Testimonials and Success Stories
Early Childhood Development:
Our twins, Maggie and Charlie, were born early at 24 weeks. We were told that we should be on the look- out for developmental delays. We were referred to a United Way supported program, Early Intervention, through the Children’s Developmental Center, where Maggie and Charlie have now received services since they were six months old. They are now 29 months old and doing fantastic. They have even begun to show some skills that are beyond their age. We are incredibly thankful for the care and attention given to our children.
Around here, attendance matters!
Good attendance habits are forming! A parent from Robert Olds Junior High School in Connell reported that when her son had to have minor surgery he insisted that they schedule it over spring break. She shared that he told his doctor, “Attendance matters and I don’t want to miss any school. I have perfect attendance and we can do the surgery, but it has to be over break.” Both the doctor and the student’s parents were surprised and realized that the United Way’s Attendance Matters®initiative is definitely a positive influence on our kids.
Grief Counseling:
Cole was only 5 years old when his grandmother brought him and his sister to Cork’s Place, a United Way funded program through Chaplaincy Health Care. She had received custody of her grandchildren after their father tragically shot their mother and then committed suicide. This family was in desperate need of help and the grandmother was searching for resources for her grandchildren, especially Cole, who was experiencing intense anger towards his dad. Since attending Cork’s Place, we have been able to watch him grow from one group session to the next. We have heard his struggles with grieving, or as he would say, “learn a new normal way to be human”, and the struggles he experiences in school with bullying, anger, and finding where he fits in life. Now a teenager, Cole has become a voice to others.
Through tragedy there is hope. Cole will never fully heal from what he has faced, but he has learned that it does not define him. It is just a part of his story.
Social and Independent Living Skills:
Jim, whose name has been changed to protect his identity, is a young man with autism who has a difficult time interacting with others in an appropriate way. Consequently, he will often bypass talking to people and verbalizing his wants or desires, especially to people he does not know. Through participation in the United Way funded Community Access program at The Arc of Tri-Cities, he spends time going out to different locations and attempting to independently order food or make purchases and strike up conversations with people he meets. When asked what he likes the most about Community Access, Jim said, "Subway. I like it. People talk to me. I like talking." When asked if it used to be different for him to go to Subway, he replied, "Agreed. People didn't talk." Through the careful one-on-one support offered in Community Access, Jim is able to meet people and not hesitate to strike up a conversation with them. We are seeing marked improvement in his social skills and community navigation skills at every evaluation.
Foster Care:
Johnny, whose name has been changed to protect his identity, never knew safety or stability as a child. His mother struggled with substance abuse and could not take care of him. He was passed around amongst different relatives where he was repeatedly sexually abused by those he should have been able to trust. Johnny was placed in foster care when he was 7 years old. By age 10, he had been through four failed home placements and suffered from severe anxiety.
Through the United Way supported program, Children Come First, at Catholic Family & Child Service. Johnny was finally placed in a foster home with parents who were trained, supported, mentored, and properly licensed. Here, he finally experienced unconditional love and a sense of security.
Johnny soon discovered his athletic talents and his foster parents encouraged and supported his interest in baseball. He eventually made an all-star team and traveled to the state championship. His foster parents have utilized the training and support available and have remained committed to Johnny through many challenges. They have helped Johnny feel safe, wanted and secure which has allowed him to develop resiliency despite the trauma he experienced throughout his childhood. He is now a happy, healthy 14-year-old youth and placed with a family that hopes to adopt him before his 15th birthday.
Home-Delivered Meals:
A 52-year-old man diagnosed with end-stage COPD had been struggling with both his health and finances. His wife, his primary caregiver, has debilitating mental health issues, and had been unable to provide the low-sodium meals his doctors had prescribed. Prior to calling Meals on Wheels, a United Way funded program, he had suffered frequent falls and had been hospitalized weekly for six consecutive weeks.
Six months later, the client’s wife reports that he has had no hospitalizations since starting home-delivered meals. She attributes this improvement to the low-sodium meals he’s received. She also reports that the meals have been a big help financially, as he is provided with the healthy foods he needs but can’t afford. Meal service has also reduced her anxiety because these meals are his primary source of nutrition.