United Way Community Investment Success Stories for 2009
Each year, United Way receives inspiring stories from the programs and services supported by Community Investment dollars raised through the United Way Community Campaign. The following are true stories of real people living in the 40 towns of central and northeastern Connecticut. Your gift to Community Investment touches the lives of so many... please stand up for your community with a generous gift to Community Investment.
Ensuring Success for Children
Promoting Independence for Children with Intellectual Disabilities
Twelve-year-old Greg is a talented athlete but until recently, he hasn’t been able to participate in school sports teams, group recreational activities, or even Special Olympics. Greg is autistic, and his struggle with social skills and self-confidence made it difficult for him to interact with other children.
Last summer, the staff at Greg’s Community Investment supported summer camp decided to try something different, and they assigned Greg to help the camp’s adaptive physical education counselor. First thing every morning, Greg would leave his belongings in his classroom and head for the gym to set up the lesson plan for the day. The counselor guided Greg but also set high goals, challenging him to help the other campers with their program.
Over the course of one summer, Greg evolved from a shy child to a role model, and he began to enjoy his interactions with others. And after the summer’s end, Greg went on to participate in team sports at his school. Community Investment funded programs like ARC of Greater Enfield, Inc.’s Camp Shriver help children with disabilities develop the skills they need to succeed in school and in life.
Ensuring Success for Children through Mentoring
A Windham kindergartener was struggling with her behavior and her classroom performance. Financial problems at home were making it difficult for her to concentrate during the day. Fortunately, a referral to a Community Investment supported mentoring program has made all the difference for the girl and her family.
The kindergartener began meeting with her “Big Sister” after school and the two quickly formed a close bond. When Christmas came around, the Big Sister learned that the girl’s family had no money to celebrate: The mother was working and attending school full-time to improve her family’s prospects, and there just wasn’t enough money for gifts. The Big Sister sprang into action, and her whole family purchased presents for the family. When the girl’s mother picked them up at school, she cried with joy.
After a summer away from the mentoring program, the child began first grade with a few challenges, but once again her Big Sister jumped into action. Collaborating with the girl’s teacher, she implemented a behavior chart with simple, tangible goals and worked on homework with the girl each week. Since they began their additional work, the “Little Sister” has shown great improvement in reading and math and in her behavior. The girl’s mother confirms that the Big Brothers Big Sisters Nutmeg mentoring program, funded by Community Investment dollars, has enabled her daughter to improve her behavior and performance at school and at home.
Providing Structure, Opportunity, and Hope for Urban Youth
At just 12 years of age, Irvin carries himself like a young man. He has a part-time job, attends a rigorous preparatory academy, and is saving money for his future. But it wasn’t always this way. When Irvin began attending a Community Investment supported after-school program in Hartford, he was failing school, skipping class, and had been invited to join a gang. Problems at home made it even harder for him to resist these pressures.
The program made a positive impact in his life almost immediately. Irvin began to share details of his past, family issues, and personal struggles. Recognizing his struggle and potential, the staff encouraged and insisted that he bring his homework to the program every day. Although at times he hated hearing the question, “Let me see your homework” or “Let’s practice your multiplication facts one more time,” Irvin loved the fact that the staff truly cared about him and his well-being.
With the help of the after-school staff at Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford—supported by Community Investment dollars—Irvin applied and was accepted to the Capital Regional Education Council Public Safety Academy in Enfield. Today, he wakes up a before 6:00 a.m. to catch a bus to school. After a long day of rigorous classes, he arrives at his after-school program, completes his homework, and participates in a variety of programs that build his social skills. He also has a part-time job that supplies money for school uniforms and supplies and a savings account.
Thanks in large part to his after-school program, supported by contributions to Community Investment, Irvin and other children like him are developing the skills they need to advance their education and prepare for a successful adulthood.
Paving the Way Out of Poverty with Teen Leadership Opportunities
Ashly lives in a lower-income urban neighborhood. Now a teenager, she’s been involved with a Community Investment funded after-school program since kindergarten. When she was younger, Ashly was shy, quiet, and not confident enough to express herself. But a special program for after-school “alumni” has helped her develop her leadership skills and self-confidence. Today she gives back by volunteering and serving as a role model to younger kids in the after-school program.
