UNITED WAY OF MARQUETTE COUNTY 2025 CAMPAIGN
Join us in making a lasting impact in Marquette County. Our 2025 campaign supports 30 partner agencies helping 1 in 4 residents through four pillars of service: healthy communities, youth opportunity, financial security, and community resiliency.
Every day in Marquette County, neighbors are helping neighbors build a stronger, more resilient community. Through our 2025 campaign, United Way of Marquette County continues this tradition of caring, bringing together generous hearts and dedicated partners to address our community’s most pressing needs. With your support, we’re making a real difference in the lives of more than 16,000 friends and neighbors—that’s 1 out of every 4 Marquette County residents.
Your Impact in Action
The numbers tell an inspiring story of community care and collective action. In 2024, United Way of Marquette County facilitated about $1.5 million of impact in our community—a remarkable 40% increase from the previous year. This growth reflects not just increased funding, but expanded partnerships and innovative approaches to addressing local challenges.
When you contribute to our annual campaign, you’re not just making a donation—you’re investing in solutions that touch every corner of our community, from ensuring families have enough to eat to providing safe spaces for children to learn and grow.
Four Pillars of Community Strength
Our work is guided by four essential pillars that create the foundation for a thriving Marquette County. Each pillar addresses critical needs while building long-term stability and opportunity for all residents.
Making a Healthy Community
Supporting programs that improve physical and mental health, ensuring access to healthcare, and promoting wellness throughout our region.
Creating Youth Opportunity
Investing in programs that help young people succeed in school, develop life skills, and prepare for bright futures in our community.
Fostering Financial Security
Helping families achieve stability through job training, financial education, emergency assistance, and pathways to self-sufficiency.
Developing Community Resiliency
Building our community’s ability to face challenges together, from natural disasters to economic uncertainty, through strong partnerships and innovative solutions.
Addressing Critical Community Needs
Food insecurity affects about 40% of Marquette County households—a sobering reminder of the challenges our neighbors face. Through our network of partner agencies and community collaborations, we’re responding with both immediate relief and long-term solutions. In 2024 alone, mobile food pantries delivered 493,593 meals throughout Marquette County.
But our impact extends far beyond food assistance. Through our network of 30 trusted partner agencies, we’re tackling challenges ranging from housing instability to educational barriers, from healthcare access to emergency relief.
How Your Support Makes a Difference
Every gift to United Way of Marquette County—whether $5 or $5,000—creates ripple effects throughout our community. Your support doesn’t just fund programs; it builds connections, strengthens families, and creates opportunities for lasting change.
Immediate Impact
Your gift provides immediate assistance to families in crisis, ensuring children have meals and families have shelter.
Long-term Change
Your investment funds programs that help people build skills, find stable employment, and achieve independence.
Community Connection
Your support brings people together, fostering the relationships and networks that make communities strong.
Innovation and Growth
Your contribution helps us develop new solutions and expand successful programs to reach more people in need.
Special Campaigns Making Extra Impact
Throughout 2025, we’ve launched special initiatives that bring our community together around shared goals. From the TV6 Canathon that mobilizes the entire Upper Peninsula to collect food for local pantries, to our partnership with DoorDash that delivers supplies directly to families who need them most—these campaigns showcase the incredible power of community collaboration.
Our holiday programs, including the Giving Tree and Adopt a Family initiatives, ensure that the magic of the season reaches every child in our community. These efforts remind us that when we work together, no family has to face hardship alone.
Your Trusted Partners in Change
United Way of Marquette County works with 26 carefully selected partner agencies, each bringing unique expertise and deep community connections to address different aspects of human need. From the American Red Cross and Big Brothers Big Sisters to local organizations like the Janzen House and Lake Superior Village Youth and Family Center, our partners represent decades of combined experience in serving our community.
When you give to United Way, you’re supporting this entire network of care—ensuring your donation has maximum impact across multiple programs and services that work together to strengthen families and build community resilience.
Join Our Community of Care
The strength of our 2025 campaign lies not in any single large gift, but in the collective commitment of community members who believe in the power of neighbors helping neighbors. Whether you’re able to contribute monthly through workplace payroll deduction, make a one-time gift, or volunteer your time and skills, you become part of something bigger than yourself.
Ready to Make a Difference?
Online:
Phone: Call us at (906) 226-8171 to speak with our team
Mail: Send your gift to PO Box 73, Marquette, MI 49855
Workplace: Ask about payroll deduction options at your employer
Volunteer: Explore opportunities at yoopersunited.com
Under the leadership of Executive Director Andrew Rickauer and 2025 Campaign Co-Chairs Jesse Renfors and Rebecca Bartelme, United Way of Marquette County continues building on a foundation of trust, transparency, and community impact that spans decades.
Together, we’re not just meeting today’s challenges—we’re building the strong, resilient community that future generations will inherit. Your support of our 2025 campaign is an investment in that brighter future for Marquette County.