Stories
My name is Nia and my life matters. I am the only child of a teenage mother who was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder and schizophrenia.
Text Box: Achieving Financial SecurityI didn’t have many friends growing up because my mother separated me from my peers. I saw my mother being mistreated because of her condition and constantly worried about a future for my mother and me. Then, my grandparents…
Meet Kya Kearney, one of 50 students who decided to take hold of his future by enrolling in United Way of Long Island’s YouthBuild program – class of 2016. This life-changing opportunity offers youth who are facing challenges a chance to rebuild their lives with hope and promise for a brighter tomorrow.
Kya traveled a long road before finding his seat in the YouthBuild classroom. Upon discovering…
By Matthew Burrier, US Army Veteran
I am the oldest of two children born in Sacramento, California. Adopted at the age of eight with my biological sister, we grew up in the Hill Country of Central Texas. In 2006, I graduated high school and embarked on a journey into the United States Army. My mother, fearful of me being another statistic in the growing wars, insisted on helping me choose my…
United Way of Long Islands The DREAMS for Youth Scholarship Fund is a program that awards grants in the areas of Academics, Community Service, & Enrichment. These grants are awarded to students by students as the DREAMS for Youth Advisory Board, is comprised of grade 7-12 students that work under the guidance of United Way of Long Island Staff.
When it came to her peers deciding on a worthy…
A grateful mother's experience with the Long Island Head Start Program
"I am very happy with the Long Island Head Start Program. The program has provided my family with the opportunity to create an early learning environment and gives a lot of support to my husband and I regarding my children's development. One of my kids started in the Long Island Head Start Program in February 2012.
My…
Joseph’s wife Helen is living with progressive MS and uses a wheelchair. Some years ago, as a devoted husband, Joseph began attending a support group offered by the National MS Society -Long Island Chapter. He quickly became a dedicated and regular member.
As time moved on the group was no longer able to continue to meet due to a turnover in volunteer leadership which caused membership to dwindle…
When Ivan Rodriguez’s family fell on hard times, he dropped out of high school to support them by working. But when he could not find a job, he turned to desperate measures to make ends meet. He was arrested and incarcerated, and immediately decided to turn his life around. Ivan enrolled in United Way of Long Island’s YouthBuild program and has since taken the Long Island community by storm.…