Aisha faced a shattering decision: acquire a husband three times her age or forfeit her family and her country. Those were the options her father presented her with in the remote Nuba Mountains of Sudan—one of the most isolated regions in the world. She was a 16-year-old from Des Moines.
After a childhood spent in foster care, Cecelia got pregnant while still in high school. Scavo's Teddy Bear Town, funded by Women United, provided high-quality child care to Ezequiel while she earned her diploma.
A preschooler's life is changed by United Way of Central Iowa's Book Buddy program, where volunteers read with 4-year-olds twice a week and the students receive a copy of the book each Friday.
Learning to code changed Bonito's view of what he could achieve for his future. This refugee high school student is now at Iowa State University on a full-tuition scholarship.
United Way started the Real Men Read program so that kids could see more men modeling good reading skills and serving as mentors. Jon Sullivan, a retired lawyer from Ankeny, stepped right up to the challenge.
Bad relationships and drugs ruined her life. United Way, a female friend and mentor, and her own determination saved it. Her kids’ smiles are the reward.
Aainece is among 1,000 students in central Iowa who will receive free glasses thanks to Vision To Learn. The program improved her health and ability to learn.
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.
Gema Garcia of Ankeny volunteers to read with preschool students in both Spanish and English, teaching them essential
literacy skills for kindergarten.
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.