A gifted student, Ashly dreamed of attending college and pursuing a career as a dermatologist, but her family couldn’t afford to help with the costs of higher education. Therefore, the after-school program staff helped her research available scholarship opportunities. In June, she graduated from the University High School of Science and Engineering with high honors and was inducted into the National Honor Society. This fall, Ashly will attend the University of Connecticut with several scholarships, and she plans to major in medicine. ConnectiKids after-school and alumni programs, funded by Community Investment, have helped Ashly and many others overcome economic disadvantages and achieve their dreams of higher education.
Providing High-Quality, Affordable Early Childhood Education
Anisa is a New Britain single mother of two small children. Last year her son, Jubei, became eligible for and enrolled in a Community Investment supported school readiness program. Anisa was very pleased by Jubei’s growth in preschool as a result of attending the program. The full-time schedule and the sliding fee scale made it possible for her to afford the program and led her to begin thinking about her own future and about supporting her family independently. Unfortunately her daughter, Elyra, was only a toddler, and Anisa couldn’t afford the cost of full-time tuition for toddler care. So the program staff worked with her to find a part-time slot for Elyra so that Anisa could begin looking for a job.
Anisa enrolled Elyra into the full-time school readiness program as soon as she was old enough. Anisa believes that the availability of quality early childhood education has not only helped her children but is also helping her. She now has a job and has returned to school, where she is working toward an associate’s degree in early childhood education. Anisa is grateful to the Community Investment supported child care program at YWCA of New Britain for helping to prepare her children for kindergarten, and she’s proud that she can now be the kind of role model for her children that she’s always wanted to be.
Addressing the Causes of Family Instability
The causes of family instability are often complex and interrelated. For instance, it’s difficult for many parents to focus on developing good parenting skills when they are worried about food, shelter, and other basic needs. That’s why Community Investment dollars support programs that address not just the symptoms of instability but also the underlying causes.
This kind of comprehensive program has made a huge difference in the lives of Sharese and her children. A single mother with physical disabilities, Sharese presented symptoms of depression when she started attending a Community Investment supported parenting program in Manchester. Since then, Sharese’s family has received help with their basic needs, and she and two of her children have benefitted directly from the case management services and therapeutic child care offered to those most in need. Sharese’s mental health has improved, and she has started attending college level courses and is working toward certification in massage therapy. With help from the program’s support group, she has more positive self-esteem and become more responsible and independent in advocating for her family.
While Sharese searches for a job, she has peace of mind knowing that her four-year-old daughter Tianna, who has a speech delay, is receiving high-quality care and preschool education at the program. Program staff referred Tianna for the speech therapy she now receives.
With help from a Community Investment funded program for parents and children at YWCA of the Hartford Region, Sharese and her children have increased their stability and are making progress toward a better life.
Promoting Strong and Healthy Families
Improving Family Financial Stability with Tax Assistance and Budget Coaching
Keren’s work hours had been cut in half when she arrived at a Community Investment supported Volunteer Income Tax Assistance site. Despite her difficult economic situation, she was determined to save money for a home for herself and her family.
Program volunteers help Keren establish a “savings pathway” to fulfill her dream. They set up an Individual Development Account, a kind of matched savings account that requires Keren to attend financial education classes in order to qualify for a match. Keren was also matched with a volunteer budget coach, also funded by Community Investment, who helped her get her family’s finances in order and clarify her financial goals. She used the insights gained from this program to establish her own transportation business before buying a home. Keren also took a 12-week business initiative course to make sure her idea was sound, and then she began carefully using her matched savings account to pay for a transportation license. With her research done and all the necessary steps taken, Keren opened her business, providing rides to children to and from the Connecticut Department of Children and Families.
Today, Keren is very busy with her business and her family, and she is still meeting with her budget coach. Together, Keren and her coach have set her next goal: to purchase a van for the business and hire her first employee. Family financial stability programs and initiatives like the Hartford Asset Building Collaborative’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and budget coaching programs, managed by Co-Opportunity and funded by Community Investment, help local people like Keren realize their dreams of a better tomorrow.
