Your gift to United Way of Henderson County supports 35 programs at 20 local nonprofit partners making an incredible impact throughout our community. With thanks to partners, volunteers, and supporters like you, we are able to support the delivery of over 35,000 services to Henderson County neighbors each year, including neighbors like Sam.
Sam has experienced recent family hardships including the tragic lost of his uncle and the incarceration of one of his siblings. Sam is also struggling in school. He never saw much of a future for himself and felt that no matter what he did, he was destined to follow in the footsteps of those around him, those footsteps leading either to a life of incarceration or an early death.
Due to a referral from juvenile justice, Sam entered Aspire Youth and Family's Job Training program, which provides interpersonal development coupled with culinary skills lessons. Sam initially presented as very withdrawn and angry with little to no motivation. It took several weeks, if not months, to get Sam to slowly open up and participate but once he did, he quickly transformed. Sam gained emotional strength and resilience as well as confidence in his working skills and decision making processes.
Sam began to see a way out of that negative pathway he thought he could not avoid. Today he is trying to catch up so that he can graduate high school and he takes pride in the fact that he will be the second in his family to do so. Sam has even requested that he be able to return to the Kids at Work program upon graduation to help other youth in his position.
The support Sam received enabled him to realize he is not the sum total of all his negative experiences. He now knows he can forge a positive future based upon good decisions made today and every day moving forward.
United Way of Henderson County is committed to providing resources and support to help all residents to succeed, no matter the circumstances they are in or the obstacles they face. Your gift to United Way supports the health, education, financial stability, and basic needs of everyone in your community. Please join us and give today.
