The path to poverty can begin anywhere. The road back can be considerably less certain. United Way invests your donations in impact strategies aimed at lifting people to a more sustainable life, changing the power of poverty.
You don't fix a noise in your car by turning up the radio. That's a bandage. And while that might work for a cut, treating a life which is broken means dealing with more than just symptoms.
Sexually assaulted as a child, emotionally and physically abused, Steve spent more than 30 years in a haze of alcohol and self-loathing. He lost his family, his children, and his home.
Years of harsh words, or worse in some cases, invisibility, ended with Steve's arrival in 2006, in this community. A "United Way Community" he adds. Counsellors, rehab and shelter volunteers spoke, and more importantly listened. Healing the whole person, addressing the root cause of problems, and giving a person, like Steve, the opportunity to grow and prosper shows anything is possible.