Empowering Job Seekers with Specialized Counseling
Mr. W. had been unemployed for more than two years when he sought help from a Community Investment supported agency. He had been laid off from a driving position, and although he sent out resumes and filled out many job applications in person, he had not been able to find work. His financial resources were nearly depleted.
The program staff provided specialized counseling to help Mr. W. present himself better on paper and in person. He also received lessons in applying for jobs online. Within two weeks of reworking his resume, Mr. W. was called in for job interviews, and within eight weeks, he was re-employed. With a little help from an employment program at John J. Driscoll United Labor Agency, Inc., supported by Community Investment funding, Mr. W. regained his financial stability.
Improving Family Financial Stability with Volunteer Income Tax Assistance
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) programs give local working families information and options to help them improve their financial situation. By directing them to often-overlooked income supports, EITC/VITA helps these families establish a strong foothold from which they, in turn, can help their neighbors. These programs are a key part of Community Investment’s focus on family financial stability.
Chris, a young father from New Britain, has been a VITA customer for the last three tax seasons. “I get my taxes done with VITA because it’s easy and free. They helped me to understand everything,” he says. Chris is so impressed with VITA that he not only refers his friends for services, he now serves as a trained VITA volunteer.
Neighborhood advocates like Chris demonstrate the power of the family financial stability programs funded by contributions to Community Investment. He and his fellow VITA volunteers at Human Resource Agency of New Britain and other local VITA sites helped nearly 8,000 working people across our region file for and receive more than $10.8 million in tax refunds this year—money they can use to decrease debt, save for the future, and work toward long-term goals.
Building a New Life after Incarceration
Juan’s prison record left a lasting impact on his self-sufficiency. He couldn’t get credit, he hadn’t filed his taxes, and he had trouble finding permanent housing. Juan committed to meeting regularly with a financial counselor at a Community Investment funded financial stability program for former prison inmates. The counselor helped Juan develop a budget that made better use of his limited fixed income, and together they developed a financial plan that outlined short- and long-term goals. Juan’s counselor also referred him to a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance site, also funded by Community Investment, so he could file his taxes.
By combining his tax return money and his limited income, Juan established an emergency fund of $500 and a separate housing deposit fund, and he paid off $200 of delinquent credit card debt. Eight months later, he has almost completed paying off three additional old credit card debts totaling $1,100. By paying off old debts and saving for a deposit, Juan was able to secure the housing he needed. Today, with help from Community Investment funded financial stabilityprograms at Families In Crisis, Inc., the Hartford Asset Building Collaborative and Co-Opportunity, Juan is well on the way to a more stable life.
Helping Those with Lou Gehrig’s Disease Live Life to Its Fullest
Bill, a former soldier who once served his country, now serves the needs of others with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
ALS usually has a survival rate of two to five years from the time of diagnosis, and Bill has lived with ALS for four years. His involvement with a Community Investment supported health agency has made a huge improvement in his quality of life. He has received equipment such as scooters and a power wheelchair, and he attends agency-run support groups. Bill’s fighting spirit remains strong, and today he serves as an advocate for others with ALS by speaking at local, state and national gatherings and participating in the Walk to Defeat ALS.
Community Investment support of Community Health Charities of New England member charities such as the ALS Association – Connecticut Chapter helps Bill and many others make the most of life with a debilitating disease. “I am attacking this with a positive attitude, and while there are many things I can’t do, I try to focus on the things I still can do,” says Bill. “…The human mind is so very powerful.”
Aiding Preemies and Their Parents with Research, Information and Support
Anthony and Afua’s son Kwabena (“Kobby”) was born 12 weeks premature. He weighed just 1 pound, 7 ounces and spent nearly five months in the neonatal intensive care unit receiving specialized care.
While Kobby was in intensive care, his parents benefitted from a Community Investment funded family support program that offers information and comfort to families with babies in the unit. They received educational materials and participated in customized programs designed to meet their specific needs, including support groups, scrapbooking events, sibling support, and photo sessions. They also received one-on-one family support from the program’s resident specialist.
Today, Kobby is nearly four years old, and he continues to make strides. For three years he received nutrition through a gastric feeding tube, but he can now eat solid foods. He also suffers from asthma and undergoes therapy for speech and developmental delays. While their son continues to progress, Afua and Tony serve as volunteers for the same program that helped them.
