Success Story: Artavia
Not very long ago, Artavia’s life was in chaos. A long relationship had come to an end; in the breakup, she also lost her apartment. Pregnant and alone with a four-year-old son, Artavia couldn’t see a way out of her dilemma. She bounced back and forth between her parents’ house and the homes of friends. Her mother encouraged her to call a local United Way agency that could help her get her life back on track. She is now making progress toward her GED and meets with a counselor on a regular basis. Her new goal is independence: One day, she wants to have a house of her own to live in with her kids. “I can’t give up because of them,” says this newly empowered mother of two.
When Joseph and his three brothers were discovered in his parents' locked trailer, they were hungry and in distress. His grandparents stepped in as temporary guardians, but found Joseph difficult to manage. He was angry, disruptive and quick to strike out at other children. A United Way-funded foster-care program provided therapy sessions and academic help that have helped him improve his behavior, social skills and grades. This year, his grandparents were delighted to report that Joseph was the top reader in his first grade class, where he also had perfect attendance and won the homework award. Today, his grandparents have completed the adoption process for Joseph and his brothers and looking forward to a brighter future as a family.
When Daniel moved his family from Georgia to Jacksonville, he thought he had a good job and a bright future lined up. But the family found themselves living a nightmare when Daniel’s job fell through, the rent came due, and they were evicted from their apartment. For seven months, they lived at a local homeless shelter. There, they learned about a United Way-funded transitional housing program that helped them plan their recovery. Daniel is now a Maintenance Supervisor with the public school system and working toward buying their first home. They are proud of the fact that they have paid all of their debt, including eviction costs – something no other client has done before. “Trust God. He’ll make a way for you,” says Daniel. 
Pat has been a Real$ense volunteer-tax preparer for three years. Volunteering on evenings and weekends, Pat has helped hundreds of low-to-moderate-income families file their returns for free. But after learning about the financial-education classes Real$ense and its partners provided, she decided to volunteer to teach them. Here, she was able to help make the lives of attendees easier, providing them with the proper tools to make sound financial decisions.
And although this proved to be a very rewarding experience for Pat, she still wanted to do even more to help the community. Pat soon began training facilitators on how to teach financial education. She eventually was even able to teach bank representatives in Orlando on how to prepare trainers of their own.
Ever since his mother abandoned him at just 13 months old, Brandon has lived with his great-great aunt, whom he calls "Mom". Before he started counseling sessions at a United Way-funded program, he had difficulty relating to his brothers and other children. He was argumentative and physically aggressive. But life is looking up for Brandon. He has made a turnaround, finding opportunities to be helpful in class, making A’s and B’s in conduct, volunteering for chores at home and getting along better with his brothers. “She’s really important to me,” says this 4th grader of the counselor who helped put him on a better path.
Mark had spent weekdays at a United Way-funded agency for developmentally disabled adults since 1975. So for him, the move to the agency’s group home at age 49 was a natural transition. It was also a great help to his parents, who soon found it challenging to care for their son and his increasing medical needs as they grew older. At his new home, Mark is admired for his self-confidence and leadership abilities. Friendly and outgoing, he has become a social director for his community. Through a mentoring program for adults with disabilities, he helps organize activities like bowling for his group. He also enjoys singing in the choir at his church, going on vacation, and dancing with his friends.
