Giving Back *and* Paying it Forward
This year, Mary Beth and Dick Oakes from Business Furniture had an idea for a United Way campaign within their company. What if they could further inspire their 95-member team with an incentive? With the...
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Yesenia’s Journey to Independence: Part 2
When Yesenia’s life took an incredibly unexpected turn, she felt like her life had lost purpose. Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center (MRNC) helped her discover it again. By accessing a wide array of programs at MRNC,...
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Yesenia’s Journey to Independence: Part 1
Yesenia loves her family above all else. The mother of two spent nearly a decade happily married, focusing on raising her children and taking care of her home. But, as many of us know, life...
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The Breaking Barriers Grant Helps Brenda Achieve a Lifelong Goal
The phrase “you can’t do that” has fueled Brenda Leake for more than 50 years. To Brenda, the doubters are just another reason to work harder towards her goals. “I’ve been sick all my life...
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JCC Employees Prove Training Can Be Life-Saving
It was like any other day in Mark Schaffer’s life. He was at the JCC Indianapolis, a United Way partner agency, doing his usual workout routine as he had been for the past four months....
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Girl Scouts Creates the Next Generation of STEM Leaders
Playing with Legos can be life changing – the Girl Scouts of Central Indiana group Gamer Girlz can show you how first hand. The Gamer Girlz, who range in age from 9 to 14, use...
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Diana Roy’s Story: Surviving the Flood of 2008
Written by Diana Roy, United Way of Central Indiana Area South Director As I near my 17th year work anniversary with United Way of Central Indiana, I reflect back on a day that completely changed...
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Alpha Mu Omega Proves Girl Power Can Do Great Things for the Community
A 200-pound planter box sat in the shed of Lynhurst Baptist Church Preschool for weeks – Gail Wolfe, the preschool director, had no idea how she was going to move it. That planter box represented...
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Brittany Finds Hope for the Future at Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center
When Brittany Tinoco moved to Indianapolis, she had high hopes for her new life in the city. But those hopes were doused quickly when she found herself stuck in a low-paying retail job while struggling...
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Sparking Conversation, Comprehension and Imagination with Literacy Kits
It was a day like any other at East Tenth United Methodist Children and Youth Center. Gray, a curly-haired, bright eyed four-year-old, was finished for the day and getting ready for his mom to pick...
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