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Mental illness is not a barrier to a stable life
John was born in New York City in 1986. His mother, who had a mental disorder, put him up for adoption at birth. He became a ward of the State when he was 18 months old and grew up in foster care, often moving from home to home. John had a hard life, made even more difficult by the fact that he suffers from two mental illnesses – schizophrenia and depression. Managing his illnesses isn’t easy and John attends therapy twice each month in addition to taking his daily medications.
Luckily, John lives with a caring family in Highland Park and he has a good case worker who introduced him to a United Way funded program at the AIM center in 2006.
Through this program, John has grown as a person and learned new life skills, such as cooking, minor maintenance repair and making friends. With the program’s help, he has even been able to work part-time and have dreams for his future, such as earning a GED and working to help others like himself.
Thanks to a United Way’s funded program, people with severe mental illnesses have a place to go so they can work to build a stronger and more stable life when they are at their most vulnerable. When you give to United Way, you’re investing in your community…and helping people like John.
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Helping seniors stay active and indpendent
Upon retiring, Carl Bennett discovered his Social Security wasn’t enough to pay his living expenses for the bare minimum. So he worked part-time at the Backstage Theatre for 26 years, earning enough to make ends meet. While he was in the hospital having knee replacement surgery, the Theatre closed, forcing him to subside on only Social Security.
Before his surgery, he had been performing with the Ripe and Ready Players at Senior Neighbors and was vaguely aware of their United Way funded program, Senior AIDES. After the Theatre closed and he recovered from surgery, he tried to find a new job but found companies didn’t want to hire older workers. He felt hopeless, like he was trying to do the impossible.
Then he applied at the Senior AIDES training and employment program for older adults, funded by United Way at Alexian Brothers’ Senior Neighbors center. As a program participant, his current assignment is a front desk clerk at the center. This assignment has enabled him to meet new friends and regain a better outlook on life. The United Way funded Senior AIDES program also helped him enroll in a food assistance program and get help with his Medicare payments and deductibles, which helped him to maintain his financial stability so he could keep paying his bills.
When you give to United Way, you’re investing in a better life for senior citizens…like Carl.
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Afterschool care keeps parents employed and independent
Mary, a single mother with three children, works at Taco Bell. She has no family locally to turn to for help. Her work schedule has been difficult to manage the past two years, because she has no reliable child care after school or on holidays. She even took her children to work on some days (and nights), which was a problem for both her and her employer. Mary had to make a choice – leave her children home alone so she could work or quit her job and rely on public assistance.
The YMCA gave her a United Way funded scholarship to their After School Care so her children could regularly attend an educational program in a safe environment while she continued working and building a stable family life.
When you give to United Way, it’s an investment in your community…and in a more stable life for families like Mary’s.
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Helping our most vulnerable
Emma was born prematurely and shortly thereafter diagnosed and treated for hydrocephalus. At 7 ½ weeks she was placed under foster care. The foster parents had no knowledge about her condition or its treatment.
Doctors referred Emma and her foster parents to the Walter E. Boehm Birth Defects Center. Through the Center, the foster parents were provided with not only follow-up care but also educational materials about her condition. They were also referred to additional supporting community resources.
Today, Emma, who is now 7, has been adopted by her foster parents, and they have become program volunteers.
When you give to United Way, it’s an investment in your community…and in the future of kids like Emma.
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Removing obstacles to a stable life
Ronnie came to the Epilepsy Foundation for emergency assistance to obtain his anticonvulsant medication. He had been dropped from TennCare and his uncontrollable seizures prevented him from holding a job.
He underwent surgery, hoping it would minimize or eliminate his seizures. A United Way funded program helped him secure financial assistance for the procedure. Fortunately, Ronnie's surgery was successful and his seizures ceased. He then went back to this same program, which assists people with epilepsy, for help finding a job.
The program referred Ronnie to a local employer recognized for its diversified workforce. First hired as a temporary worker, Ronnie is now a regular full-time employee who has been promoted and recognized for his exemplary performance. His employer even celebrated his first seizure-free year with him. To go from a medically fragile state to being a healthy, contributing family member is a success.
When you give to United Way, it’s an investment in your community…and in the health of people like Ronnie.
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Helping people in crisis get back on track
As a mother of four young children, Brenda's life was hectic from morning until night. To make things worse, domestic violence in her marriage was beyond what she could handle. Without adequate sleep and family support, Brenda began to question if she could go on living. Everything seemed to be out of control. As a victim of domestic violence, her hopelessness had invaded all areas of her life, including isolating her from the few friends she had. As a result, increased irritability at her children and frequent bursts of anger turned her into someone she did not know or like.
Although she had very little income and no insurance coverage, Brenda came to Fortwood Center, a United Way funded program, for help. Brenda shared her huge burden with a supportive counselor and realized for the first time that her desperation could lead to a choice for treatment instead of hopelessness. Brenda was referred for individual therapy and medication management. She also attended an anger management group for parents, which helped her realize that she was not alone in her struggles as a parent and that she could learn new ways to nurture and discipline her children. Although it was difficult for her to keep hoping that her new choices would change her situation, Brenda was determined to find her purpose and create a life of meaning and joy for her children. With Fortwood’s help, Brenda left her violent home, sought out trustworthy friends and neighbors to help with babysitting, and returned to work.
Now Brenda smiles when she thinks of all the changes in the past year. She hopes that with continued therapy and medication her burdens will be manageable and pose not at barriers to growth, but as measures of her life success.
When you give to United Way, it’s an investment in your community…and in the safety and security of women like Brenda.
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Helping our youth develop their full potential
When “Janice” entered the United Way funded program at Girls Incorporated, she was an 8th grader at a large inner city school. She was torn between pressure to join a gang or doing well in school. Shortly after joining Girls Inc., she was suspended from school for fighting with another girl.
She enrolled in Girls Inc.’s “Allies in Action,” a program that teaches girls how to avoid conflicts and resolve disputes peacefully. Since participating in the program, not only has Janice avoided getting in trouble, but she has also taken a proactive role in her education.
She decided to apply to one of Chattanooga's more rigorous magnet schools and won admission. Janice has assumed a leadership role with other girls, served on the Girls Inc. leadership and advocacy team, spoke on behalf of Girls Inc. at a meeting with Hamilton County Department of Education Superintendent Jim Scales and served as a peer mentor for several Girls Inc. programs. She was also a leading spokesperson for Girls Inc. at Girls’ Day on the Hill in Nashville, where she presented girls' concerns about violence in schools to state legislators and members of the Governor's staff.
When you give to United Way, it’s an investment in your community…and in the positive development of girls like Janice.
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Preparing children for success in school
Mrs. Willie Burris enrolled her great granddaughter, Emily, in Project Ready for School when she was 2 years old and has been reading with her ever since. Mrs. Burris says that Emily loves the free books she receives in every month and can not wait to share them with her great grandmother.
Mrs. Burris says she has always loved books and Emily is the same way. Mrs. Burris believes it’s important to spend time with children and that it is the family’s job to teach their children and make sure they get attention and love every day.
Mrs. Burris is 86 years old and says her eyesight isn’t very good. Despite that, she says she still shares books with Emily. Emily has memorized many of her favorite books and now "reads" them to her great grandmother. Even at such a young age, Emily is already sharing the gift of reading with the people closest to her. Emily has developed a love of reading and is now ready for success in school and life. That’s what matters.
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