Just call, text, or search online and we’ll get you connected.
211 is the Lakeshore's lifeline for help.
Key United Way of the Lakeshore Programs in Oceana County:
Mobile Food Pantries
United Way of the Lakeshore is proud to partner with several agencies and businesses to bring Feeding American Mobile Food Pantries to locations across Oceana County. Thank you to GHSP, Hart Rotary Club, the Oceana Community Foundation, New Hope Community Church, Shelby Rotary Club, and Shelby State Bank for sponsoring a mobile food pantry this season!
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library
ALL children under the age of five residing in Oceana County are eligible to participate in Dolly Parton's Imagination Library! Each month, every registered child receives a free, high-quality, age-appropriate book through the mail, continuing until they turn five years old. Imagine every child having their own library of 60 books by the time they go to kindergarten!
Free Tax Preparation - VITA & MyFreeTaxes
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free basic tax return preparation to qualified individuals. VITA sites offer free tax help to people who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns, including:
- People who generally make $60,000 or less
- Persons with disabilities
- Limited English-speaking taxpayers
MyFreeTaxes - MyFreeTaxes helps people file their federal and state taxes for free, and it’s brought to you by United Way and has no income limitations!
SingleCare: Prescription Savings
United Way of the Lakeshore is a proud to partner with SingleCare. SingleCare is a free prescription savings service and discount card that can save you up to 80% on medications at most major pharmacies. SingleCare is always free to use and works whether you have insurance or not, because they believe everyone should have access to the lowest prices available for their medications. SingleCare is valid at 35,000+ pharmacies in the United States.
Making an impact on education, economic mobility, and health!
United Way of the Lakeshore is proud to partner with 15 agencies in Oceana County to bring programs and services to the community. These agencies and their programs include:
Education:
- Dolly Parton's Imagination Library
- Oceana College Access Network - Community Foundation for Oceana County
- Youth Outreach - Staircase Youth Services, Inc.
- Leadership Experience - Girl Scouts MI Shore to Shore
- Retired & Senior Volunteer Program - AmeriCorps Seniors / United Way
Economic Mobility:
- Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program - Goodwill Industries
- 211 Helpline
- Free Legal Services - Legal Aid of Western Michigan
- Barnett Station - Dogwood Community Development
- Neighbor to Neighbor Fund - Oceana Hispanic Center
- Emergency Needs Fund - United Way of the Lakeshore
Health:
- Domestic Violence Intervention - Communities Overcoming Violent Encounters (COVE)
- Family Mediation - Mediation & Restorative Services
- Transportation Vouchers - Disability Network of West Michigan
- Food & Nutrition - Feeding America West MI
In 2022, over 12,000 families* were served in Oceana County through these programs thanks to our amazing partners!
*** This is an estimated unduplicated amount based on agency reporting. Many of our families experience multiple services through multiple programs. An example being families served at a mobile food pantry are also being served by our Retired & Senior Volunteer Program members.
Thank you to the Oceana County Community Committee Members:
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Ari Aguinaga, GHSP Hart
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Eva Berumen, West Shore ESD
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Curtis Burdette, Oceana County Economic Alliance
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Kortni Garcia, District Health Department #10
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Paul Inglis, Village of Shelby
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Mark Platt, Hart Public Schools
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Tom Sims, Community Advocate
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Erin Stark, Shelby State Bank
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Stevie Walker, Gray & Company
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Kay Williams, Hart Area Public Library (retired)
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Looking for more information on United Way of the Lakeshore in Oceana County? Reach out to Barbara Sims, Oceana County Director, at barbara@unitedwaylakeshore.org!
