Children who experience homelessness are far less likely to succeed in school. In fact, nationally only 64% of homeless students graduate high school. Our partnership with Lily Missions Center provides a valuable after-school program that recently made a powerful difference for an entire family:
At the beginning of 2020, a family of four came to Lily Missions Center. They were transient, moving from town to town, looking for work and living at a local shelter. The three children enrolled in the After School Program. They quickly came out of their shells and excelled in academics. Lily Missions helped the mom obtain employment by letting her use the computer lab to search for jobs while staff helped her create a resume. Staff also stayed 15 minutes after closing time so she could work a full shift after she got a job. When COVID-19 hit, she was among the first to be laid off, so Lily Missions Center made sure the family had food, stayed engaged and could keep paying rent. The family responded by volunteering at Lily Mission’s drive-through food pantry. The mom said she never had to worry where her children’s next meal would come from, and she was able to provide their other basic needs.
Thanks to your support through United Way, a family is building a better path to the future, and children are on a journey toward success in school and in life. Please consider supporting our work.