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From left to right: Kristen Moses, Director of Healthy Living; Cindy Rosa, CEO; Brandee Grabau, Youth Development Director
United Way of Southwest Minnesota Awards Kindness Investment Program (KIP) Grant to YMCA Reading Buddies Program
MARSHALL, MN – United Way of Southwest Minnesota (UWSWMN) has awarded a $1,000 Kindness Investment Program (KIP) Grant to the Marshall Area YMCA. This funding will support the Reading Buddies program, where adult volunteers meet with elementary school aged youth to develop and strengthen critical literacy skills.
"Reading Buddies is a program we launched in the Spring of 2026 to bring our senior and youth members together at the YMCA,” said Kristen Moses, Director of Healthy Living at the Marshall Area YMCA. “We are thrilled with how it's going - the kids love having the volunteers come and read a story and do a simple craft with them, and the volunteers in turn have enjoyed building relationships with our After School Program and Summer Camp kids."
The Reading Buddies program actively involves children in the storytelling process rather than having them passively listen, helping improve their reading comprehension, vocabulary, and oral language skills. This intergenerational program currently serves 35 youth. Marshall Area YMCA is currently seeking more volunteers to help with the program, please contact Kirsten Moses at kmoses@marshallareaymca.org if interested.
“Investing in early childhood literacy is vital to setting our kids up for lifelong success,” said Tanya Moat, CEO of the United Way of Southwest Minnesota. “We are pleased to support the YMCA’s Reading Buddies program and want to remind our broader community that we offer these flexible micro-grants to help local groups bring small-scale, impactful projects to life.”
KIP Grants are awarded year-round, dependent on available funding, to nonprofit organizations, public schools, and government units for small‑scale, community‑level projects not currently receiving funding through a Community Impact Grant. The UWSWMN Board reviews requests and may award up to $1,000 for projects that align with one or more of UWSWMN’s priority areas: Youth Opportunities, Healthy Communities, Financial Security, and Community Resiliency.
Projects must occur within the UWSWMN service area and benefit residents in Lincoln, Lyon, Murray, Yellow Medicine, and portions of Cottonwood, Lac qui Parle, Nobles, and Redwood counties. Complete guidelines are available at unitedwayswmn.org/kindness-investment-program-kip.
For more information about the work of your local United Way, please visit UnitedWaySWMN.org.