A Safe Place to Grow
Briana McIntyre grew up in a big family. The youngest of two older sisters and a brother, they were quite the handful. Her parents hoped to be able to provide a great life for Briana and her siblings, but that meant working long shifts at sometimes more than one job, and leaving the children alone in their near-south side Indianapolis home. Ms. McIntyre knew some of the trouble that went on around her neighborhood – drugs, violence, crime – and she didn’t want that for her family. They needed a safe place to grow and create meaningful memories, but with their tight budget, she wondered if she was dreaming too big.
Then, she heard about Concord Neighborhood Center, a United Way-supported agency. Concord had a program for every age, ranging from pre-K to senior citizen. After a little research, Ms. McIntyre enrolled all four of her children.
For years, the children had been a consistent force at the center. Beginning in kindergarten-readiness programming, they enjoyed an array of activities: academic tutoring, sports, social and emotional skill-building, arts and crafts and small group games. And as they grew in to teenagers, they each were able to reap the benefits of the teen programs that prepared them for success in school and post-graduation and provided them with fun "teen nights".
Now fully through the programming, the two oldest sisters have jobs, homes and families of their own. Briana's brother is training to be a truck driver. And Briana, now 16, is at Concord gaining important skills and work experience as an employee, assisting the nutrition program during school breaks and an afternoon receptionist year-round.
Because of United Way, Concord Neighborhood Center and you, Briana and her siblings were all able to walk away from their childhood with the life skills to succeed and the fond memories that every child deserves.
Note: United Way works to improve the lives of all Central Indiana residents by focusing our work in four key areas – Education, Income, Health and Basic Needs. Concord Neighborhood Center is a United Way-funded agency addressing one or more of these priorities by providing a variety of educational, social, recreational, and health activities to neighborhood residents of all ages.