Posts in: "Success Stories"

28 Foster Care Moves For Seattle Poet Laureate

Moving once is plenty of work for most people. How would you fare through 28 foster care moves? That was the story for Angel, Seattle's Youth Poet Laureate, a determined young woman who had a book deal but no place to sleep. Check out how she got through it. Read Article

Education Through Poverty Barriers

Digging through garbage for food. Stealing clothes. Unplanned pregnancy. Ingrid faced an uphill battle in keeping up in school. See how she got back on track with Reconnecting Youth. Read Article

Overcoming Education Roadblocks

High school is a tough time for most. Peer pressure, fitting in...add living in different countries and keeping up with all the different education systems. Meet Nimco, who never gave up on herself. She completed high school through Reconnecting Youth and paved her own path toward her dreams. Read Article

Family of 5 Builds New Home

A husband and wife emigrate to Seattle from Ethiopia, seeking a better life for themselves and their three sons. They’ve just arrived in the country. They don’t know many people here, but they do have an old friend to stay with as they start their new life. Eleven people under one roof. Twenty days in, it’s too much and they have to leave. A family of five with nowhere to live. Read Article

Maikol and Ronald’s Immigration Story

When Maikol and Ronald left their house in Honduras one morning in 2014, the brothers had no idea they would never return. Their mother told them she was taking them and their younger siblings on a “field trip.” That field trip disguised a desperate attempt to flee violence in Honduras that killed their father and nearly forced Ronald into a gang. Read Article

In Urgent Times, Donors Are There

Last month during Homelessness Awareness Month, we learned about Andre and his two sons. It's simplest to say they got off the streets and into an apartment. It's more realistic to say that they were struggling with homelessness because of Andre's mental health issues and because, well, our region's housing market is the pits. Sharing successes is one of the best parts of our work. And thanks to you, Andre is one of them, complexities and all. Read Article

Nikita Moves from Streets to Home

Nikita is using her new-found passion for photography to look at life through a different lens. The single mother of two is focusing on the future, although snapshots from her past are never far away. Read Article

Double Duty: Celebrating a Veteran & AmeriCorps Member

On Veterans Day, we celebrate veterans who made sacrifices to uphold the US constitution. Today, we honor Hardy Awadjie, a veteran who served nine years with the military and is now serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA with United Way. His story exemplifies national service, citizenship and the heart of AmeriCorps. Read Article