Katrina was twenty-two and six weeks pregnant when I first met her. She asked me to call her Kat. “My parents called me Katrina,” she told me with a note of ambivalence and a deep breath. I recognized a toughness in her voice that...
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 mobilizing our community to create positive change across Lucas, Wood and Ottawa County. As a United Way donor, you understand what it means to “give” and to donate...
Leaving Isolation: Finding Empowerment Among Your Peers
When you’re attending college, you would think that everyone is free-thinking, accepting and open-minded, right? Well, let’s just say you can put “tolerance to the test” being a trans man on campus. I came to my university at 18, and to keep the...
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 never suspect he has a learning disability. Yet he does. And, if anyone understands what this hurdle is like it’s me. In fact, it’s...
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 bullet casings are made of. For our 7-year anniversary, my husband shot me in the right kneecap. I still walk with a limp. I’d just discovered...
A Love for Learning: Helping Kids Find their True Potential
“Mom, I hate school!” Yelled 9-year-old Josiah as his mother questioned him about his low grades. “You just don’t understand. I’ll never be as smart as the other kids.” Tonya knew that her son could achieve anything he put his mind to. She...
Where Your Dollars Go: Dispelling the Overhead Myth
We’ve all seen the Facebook posts, calling out nonprofits on their overhead ratio and the percentage of donations that go directly to programming. I get it—these are questions that raise eyebrows, and you certainly deserve some answers as donors. That said, I’d...
Counting the Days: A New Year, A New Home
It was a tradition. Every year at the end of December, I spent a few extra dollars for a new calendar. I’d pin it to our kitchen wall for the entire family to see. We marked birthdays, holidays, our work schedules—everything—on the...
AVID: Be Better, Every Time
A school is like a theater, and each classroom a stage. Well lit. Tables, desks, and chairs. Set decorations to match the subjects taught within. Mine, however, is an AVID classroom. My walls are adorned with posters, college pennants, and enough blank space...
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 complex experiences we have gained by responding, “There is no typical day, you never know what each day will bring.” There are days that the...