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   Alberto knows the value of mentors.             

Nine out of ten young people who have mentors feel better prepared to resist drugs and alcohol.

One young person who can attest to that is Alberto. While in elementary school, Alberto participated in the Connectikids after-school tutoring program and United Way partner agency. But as he got older, he stopped going to the program and became involved in unproductive and illegal activities that got him in trouble with the law. After being arrested and spending a month in prison at age 14, Alberto decided his life was headed the wrong way and that he needed to make a positive change in his life.

Alberto remembered that the tutors and mentors at ConnectiKids always told him he was a born leader so he decided to return to the program. Once there, he put his leadership abilities to positive use working with younger kids. After a full year of proving his commitment to both himself and the program, he decided to run for president of the ConnectiKids Youth Advisory Council — and he won. 

Today, Alberto also serves as the youth representative on the ConnectiKids board of directors. He is an honor student at Hartford High School has a job and proudly sets a positive example for his younger brother and other young people. ConnectiKids helped Alberto see his full potential and, in doing so, helped put him on a path that he hopes will include college.

Alberto’s story is an example of how contributions through the United Way Community Campaign help ensure children are successful.

Changing lives matters. Giving matters. Please give through your workplace campaign.

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   Carol wants women to know how to spot a heart attack.

Heart disease is the number one killer of American women. Some types of heart defects occur more commonly in women and can remain undetected until well into adulthood, putting their lives at risk.

Two years ago Carol became ill at a friend's wedding. After she was taken to the hospital, she learned that she had suffered a heart attack a week earlier and had not known the symptoms. As a result of her heart attack, Carol underwent an angioplasty and a double bypass; subsequently, she received a new mitral valve and a pacemaker.

During her recovery, Carol learned more about the the staggering
statistics related to women and heart disease, and became inspired
to fight, survive and help raise awareness about the dangers of silent heart attacks.

Today, Carol reaches out to women through the American Heart Association, a Community Health Charities member charity. She often speaks to groups about her story to teach other women how to spot the signs of a heart attack.

Carol's story is an example of how gifts through the United Way Community Campaign help communities stay healthy and strong.
The American Heart Association reduces disability and death from
cardiovascular diseases and stroke through research, education and community services throughout Connecticut.

Changing lives matters. Giving matters. Please give through your workplace campaign.

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  Destiny found a safe place to play… and dream.

Good after-school programs can decrease by 75 percent the risk of a child becoming involved in crime during out-of-school hours. Thanks to United Way Community Investment more than 62,000 children receive quality out-of-school care in our 40 town region.

Twelve-year-old Destiny is one of them. Every day after school Destiny attends the Asylum Hill Boys & Girls Club in Hartford, a United Way partner agency. Destiny’s mother can be confident and productive at work knowing that her daughter is safe and pursuing personal interests after school.

At the Boys & Girls Club, Destiny is developing leadership and communications skills in a positive, productive environment. In the club’s leadership program, Torch Club, she helps plan and implement community service projects. In the Youth Council for teens and preteens she works on a program to combat drugs and violence in the community.

The Boys & Girls Club has given Destiny a place to shine. She is proud of the medals and ribbons she has been awarded for various athletic activities and is excited that her double-dutch team made it to the world championships in South Carolina. In the spring of 2006, she was selected out of 300 applicants to attend a summer Outward Bound life skills program.

The safe, supportive and positive after-school environment provided by the Boys & Girls Club is helping put Destiny on the path to a bright and successful future, a path she hopes will lead her to fulfill her dream of being a doctor.

Destiny’s story is just one example of how contributions through the United Way Community Campaign help ensure children are successful.

Changing lives matters. Giving matters.  Please give through your workplace campaign.

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  A fire took Verdel’s home, but not her hope.

In Connecticut, dozens of personal disasters such as fires strike each year. United Way Community Investment supported programs help families get back on their feet when disaster strikes.

To improve her job prospects, Verdel was taking GED classes at Trust House, a United Way partner agency, when her apartment building burned down, leaving her and her four children homeless. Verdel thought about giving up, saying, “I was so down I didn’t want to get out of bed.”  

But emergency assistance from the Salvation Army, also a United Way partner agency, in the form of clothing, temporary housing and food vouchers helped Verdel and her children through that difficult time.

Verdel continues working toward her GED and has yet to miss a class. In July, she moved her family into a new apartment and remains hopeful about her future.

Verdel’s story is an excellent example of Community Investment dollars at work. Community Investment dollars do more than any single contribution to a single agency can ever do. Often, as in Verdel’s case, Community Investment supported programs work in unison to help address an individual or family’s multiple needs. A contribution to a single agency might have helped Verdel but it would not have addressed all of the issues she faced. Directing your contribution to Community Investment helps ensure that multiple needs will be met.

Changing lives matters. Giving matters.  Please give through your workplace campaign.

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  Steven’s father is proud he lives with dignity.

People with developmental disabilities have high rates of unemployment and underemployment. This can hinder their ability to live independently and with dignity. Thanks to United Way Community Investment, more than hundreds of people with developmental disabilities have acquired job skills and employment.

Steven is an excellent example. Born with Down Syndrome and a hearing impairment, Steven attended public schools but as an adult, was lacking marketable job skills. He was able to receive job training from Hockanum Industries, a United Way Community Investment supported agency. Thanks to the training, Steven has been able to work for the last 18 years as a materials handler for Hockanum. His father, Ed, is proud that Steven is able to work, socialize and earn a living.

Steven’s pride can be seen as soon as he puts on his work cap. His father Ed’s pride is evident as he comments, “The training received and the camaraderie with staff and with his peers are all part of his development into a personable young man. He is recognized as ‘Steven’ throughout the Vernon, Manchester, Mansfield and Ellington areas by hundreds of people. I am proud of his accomplishments and his acceptance within the community. Steven loves to be at work with his inner circle of friends.”

Steven’s story is an example of how contributions through the United Way Community Campaign strengthen our communities.

Changing lives matters. Giving matters.  Please give through your workplace campaign.

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  Justin suffered a brain injury.

According to the Brain Injury Association of America, there are currently 5.3 million Americans living with a disability as a result of a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Justin is one of them.

When Justin was 14 years old, he was in a car accident and suffered a TBI. As result of the accident, Justin was in a coma for several months. When he awoke, he under went intensive physical and speech therapy. Friends shied away from Justin after the accident, and his dog, Duchess, quickly became his best friend.

Justin and his family received support from the Brain Injury Association of Connecticut, a Community Health Charities member charity. Today, Justin speaks slowly and deliberately, a result of his TBI, but that does not prevent him from living a full life. Justin is actively involved with the Brain Injury Association’s peer mentoring program, volunteers at a local soup kitchen and helps with his family’s pet biscuit bakery, which is named after his best friend and dog, Duchess.

Justin’s story is an example of how contributions through the United Way Community Campaign can strengthen families by helping them stay healthy. The Brain Injury Association of Connecticut provides advocacy, information and support for 60,000 Connecticut residents with brain injuries and their families. Services include support groups, newsletters, recreational opportunities and prevention education.

Changing lives matters. Giving matters.  Please give through your workplace campaign.

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