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Over the past weekend, the unimaginable happened in our nearby Kalamazoo community when a shooter took the lives of six people and severely injured two others. We are deeply saddened by such unbearable acts of violence and the senseless death and unspeakable fear that has fell upon our beloved community. We share our deepest condolences to the victims and their families, and those grieving.
Unfortunately, we now join a growing list of communities across the country that have suffered and are trying to heal from the loss of innocent lives. It is our sincere hope we can move forward in the spirit of healing, as individuals and families, and as a unified community.
We offer a special thanks to the Battle Creek Community Foundation, the Kalamazoo Community Foundation and the United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region for the creation of a Community Fund to support the healing for individuals, families, schools and communities. We join the Kellogg Company and Kalamazoo community in support of the fund and other charitable efforts to bring us back into relationship with each other.
Towards this end, we are proud to offer a 5:1 match under our Matching Gift Program for any contributions made by Kellogg Foundation staff or retirees to eligible nonprofit organizations restricted to Kalamazoo community healing efforts directly related to tragic events of Feb. 20, 2016. Contributions made on or after Feb. 20, 2016 thru Aug. 20, 2016 by foundation employees or retirees will be eligible for this enhanced match. Please note that gifts made directly to or for specific individual/families do not qualify for the match (i.e., GoFundMe accounts).
Additionally, as the community of Flint continues to address the persistent lead exposure water crisis, we are also providing a 5:1 match for any contributions made to eligible non-profit originations where gifts are restricted to support the Flint community with the water crisis. Contribution made on or after Jan. 1, 2016 thru Dec. 31, 2016 by foundation employees or retirees will be eligible for this enhanced match. We believe these efforts will allow us to mobilize our collective actions on behalf of the Kalamazoo and Flint communities.
The foundation continues to send our thoughts and prayers to everyone impacted by this past weekend’s violence.
