IMPACT STORIES

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.

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.

Three-hundred hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute. Most of them never get seen, much less transform the atmosphere of an entire school. But when McCombs seventh-grader Zoey Hannan (far left) watched a video of a mentally challenged student being lured to a party and tormented, she did something many of her peers would never consider. She looked outside herself—a popular 13-year-old with high self-esteem—and realized that her own actions could help others.

There are a lot of things a six-year-old can do with a bag of rocks. Build a castle. Lay out an imaginary battle. Roll them around like cars. Learn to read. That last one is what Bill, a kindergartner at Norwood Elementary in Des Moines, did with the help of his mentor Larry Collins.

When Carrie's son Sam was diagnosed with anxiety and bi-polar disorder, she found that accessing help and resources for childrens' mental health was very difficult. After learning about United Way's work finding solutions and resources for childhood mental health issues, Carrie got involved. She now volunteers and speaks to groups to make sure parents and others in central Iowa know help is available, and United Way can show the way.

Coming as a refugee to Iowa from her homeland torn apart by civil war, Rebecca faced many barriers. No relatives, no job, not even the ability to speak or read English. Rebecca turned to the HOPE Initiative, and now has a job, a driver's license, is learning to read and write English, and she knows her kids can have the future she always hoped for.

Claudia felt like an outcast in school—a minority that nobody cared about. Failing classes and withdrawing from society, she was on a terrible path. But thanks to the Wyld Girls program, funded by United Way's ELI she learned that she could create her own path and help herself and other young women succeed. Claudia went on to college, and after graduate school hopes to work as a high school counselor to help teens find their own paths to success.

Struggling with three children and unstable employment, Shaneice found herself suddenly evicted. Homeless and with nowhere to go, she faced her fears and went to the shelter. Before long, with their help she found a job, an apartment, furnishings and many of the things she needed to get back on a path to safety and stability for her family. Overcoming the shame and fear of her situation helped her learn that there are a multitude of resources, people and places willing to help. She just had to be willing to ask.

Connie and her husband utilized the many resources available, such as financial coaching, career research, affordable housing and child care and more. Because people cared enough to help, Connie's family knows they are stable, safe and have a bright future.

Michael's depression and agoraphobia left him unable to function in society. With debt bearing down and no clear path out, Michael realized he needed help. He found help volunteering to unload trucks at the Bidwell Riverside Center, a United Way funded partner. Over time the volunteering helped Michael overcome his agoraphobia, freeing him to seek additional career education to put him back on the path to stability and success.

As a single mom, Kanisha worked two jobs trying to make ends meet for herself and her son. But working hard meant she made "too much money" to qualify for assistance, even though her wages didn't cover her basic expenses. A determined and optimistic woman, Kanisha found help from the HOPE initiative. After finishing her education and earning her cosmetology license, Kanisha has opened her own business and is well on her way to financial stability and independence.

Yadap had found a good job and dreamt of owning a home in central Iowa. But the idea of a mortgage payment on an entry-level worker's salary made it seem impossible. Yadap was able to buy a home for his family by working hard and finding help from Habitat for Humanity, a United Way funded partner.