Community Investment support of Community Health Charities of New England member charities such as March of Dimes helps to ensure that crucial services and information are available for preemies and their families.
Care and Advocacy for Individuals with Sickle Cell Disease
Stanley has sickle cell disease, an inherited condition of the red blood cells that inhibits proper blood flow. Stanley considers himself one of the lucky ones. He uses a combination of vitamins, exercise, good nutrition, and lots of water to keep himself in good condition. But there are certain challenges that Stanley faces every day. He has a chronic shortage of oxygen in his body, for which he receives oxygen replacement therapy. He also has leg ulcers caused by poor blood circulation. Either one of these complications could unexpectedly lead to an acute crisis, resulting in a dreaded trip to the hospital emergency room.
Unfortunately, care for sickle cell patients is not always what it should be. Individuals with sickle cell disease face a shortage of health care specialists, and a lack of understanding about their medical condition that can lead to extended wait times in emergency rooms and difficulties when they travel.
Community Investment support of Community Health Charities of New England member charities such as Sickle Cell Disease Association of America Southern Connecticut, Inc., helps to ensure that Connecticut residents with sickle cell disease have a place to turn for information, help, and advocacy.
Providing a Safety Net of Services for Everyone
Supporting Vital Services for Older Adults
A year ago, at age 64, Jose came to a Community Investment funded program for the elderly hoping to receive mental health services. He was depressed, homeless, isolated from his family, and suffering from a wide range of chronic diseases. The program assigned him a clinician who immediately helped him with his anxiety and depression, and staff members helped him find housing. Jose was also encouraged to attend the program’s senior center for recreation, socialization, and healthy meals. He became a regular participant and joined his peers in activities such as dominoes, exercising, and dancing.
As they got to know Jose, the staff discovered that he had been a security officer during his working years. Coincidentally, the program needed someone to cover the reception desk on a volunteer basis. Jose was offered the job, and he accepted. His new volunteer position helped him to again feel useful and valuable. After a few months, a salary for this position became available. Today, Jose is happy and more financially and emotionally stable. He is so thankful for all the support that he has received; as he gratefully says, he is “a new man.”
Jose is living proof that a safety net of services can change the lives of our older neighbors. Contributions to Community Investment through the United Way Community Campaign funds programs like those at Catholic Charities, Inc., Archdiocese of Hartford, which help Jose and many others get back on their feet.
A Life Cycle of Services for the Intellectually Disabled
How can we measure the profound impact that a “life cycle of services” can have on a family of a child with an intellectual disability? One of the biggest challenges these families face is adjusting to new living situations. For many families, the day comes when an adult child with an intellectual disability can no longer live at home.
Anne and her family are one example. Anne is an inquisitive young woman who loves to socialize. She has an intellectual disability and cerebral palsy that limits the use of her left arm and left leg. Her favorite pastimes include working on puzzles, singing, and befriending her peers, especially those who use a wheelchair.
After her high school graduation, Anne enrolled in a pre-vocational skills program for people with intellectual disabilities, funded by Community Investment. At that time, she lived with her mother and grandmother. Several years later, however, her mother was diagnosed with a terminal illness and could no longer care for Anne. Fortunately, a placement was available in a Community Investment funded group residence. Today, Anne enjoys the many social opportunities that are available to her through her new home. Residential and day program staff work together to ensure that she continues to develop her independent living and self-help skills. Anne now works in the agency’s deli and helps in the laundry room.
As her mother’s health deteriorated, Anne has also received help from behavioral staff to ease her anxiety over her changing family situation. Anne’s daily activities give her focus and provide a sense of security. Perhaps most important, Anne knows that her “extended family” at the program is here for her today and will be there for her tomorrow. And as she nears the end of her terminal illness, Anne’s mother knows that her daughter will be well cared for by individuals who love her.
Community Investment funding makes it possible for individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families to receive a life cycle of safety net services through HARC, Inc.
Providing Support to Children and Families Affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders
When a nine-year-old boy was diagnosed with Asperger’s Disorder, severe episodes of anxiety were interfering with his basic functioning at home and school. He had no friends and was bullied in the classroom because of his explosive behavior and poor social skills. His teachers struggled to understand his behavior.
