A senior living alone in an assisted living facility with no family members to look out for him receives a volunteer visitor provided through a United Way-funded agency. With a friendly smile, the volunteer engages the senior in casual conversation and listens to his life’s story. A walk in the fresh air and an outing to a local coffee shop adds immeasurably to the senior’s quality of life.

 

A child with an intellectual disability is offered a summer camp experience through a United Way-funded agency. Her parents are happy beyond words because their child not only has an opportunity to play with other children her age in a supervised setting, but as primary caregivers they receive much needed respite.

 

Children from a working poor family need supervision after school until their parents complete their workday. Because the family income is barely above the poverty line, they cannot afford to pay a caregiver. Fortunately, a United Way-funded agency located nearby offers an after-school program that combines supervised physical activities, a nutritional snack and some mentoring to help the oldest sibling complete his homework assignment.

 

Winding up in a United Way-supported shelter for abused women and their children isn’t what one woman had in mind when she got married. But after several years living with an abusive partner, she had no alternative but to seek refuge to protect herself and her two small children. With the support and counseling she and the children received, they began a long journey of healing.

 

A young expectant mother far from her family network faces the daunting challenge of having the baby without the support of her military husband, who has recently shipped off overseas on a 10-month assignment. But her fears of being alone are lessened with the knowledge that she can participate in United Way-funded programs that provide both pre- and post-natal support. 

 

These are a few of the many United Way-funded programs offered in Renfrew County. And it is your generosity as a donor that makes it happen!  For more details, click here to obtain a full list of United Way supported programs.