--- title: Stories | United Way of Central Iowa (3) description: Success stories about the community impact made by United Way of Central Iowa and its partners. (3) --- [![White Full logo-8-1](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/hs-fs/hubfs/White%20Full%20logo-8-1.png?width=559&height=182&name=White%20Full%20logo-8-1.png "White Full logo-8-1")](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/) [![DONATE](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/542539/297ef930-7a06-40d1-8f7b-173b553599f6.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/542539/297ef930-7a06-40d1-8f7b-173b553599f6) [![VOLUNTEER](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/542539/3549f8b5-de58-4575-9f74-f8f62520eb4a.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/542539/3549f8b5-de58-4575-9f74-f8f62520eb4a) ![Book-Web-Header](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/hs-fs/hubfs/General/Web%20Page%20Header%20Images/Book-Web-Header.jpg?width=1920&name=Book-Web-Header.jpg "Book-Web-Header") # IMPACT STORIES Aug 30, 2017 4:34:00 PM #### [A Smile Saved](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/a-smile-saved) [![](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/hubfs/lam-1.png) ](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/a-smile-saved) Lam came home from preschool with a toothbrush, dental floss, and other mementos from her visit with the Smile Squad. Best of all, she was no longer scared of having someone examine her teeth. [Read More](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/a-smile-saved) Aug 18, 2017 9:01:53 AM #### [How a hearing-impaired third-grader learned to read](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/how-a-hearing-impaired-third-grader-learned-to-read) [![](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/hubfs/Breiner.jpg) ](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/how-a-hearing-impaired-third-grader-learned-to-read) Nine-year-old Breiner Morales speaks three languages: English, Spanish, and American Sign Language. But until last summer, he couldn’t read in any of them. [Read More](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/how-a-hearing-impaired-third-grader-learned-to-read) Jun 1, 2017 2:04:13 PM #### [After All the Doors Slam Shut](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/michelle) [![](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/hubfs/Michelle%201.png) ](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/michelle) Two years ago, when she was homeless in Redhead Park on the East Side, living out of a suitcase, sleeping on a bench, and quitting crystal meth cold turkey—Michelle Jackson would have been shocked to know where she'd be in a few months. [Read More](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/michelle) Jun 1, 2017 11:42:36 AM #### [Bilingual Buddies](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/bilingual-buddies) [![](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/hubfs/Gema%201.jpg) ](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/bilingual-buddies) When Gema Garcia started volunteering with Book Buddy, she wasn’t sure it was going to work out. Her fears were redoubled early on when the children couldn’t understand her saying the word “worm.” Frustrated, she pointed to the picture and said “*gusano*” in Spanish. The children immediately understood. [Read More](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/bilingual-buddies) Jun 1, 2017 10:19:26 AM #### [Meet United Way of Central Iowa's New President](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/elisabeth) [![](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/hubfs/33924672100_4f358b965e_o%20(1).jpg) ](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/elisabeth) Elisabeth Buck took the helm as United Way of Central Iowa's President this May. As we welcome her to this role, we've taken a moment to ask her a few questions about her leadership style, what she hopes to accomplish, and what she loves most about Des Moines.  [Read More](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/elisabeth) Apr 30, 2017 5:17:41 PM #### [Hope is Never Lost](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/mikeesha) [![](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/hubfs/Mikeesha.png) ](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/mikeesha) At age 30, Mikeesha came to a crossroads. A single mother of two, she was unemployed and struggling financially—with no clear plan for where to go next. [Read More](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/mikeesha) Apr 27, 2017 5:16:38 PM #### [Honor to Read](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/honor-to-read) [![](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/hubfs/Scott%20and%20Honor%20posed.jpg) ](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/honor-to-read) On the first day of Power Read last fall, 5-year-old Honor was in tears, grabbing books out of his mentor’s hands as he tried to read. [Read More](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/honor-to-read) Apr 25, 2017 9:17:24 AM #### [A Bridge to His Dream](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/aaron) [![](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/hubfs/aaron%20back%20photo.png) ](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/aaron) Aaron had received all of his test scores except one. He waited through the weekend. He worried when he would know. Then, the news came: “You passed!” [Read More](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/aaron) Apr 22, 2017 1:35:00 PM #### [Miracle Mom](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/miracle-mom) [![](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/hubfs/minerva%20back%20photo.png) ](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/miracle-mom) Walking across the stage to receive her diploma was the ultimate proof of Minerva’s strength. The 17-year-old was not only graduating from East High School, she was celebrating her survival of a high-risk pregnancy, her daughter’s critical illness, and her own emergency surgery—all within a few months. That moment was the start of a new journey, a different one from what Minerva imagined a year ago. When she found out she was pregnant nine months before graduating, Minerva felt sad. She had plans to marry her boyfriend, go to college and become a nurse. Not only would she become a mom as a teenager, but she also had a medical condition called Lupus, which made her pregnancy high risk. [Read More](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/miracle-mom) Apr 21, 2017 1:45:59 PM #### [Booking Lunch](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/booking-lunch) [![](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/hubfs/Mike%20and%20Lynn.jpg) ](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/booking-lunch) When Mike and Lynn Sucik arrive at South Union Elementary on Mondays, they have learned to expect a bit of a mess over lunch. The kids forget their napkins. They spill milk or sauce on the table—sometimes even a little on the books. But the mess is worth it. Mike and Lynn—and the kids—couldn’t be happier to be there. [Read More](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/booking-lunch) Mar 22, 2017 9:07:34 AM #### [A Lifetime's Purpose](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/a-lifetimes-purpose) [![](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/hubfs/Renee.png) ](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/a-lifetimes-purpose) Renee Hardman is so passionate about volunteering that she tears up talking