Success Stories Archives - Page 3 of 5 - United Way of Marathon County

Helping Homeless Families

John, Jane, and their three young children became homeless due to drug dependency and family issues.”

The family moved into an apartment that is part of a new housing pilot program where John and Jane received ongoing case management support. The goal of this program is to help families overcome barriers to being financially stable. With the help of their case manager, John obtained a permanent full-time job and Jane went back to school and is now employed full-time. They were able to move into their own apartment and buy a vehicle. They overcame their dependency on drugs, started paying off their debts, and are now looking forward to being able to spend more time together as a family.

*names have been changed to protect confidentiality

Assisting with Child Care Needs

Although Tim and Abbie had planned to wait for a few years before starting their family, they were excited to learn that they were having a little boy.”

Tim and Abbie were barely making their way from paycheck to paycheck when their son Josh was born. Learning that a quality child care program would cost them $1000 a month presented a huge problem. They couldn’t afford for one of them to stay home, and they couldn’t afford the cost of care. Every month they were falling further behind on their bills.

They felt that their options were limited and they didn’t know what to do. Their day care provider suggested that they apply for a Good Start Grant, funded by United Way. The goal of the program is to help low income families access quality child care by offering grants to subsidize the family’s payments. With the help of the Good Start grant, Tim and Abbie were able to keep Josh in a daycare that they trusted and that Josh loved.

*names changed for confidentiality

Creating Options for Troubled Youth

Brittany* is sixteen and recently celebrated ten months of sobriety!”

Your gift to United Way made her recovery possible.

A year ago, Brittany was placed in an inpatient program outside of our area where she was treated for heroin addiction. After completing that program and returning to her home in the Wausau area, she immediately began intensive follow up treatment in the CHOICES program at Peaceful Solutions Counseling. There she participated in group therapy, individual therapy, and eventually the teen aftercare program. Today, she continues with individual therapy but is on the road to recovery.

She is on track to complete high school and wants to become a substance abuse counselor to help others who have fallen into the dangerous trap of addiction. Your investment in United Way makes it possible for teens like Brittany to get their lives back on track. Thank you for making a difference.

*name changed for confidentiality

Helping Through the Lean Times

Sandy* lost her job and found herself struggling to keep food on the table.”

She didn’t qualify for unemployment benefits, so she had to make do with her savings. What little she had was enough to pay rent, but it didn’t leave any room for groceries. She called United Way’s 2-1-1 to find out where she could find help. The Information Specialist told Sandy about food pantries near her home. Sandy was embarrassed to go to the food pantries at first, but she received the help she needed. With their help, she was able to stretch her savings until she could get back on her feet.

*Name has been changed to protect confidentiality.

Helping Families in Need of Mental Health Services

Daniel and Beth* are prepared to do whatever it
takes to help their children adjust to life with Reactive
Attachment Disorder (RAD).”

They adopted three siblings after caring for them as foster children. They were not aware of the severity of RAD in each child, but did know that their biological mother had been in and out of jail on drug and prostitution charges.

All three children are in counseling and play therapy has been helpful in treating their RAD, but life is still very challenging. Beth spends her time taking children to counseling or therapy and meeting with teachers and principals. “The easiest way to explain what RAD is, is to say that my children have no conscience. They know right from wrong, they just don’t care,” Beth explained. “If they want something, they will steal it. If they want to hit someone, they will, and the consequences don’t matter,” she added.

Beth also shared that by age 20, 50% of RAD children will be dead, either due to suicide or risk taking behaviors; 25% will be in jail, and 25% will have responded to treatment and learned to cope with their illness. “I refuse to let my children be part of the 75%,” Beth said. “That’s why the workshop on RAD offered by the Partnership for Youth Coalition was so helpful to us. There’s not a lot of information available for parents,” she commented. “It’s good to know that we’re not alone,” Daniel added.

*names changed for confidentiality