PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Nicole Horn, Donor Relations & Communications Officer, Bay Area Community Foundation
(989) 893-4438 | nicoleh@bayfoundation.org
Bay Area Community Foundation Receives $20,000 Grant to Support Community Foundation Access and Opportunity Grant Program
Bay City, MI – August 21, 2026 – The Bay Area Community Foundation (BACF) has received one of twelve $20,000 grants awarded by the Consumers Energy Foundation supporting United Way of Bay County’s Lifted Voices: Navigating the Challenges Facing ALICE Youth. Every day, students in our community face challenges that can significantly impact their ability to succeed in school.
The Lifting Voices Simulation was created to help educators and other professionals who engage with youth to gain a deeper understanding of the everyday realities and barriers students experience. The web-based simulation walks participants through eight challenges faced by students every day and was designed using real-life situations from Bay County youth.
“We are excited to once again partner with the United Way of Bay County as we work together to provide this opportunity to the education sector. Following the success of the pilot program, Lifted Voices: Navigating the Challenges Facing ALICE Youth, we will once again primarily focus on the education sector for training in the program.” Shawna Walraven, President & CEO, Bay Area Community Foundation.
By combining narrative storytelling with outcome-based reporting, we gain a more complete picture of how funded projects may promote equity, inclusion, and community impact. This dual approach allows us to track not only metrics but meaning.
“Better understanding student’s needs, educators can learn how to connect young people to resources that can improve their quality of life.”Shawna Walraven, President & CEO, Bay Area Community Foundation
United Way of Bay County works to create opportunities that ensure everyone has the resources, support, and opportunities to thrive. After recognizing a need in our community, they developed Lifted Voices: Navigating the Challenges Facing ALICE Youth. This program will assist in the goal of creating a more compassionate and responsive education environment where every student has a fair opportunity to thrive.
“It is important that we focus on the youth in our community who are also living in the same households where adults are struggling financially. They face a different set of challenges that we need to recognize. The grant awarded by Consumers Energy Foundation is a long-lasting investment in our youth and creates an understanding and empathy for those working with our most vulnerable population,” Nicole Luczak President & CEO, United Way of Bay County.
Established in 1982, the Bay Area Community Foundation (BACF) was created by and for the people of the Bay Area. Every action we take is rooted in a desire to create a community that is united, thriving, and resilient, and our mission is to build community through generosity, leadership, and strategic grantmaking. We annually award an average of nearly $2,000,000 throughout Bay and Arenac Counties in the form of grants and scholarships.
The Consumers Energy Foundation is the charitable arm of Consumers Energy, Michigan’s largest energy provider. The Consumers Energy Foundation enables communities to thrive and brow by investing in what’s most important to Michigan – its people, our planet, and Michigan’s prosperity. In 2020, the Consumers Energy Foundation, Consumers Energy and its employees and retirees contributed over $20 million to Michigan nonprofits. For more information about the Consumers Energy Foundation, visit www.ConsumersEnergy.com/foundation.
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The Bay Area Community Foundation is a philanthropic organization working to improve the quality of life in Bay and Arenac Counties. The Foundation’s mission is to build community through generosity, leadership, and strategic grantmaking. The Bay Area Community Foundation is in the Pere Marquette Depot at 1000 Adams Street, Suite 200, Bay City, Michigan 48708. For more information, visit www.bayfoundation.org.
I am proud to serve my community through my role at BACF. As a Program Officer, I collaborate with nonprofit, government, church, and school partners in Bay and Arenac counties to navigate our grant opportunities and find the right funding alignment. From project conception to post-award, I am your main contact for all things grants. Connecting organizations and donors who share the same vision and passion is at the heart of my work.
