Your United Way Dollars at Work

A SUCCESS STORY... Written by a 16 year old boy This poem was submitted by a teenage boy who was a resident at the New Beginnings shelter. The poem shows the incredible impact the shelter has in the lives of domestic abuse victims and their families.

In this place I know is safe, I lie here alone.

Everyone wants me to stay but this place is not my home.

Surrounded by the hurt, they are injured, but not week. 

Their spirit is high, but their past is so bleak.

Through all the scars and the bruises they gave me something I never had.

        STRENGTH!

To see that the world is not all that bad. 

And as I stand ready to walk out the doors, I want every new-comer to know…. That this family is yours.

Thank you New Beginnings

Nancy, Licking County Aging Program Client

Nancy lives in east Newark. She says she would not miss a day of coming to Zerger Hall Senior Center for lunch. “I come to socialize and have lunch,” she smiles. “There are lots of nice things to do here and nice people. I like the clients and the staff.” That is the important thing, Nancy says, about the Licking County Aging Program, which operates Zerger Hall Senior Center and provides a mix of vital services to seniors. Nancy says the services are nice, but the staff “smiles” are even more important to her. The Licking County Aging Program provides home services, home chore services (such things as storm window removal and heavy furniture moving for cleaning), transportations, meals, phone calls to senior shut-ins, respite for caregivers, and a variety of educational and recreational programs. “It is a nice place to come to,” Nancy said of Zerger Hall. “It’s like home and family.”

 

Tracey , Licking County Coalition for Housing Client

In late 2003 I was nearly at the end of a bad marriage. A hard-working mother of 4 and losing my home we had rented for over 7 years. I had no choice but to go to the Salvation Army Homeless Shelter. After a little over a month, I received the call that there was an apartment ready. Two days before Christmas, we moved in and I was able to have the Christmas Tree my daughter had been begging me for.

The year & half we spent in the program was tough. There were many obstacles we had to face. Ranging from medical issues, to car problems to divorce. For example, I am an insulin dependent diabetic and less than a month after I went into the program I was admitted to ICU for a 3-day stay and while there, my ex-husband stayed with my children. I was afraid I would lose the apartment but since my children were still there, we were allowed to stay. The entire time I was denied food stamps since I made $50/month too much to qualify.

But not everything went bad for us. I was able pay off almost all my outstanding bills as well as save a comfortable sum of money for my move into my own apartment at the end of the program. I was also able to trade my van in on a much more economical car. As well as buy a car for my oldest son. He was working at McDonalds and attending high school. He has since graduated from C-Tec as top diesel student in 2007 and currently works at National Freight Inc. I believe he was the first child in the program to have a car and a job along with attending High School.

The entire time I was in the program I had been working at CIGNA HealthCare in Columbus. After 2 years of working at CIGNA, they decided to close their doors at this location. I have since been with my current employer for almost 3 years and have been promoted to Customer Service Specialist where I take supervisory calls. I had only been out of the Coalition for 6 months when I was laid off from CIGNA prior to working at this new job. I had moved into a government subsidized apartment at Applewood Village in July of 2005. I stayed in the apartments with my boyfriend and children until we were able to rent a 4-bedroom house in August of 2006. More recently in March of this year he and I were able to buy our own house and are doing well.

In closing, I just want to say I owe so much to the Coalition for giving me the opportunity to stand on my own two feet. Words cannot say enough how much I appreciate your program. Please continue being there for people who are willing to work hard and together with you to get their lives back on track in these tough times. Again, thank you.

Big Sister, Debbie, and Little Sister, Mariah, have been matched for 2 ½ years. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Licking & Perry Counties

“We are a perfect match,” says Debbie about her Little. “We have a wonderful time together. We swam all summer, go bowling, take walks and do a lot of girl talking. I wouldn’t know what to do without her! She is a real joy.”

Mariah feels the same way about her Big Sister. “She means a lot to me”, says Mariah. “I have never had a relationship like this before. I have never had someone that I could count on as much.” Mariah admits that Debbie has made a big difference in her life.

That is what Big Brothers Big Sisters is all about……….giving one-on-one attention to a child who needs a special someone to listen, care and just be a friend. Do you have some extra time? Give us a call at 349-9646 and become a Big Brothers or Big Sister today.