United Way 211 is a free, 24/7, 365-day information and referral resource that connects residents in Lucas, Ottawa and...
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Our Children are Worth the Investment
United Way of Greater Toledo and the YWCA of Northwest Ohio wrote what follows as a letter to the Blade editor, in...
United We’re Strong – Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
United We’re Strong In 1918, a small group of local business owners, religious clerics and community advocates came...
United & Thankful in 2020
Finding hope and things to be thankful for amid the pandemic. Let’s just admit it…The past eight...
Why We Are Failing Working Moms
Now that the COVID-19 pandemic has carried-on for the majority of 2020, analysts are beginning to...
COVID-19, Jobs & Childcare: What it means for Parents & Providers
Ohio is one of 28 states where childcare can amount to the equivalent of in-state college tuition....
In These Shoes – a Realization on Volunteerism
Back in February I bought this new pair of “fun” running shoes. I’m not a runner – I don’t even...
Best of 2019: Because Change Doesn’t Happen Alone
We have come to the close of an impactful year! Thousands of needs were met through 211 calls,...
A Fair Shot: Advocating for a Young Student’s Disability Rights
Our daughter, Hailey, is sitting in the back seat, humming along to whatever made-up song is...
Necessity vs. Commodity: The Struggle for a Child to have Enough to Eat
When first attending college, I was asked whether I was a one, two, or three meals-a-day “kind of...
Eating the Rainbow: A Culinary Adventure to a Healthier Lifestyle
“Whoa, what is that green stuff you’re eating?” Olivia asked her classmate, Jaime, as they sat...
Guiding Young Minds: Creating Better Classrooms with Social Emotional Learning
Each year, when August rolls around, Mrs. Brown begins getting ready for another school year with...
Packing an Impact: A Tool for Academic Success
Deanna Johnson anxiously stood at the check-in desk, waiting to receive her student ID for her...
Down, Never Out: Finding a Path that Leads Away from Rock Bottom
I sat across the table from the woman I’d been called in for. “Her name is Nikki,” my contact had...
A Flood of Memories: Surrounded by Support During Times of Disaster
I woke in the middle of the night to the sound of rain pounding the roof and was glad Stan had...
Advocating for Impact: Why the 2020 Census Should Matter to You
It comes every 10 years… asking questions about you and your household. Each decade, we can expect...
Community Data: Taking the Complexity out of Your Social Support Decisions
Lately, buzzwords such as big data, data science, artificial intelligence, predictive modeling and...
A New Day of Hope: Affordable Child Care Solutions to Help Families Succeed
Exhaustion. That is the only word I could think of to explain how I felt walking into my Granny’s...
Kicked to the Curb: A Mother’s Tale of Finding Support after Eviction
The blaring of the ambulance siren as it leaves the station was my alarm clock, gas bills were...
Deep Breaths: Healthy Beginnings Start with Support
Katrina was twenty-two and six weeks pregnant when I first met her. She asked me to call her Kat....
Public Policy & Advocacy: Taking the Extra Step as a Donor
Give. Advocate. Volunteer. These three words are a core piece of United Way’s message in...
Leaving Isolation: Finding Empowerment Among Your Peers
When you’re attending college, you would think that everyone is free-thinking, accepting and...
Finding Superhero Powers: Early Education Support for both Parents and Children
Looking at my sweet son Jamile pretending to be superhero as he “flies” across the room, one would...
The Promise: A Mother’s Fight to Protect Her Child, and Herself
The traditional gift for a 7-year wedding anniversary is copper, which happens to be what some...
Where Your Dollars Go: Dispelling the Overhead Myth
We’ve all seen the Facebook posts, calling out nonprofits on their overhead ratio and the...
Reflections on Gratitude and Humility: One Advocate’s Journey
We are often asked, “What’s a typical day like at The Cocoon?” We smile, unable to capture the...
The Last Pencil: Having Supplies for our Students
“Mrs. Thompson!” shouted Louis in a very disgruntled tone. His little arms crossed, barely able to...