about it. “I have always thought there was a purpose for our lives here on this earth,” she said. “That purpose is to live beyond ourselves and to always reach back and pull someone else along.” For 30 minutes every Thursday morning, Renee reads with four-year-olds at Oakridge Academy as part of [Book Buddy](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/book-buddy), a United Way-led initiative to reach children in the critical year before kindergarten. The volunteer program engaged 135 mentors to read at local preschools last year. [Read More](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/a-lifetimes-purpose) Feb 27, 2017 1:14:18 PM #### [A Never-Ending Story](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/a-never-ending-story) [![](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/hubfs/Jim%20%26%20Deb%20Israel%20-%20cropped.jpg) ](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/a-never-ending-story) On his first day of work at John Deere in 1979, straight out of college, Jim Israel was given a pledge form. So began his 37-year journey with United Way that will continue in perpetuity. [Read More](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/a-never-ending-story) Feb 9, 2017 8:17:54 PM #### [A Call for Help](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/a-call-for-help) [![](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/hubfs/Amanda.jpg) ](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/a-call-for-help) To celebrate 2-1-1 Day on February 11 and to learn more about this centralized information and referral center from United Way of Central Iowa, I sat down with Amanda Arransmith, who has worked as a specialist with 2-1-1 for more than 10 years. Just like calling 9-1-1 in an emergency, 2-1-1 is the helpline to find local support and resources, nearly anywhere in the U.S. [Read More](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/a-call-for-help) Jan 25, 2017 5:05:05 PM #### [Like a Boss](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/like-a-boss) [![](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/hubfs/Gil-1.jpg) ](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/like-a-boss) Gil Gonzalez-Jacob still remembers what he wore to his first real job interview nearly four years ago: a blue dress shirt with a bow tie and black slacks. Sitting beside him, Gil’s mother talked him up to the interviewer in Spanish. “She was pretty much interviewing my mom for me,” he says with a laugh. [Read More](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/like-a-boss) Dec 16, 2016 4:04:17 PM #### [Now Hiring: A Fearless Woman](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/confidence-woman) [![](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/hubfs/Elizabeth.jpg) ](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/confidence-woman) Elizabeth Magok went on dozens and dozens of job interviews. But she never got a call back. “They tell me they are going to call me, and they don’t call me,” Elizabeth remembers. “I don’t know why. What was wrong with me?” Elizabeth, now 30 years old, grew up in South Sudan and came to the U.S. as a refugee five years ago. To support her four children and send money to family back home, she took minimum-wage jobs in food service, hospitality, and retail. But the language barrier prevented her from finding a higher-paying job. “When I came here, it was really hard for me to understand,” she says. Elizabeth speaks softly, and though her English has improved tremendously, you have to lean forward to catch her quiet, melodious voice.  [Read More](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/confidence-woman) Dec 8, 2016 8:00:00 AM #### [Like Son, Like Mother](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/like-son-like-mother) [![](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/hubfs/danielle%20and%20sons.jpg) ](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/like-son-like-mother) "Mommy, Book Buddy came today!" That's the excited refrain Danielle Marion's son Maxwell repeated nearly every week of his preschool year: Maxwell attended Capitol Park Early Learning Center last year, and, as the weeks went by, his mother began to see a change in him: a newfound love of reading that was connected with his Book Buddy. "Before Book Buddy, he didn't read too many words," Danielle says. "His vocabulary for what words he could read definitely expanded beyond the handful of sight words he knew." Danielle adds that Maxwell also learned more about physical books: the cover, the author, when to flip the pages. He especially liked getting his new book each Friday—making sure to place the book safely in his locker to take home at the end of the day. All this Book Buddy talk from Maxwell piqued Danielle's interest in the program. [Read More](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/like-son-like-mother) Nov 23, 2016 2:57:32 PM #### [Canned Compassion](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/canned-compassion) [![](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/hubfs/Connie%20Hall%202.png) ](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/canned-compassion) When Connie Hall first saw fresh produce at her local food pantry, she had an idea: What if she used her talents to recycle those fruits and vegetables into long-lasting products for the community? [Read More](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/canned-compassion) Nov 2, 2016 2:31:00 PM #### [From Tanzanian Refugee Camp to Life in Central Iowa](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/the-skys-the-limit) [![](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/hubfs/imani_featured.png) ](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/the-skys-the-limit) [Read More](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/the-skys-the-limit) Nov 1, 2016 10:39:26 AM #### [A Shot at Success](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/a-shot-at-success) [![](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/hubfs/Donna%20Mitchell.jpg) ](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/a-shot-at-success) Someday, Donna Mitchell might make a film about her life: the homeschooled Des Moines student who went on to publish novels and produce independent films. It will be a long road, but Donna is up for it. She has already cleared the first hurdle: earning her high school equivalency diploma (HSED) through the Bridges to Success program. [Read More](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/a-shot-at-success) Nov 1, 2016 9:02:16 AM #### [Taxation Without Trepidation](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/taxation-without-trepidation) [![](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/hubfs/Amina.png) ](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/taxation-without-trepidation) Seven years ago, Amina Nuhanović was laid off from her job as a CPA. She didn’t sulk. Her experience coming to Iowa as a Bosnian refugee at the age of 13 had taught her to be strong in the face of adversity, to keep going no matter what. [Read More](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/taxation-without-trepidation) [**](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/page/2) [All posts](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/all) [**](https://www.unitedwaydm.org/stories/page/4) UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL IOWA 1111 9TH ST  •  Suite 100 Des Moines, IA 50314 (515) 246-6500   •   [contactus@unitedwaydm.org](mailto:contactus@unitedwaydm.org) ## Need Help? 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