The Eden Boys & Girls Club has been helping youth succeed for decades, but they are well aware of the issues facing today’s kids. Here’s the story of just one. A young man, 12 years old, recently moved to Eden and had no place to go after school. He had not made many friends or felt a part of this community. Today he is getting help with his homework, is on the A-B honor roll, playing organized sports, and volunteering in the community. He says he feels a sense of belonging, hope and opportunity.
This has all been made possible because of your continued support of the United Way to the Boys & Girls Club of Eden and their scholarship program. Together, we help children and youth succeed through mentoring, education, character building, leadership training, and quality childcare. We help preschool children prepare for their education with quality, age appropriate literature that encourages them to be readers for life. We help adults succeed in the workforce through continuing education in literacy programs.
For more than 60 years, she has lived in a modest 3-room house in Rockingham County, a home she still heats with a wood stove. She recently turned 101 years old and still lives independently, enjoying a very simple life. Through the years, she has given graciously to others, serving as a missionary in Africa and raising multiple foster children. Her tireless giving is now being reciprocated through Meals on Wheels, allowing our community to give something back to her in her time of need. Each time a Meals on Wheels volunteer appears at her door, her face lights up. She always prays with the volunteers, asking for them to be blessed as she feels blessed with the services Aging, Disability & Transit provides for her through Meals on Wheels. She refers to our volunteers as “her little angels.”
Stories like this one Meals on Wheels recipient are repeated countless times every day across Rockingham County thanks to the selfless volunteers who deliver the meals and to your generous support of United Way of Rockingham County. Together, we enable older adults to live in dignity and support their independence.
Everyone deserves to live in safety. Here are the words of one young woman who has found safety for herself and her family, thanks to donations to United Way of Rockingham County:
Please accept this letter as heartfelt gratitude to all of the staff of Help, Incorporated and the work that you do. I came into shelter with five children, two of them being four-year-old twins. I had nothing but knew that I could not have stayed one more night with my husband. Every time he beat me, I knew that it could be fatal and I couldn’t bear the thought of my children growing up without me, with no mother to care for them. Freedom House has a good name, because I felt free and safe for the first time in a long time. The staff allowed me and my children to stay there for almost two months, giving me time to begin the healing process and to get a job and a place to live. While I was there, the staff helped my twins get into a Head Start program in Rockingham County, provided counseling and the true support that me and my children so desperately needed. On behalf of my family and of all the families that come to Help, Incorporated, I would like to say thank you for all of the blessings you brought to us. Please continue to provide your services for which there is a great need.
This courageous woman forged tremendous hardships just to be allowed to live without abuse. She is currently living independently, working and allowing her children to benefit from all available educational resources. She is just one of so many who have benefited from the refuge of our shelter for battered women. If it were not for the funding we receive from our friends at the United Way of Rockingham County, we could not offer these critical services.
- Angie Boles, Retired Executive Director, Help, Incorporated
Together, we ensure public safety through emergency rescue and protection from domestic violence.
Sometimes optimizing community and individual health means that a student receives care for injuries that are limiting his or her ability to perform well. A young man with a poor academic record arrived at the student health center of his high school for a physical exam. He wanted to participate in sports the following year. The Nurse Practitioner’s exam revealed a ruptured eardrum. Although the student had been unaware of his injury, his family had recognized a problem, but had not taken him to the doctor. They had no insurance. The Nurse Practitioner referred the young man to an area physician who repaired the eardrum. With his restored hearing, the student received more than just the ability to participate in the sports program at his school. To his surprise, he was also able to participate more fully in the classroom. Before long, his academic standing had improved.
For this young man, a visit to the student health center opened the doors to academic success and created a change for a lifetime. Your contributions to United Way of Rockingham County made it possible for a young man to achieve success on the playing field of life. With a strong, healthy body and a solid education, he is prepared for the future. Together, we optimize community and individual health through student health centers, hospice care, counseling and recreation opportunities.