The boy and his family sought the help of a Community Investment supported program to obtain mental health services, advocacy, and case management. Both the family and the boy received counseling, and a clinician from the program worked with his elementary school to help his teachers understand his needs, abilities, and limitations. Program staff also taught the parents how to advocate for their son, reviewed parenting skills, and taught them behavioral interventions to decrease the boy’s anxiety and “acting out” episodes. The parents also joined a support group through the program.
Once an anxious, detached child, the boy is now a young man—and a college freshman. He is able to ignore inappropriate comments from others and has learned to express his concerns appropriately. He recently spoke to elementary school children about what it is like to grow up with Asperger’s Disorder. The Community Investment supported safety net program at Jewish Family Services of Greater Hartford that has helped the boy and his family cope with an autism spectrum disorder for so many years is now supporting them as he successfully transitions to independence.
Helping Families Make Ends Meet with Food and Nutrition Assistance
The young mother of a two-year-old and a three-week-old was referred to a Community Investment supported food pantry for help. Her baby was born with a serious health problem and remained in the neonatal intensive care unit. Meanwhile, the mother could not work, had no food in the house, and was worried about how she would feed herself and her other child on a small disability payment. The pantry’s food services director helped the woman obtain food and prescreened the family for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps). Through the prescreening process, they found that the woman’s extremely low income made her eligible for almost $400 in SNAP benefits. The program’s staff gave her additional information about applying for SNAP and encouraged her to return to the food pantry while she waited for her application to be processed.
Three weeks later, the woman called the program to say that her baby was out of the neonatal intensive care unit and that she had been granted SNAP benefits that would help her family until she returned to work. Now that she has resumed work, she continues to receive SNAP benefits because her income is still low enough to qualify. The food pantry at Manchester Area Conference of Churches, Inc. (MACC), funded by Community Investment, helped this young mother make ends meet in a crisis. And SNAP prescreening, a crucial part of family financial stability programs supported by Community Investment, helped her gain access to additional income supports, providing a more stable financial foothold for her family.
A Hand Up to Self-Sufficiency
After his incarceration, Mr. J. found himself homeless, jobless, and without any resources of his own. Not knowing where else to turn, he approached the food pantry staff at a Community Investment funded agency. They arranged placement at a local shelter, helped him apply for assistance, and gave him food.
With short-term counseling and medication management through the same agency, Mr. J.’s mood began to stabilize. An agency clinician gave him information on job banks, and Mr. J. found a job. The pantry provided additional food to help him make ends meet at the end of the month, and eventually, Mr. J. was able to maintain a budget and move into an apartment.
Today, Mr. J. supports himself with income from his job. He is in charge of the fundraising department in the company where he works, and once a year he raises money to help support the agency he once relied on for help. Community Investment funding of safety net programs at Hockanum Valley Community Council, Inc., helps Mr. J. and others in Tolland County build new lives and give back to their communities.
Breaking Destructive Cycles through Transitional Housing and Counseling
At 31 years old, with a family history of drug abuse, prostitution and physical abuse, Maria decided to seek a new life for herself and her son Paul. They came to a Community Investment supported transitional housing program for women and their children. The program’s staff helped Maria and Paul apply for a furnished two-bedroom apartment, where they now live. Maria participates actively in the groups, counseling, and other activities that the program offers. She meets with her case manager several times a week, and both she and Paul receive clinical counseling.
Paul is enrolled in school and is doing well. Maria rushes home from her employment and rehab programs each day to meet him as he gets off the bus. With help from the program, Paul has started karate classes, and his social skills are improving. Both mother and son are less anxious, and program staff and school personnel alike have noticed the positive changes that this small family has achieved. Maria and Paul finally feel that they have a stable life, and they look forward to the future. Community Investment funded safety net services, such as those at My Sisters’ Place, where Maria and Paul sought assistance, help to ensure that families in crisis have the opportunity to begin anew.
