Success Stories

Dan's Story

 

Dan is in 3rd grade and needed more directed attention during homework hour. He is an only child being raised by a single-parent.  Last fall, his dad suffered a stroke and now uses all of his energy to keep his job and home for himself and his son.
 
Dan is a very withdrawn, quiet child who seldom smiles. His life has not been easy and he suffers from several learning disabilities.  His struggles in the classroom lead to social awkwardness, extreme anxiety, and lack of confidence.
 
Thanks to United Way’s LIVE UNITED Fund, dad was able to access the learning center to help ease the burden of doing homework at home.  They opted for one-on-one tutoring as Dan wouldn’t be comfortable speaking in front of his peers.  He was tutored in Math, History, and Essay Writing.  Over the course of the year, Dan slowly became more comfortable with his tutor and his schoolwork and as a result, started making small successes in his grades.  These successes lead to confidence which inevitably lead to more success.  
 
Although Dan still struggles with his learning disabilities, he has made great strides this past year both in school and socially.  Recently Dan enrolled in summer camp.  He has been making friends, readily participating and yesterday, he skipped in the door with a smile.
 

Rayna’s Story

Rayna, a 27-year-old single mother from Brockton, attended a financial literacy workshop at her local library provided by the LIVE UNITED Fund. She had received a housing voucher and needed help building her credit score, as she had a goal of becoming a first-time homebuyer.
 
Through the workshop curriculum, Rayna learned how to improve her credit score and pull her own free credit reports.  She met with a counselor one-on-one to review the report and develop a savings plan. Rayna is now ready to find the perfect home for her and her family!
 

Isabella’s Story 

 

Last year, Isabella came to the United States seeking a better life for herself and her two daughters, Valentina and Camila.   She and her daughters stayed with her aunt when she arrived to the United States.  Shortly after, Isabella and her daughters had to leave her aunt’s home.  
 
During this time of transition, Isabella got into a relationship with a man whom she thought was kind and decent.   As is the case for many domestic violence victims, Isabella entered into a relationship when she was at a particularly vulnerable point in her life and the relationship became abusive.  
 
Shortly after the start of the relationship, the man became violent. Isabella found herself in an abusive relationship in a foreign country and she was terrified.   The abusive partner was physically and emotionally abusive to Isabella, Valentina (17) and Camila (12). 
 
Desperate for help, Isabella heard about Massachusetts 211, a United Way funded, 24 hour, free, multilingual, confidential, information referral service.  The operator at 211 was able to connect her with a United Way partner agency initiative supported by the LIVE UNITED Fund that assists victims of domestic violence.   Isabella learned English, finished high school and today, and she and her family are safe and in a permanent home.  Isabella gives back to the community that helped her by volunteering for the shelter that saved their lives.