Giving money to nonprofit organizations is really important for making our community better, but it can be tricky. At...
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Wendy Pestrue Reflects on Six Years of Leadership at United Way
At United Way of Greater Toledo, we recently had the pleasure of sitting down with our CEO, Wendy Pestrue, to reflect...
Funding Equitably: United Way’s Journey to Making a Difference
Nonprofit organizations like United Way work hard to share resources fairly, but it's not always easy. How can we make...
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...
Tax Time: Keeping Your Full Refund
Even if you don’t own a calendar, you know when it’s tax season. From the do-it-yourself tax...
Finding Tomorrow: The Long Road To Financial Freedom
I’ve always dreamed of owning my own home. Yet, each month, around the time my bills are due, I...
Best of 2018: Reflecting on our Community’s Story
What a busy year…or rather 100 years! We had the pleasure of experiencing so many exciting...
Letters To Santa: Sorting Bills at the Kitchen Table
John sat in the dark at the kitchen table, staring down at the two stacks of papers in front of...
A Path to Success: Finding Potential From A Big Brother
Three years ago, I was really struggling, feeling unmotivated and honestly… I felt worthless. In...