A Place to Turn When All Else Fails
Sheliba was raising her nine-year-old twin sons in a Hartford apartment when the rent suddenly increased by more than $300. When she got sick and lost her job, Sheliba realized she couldn’t make it on her own anymore. She and the boys showed up at a Community Investment supported homeless shelter, where they are waiting for her Social Security disability claim to be processed. If Sheliba qualifies, she could benefit from other services and possibly a housing subsidy. In the meantime, the family can count on shelter and meals. “Things are working out here,” says one son hopefully.
Without Community Investment funded safety net programs like those at South Park Inn, Inc., local families like Sheliba’s would have nowhere to turn for help in difficult economic times.
A Helping Hand for Families of the Intellectually Disabled
Caring for a family member with an intellectual disability is a recipe for mental burnout and physical exhaustion unless support is available. Imagine that you can’t trust your five-year-old to remain alone for a single minute without him getting into trouble—and you’re the only one to watch him.
That’s the situation with Ben and his mother. Ben is an active five-year-old with autism. His mother tries her best to handle Ben’s behaviors, but it’s no easy task. When she heard about a Community Investment funded respite program for kids and families with special needs, she thought they’d give it a try. It would give Ben the chance to socialize in a playgroup with other disabled children and give her the chance to make friends with other parents who understood her situation.
At first, Ben found it hard to focus on any activity for more than a few minutes. He ran in circles around the room, kicking everything in his path. His mother despaired of him ever behaving appropriately. After one particularly trying incident, Ben’s mother was ready to give up, but the group’s counselor intervened with encouragement and advice. The other parents helped with phone calls and emails of support. Ben and his mom began attending playgroup again—but this time for small intervals, leaving “on a good note” before Ben acted out. Today, Ben and his mom stay for the entire two-hour group session. Ben maintains his focus and stable behavior for longer periods of time, giving his mother the time she needs to relax and talk with other parents. Thanks to a Community Investment funded safety net program at The ARC of the Farmington Valley, Inc. (FAVARH), Ben is developing much-needed social skills and his mother feels less isolated.
Learning to Live at Home with Diabetes
A 56-year-old woman had just been diagnosed with diabetes when she was found unconscious in her home by her family. She was taken to the hospital and admitted in a diabetic coma. When it came time for her to leave the hospital, her family was distraught. She had no insurance to cover any home nursing visits: How would she manage on her own?
Thanks to a Community Investment supported safety net program, a registered nurse came to the woman’s home for medication management. The woman learned how to manage her diabetes by controlling her diet and monitoring her blood sugar level. Community Investment funding also made it possible for a registered dietitian to counsel her on nutrition and diabetes.
Today, the woman is in control of her diabetes. She knows how to identify the signs and symptoms of blood sugar problems and how to prevent a life-threatening diabetic coma. Community Investment funding of the Visiting Nurse Association of Central Connecticut, Inc. ensures that our neighbors with diabetes receive the home-based help they need to lead independent lives.
Bridging the Gap with Much-Needed Meals
A local woman fell on the job and suffered a brain injury. Her finances were rapidly drained. After stays in a hospital and a nursing home, she was finally able to go home, where she qualified for three meals a week through a Community Investment supported program. When program staff called the woman to check in, she was reluctant to share the severity of her injuries and limitations. She finally revealed that on the days she didn’t receive meals, she ate only cereal. Her injuries left her unable to cook for herself, and the cost of her medication left little money for food. She was proud and grateful for the help she had already received and was reluctant to ask for more. The program’s staff is trying to identify additional sources of help to “bridge the gap” for this woman.
Community Investment funding provides “bridge money” to programs such as VNA Health Care, Inc.’s Meals on Wheels to serve those who, through no fault of their own, can’t quite make ends meet. Community Investment helps to ensure that this safety net is there for all of us.
Utility Assistance when Temperatures Fall
Winter presents special challenges for lower income individuals, especially when the cost of oil is high. Last winter, a Windham mother and her four-year-old child went without heat for three days before seeking assistance from a Community Investment supported program. A state assistance program had turned her away, saying that her income was too high. She had no family to turn to and had already sold precious possessions to pay the bills. The program was able to give her a full tank of oil.
Community Investment supported programs such as those at Windham Area Interfaith Ministry provide support for basic human needs when other sources are exhausted—part of a safety net that makes our region a more humane place to live.
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