Change starts here.
Change starts here.
Spiros vividly recalls starting school in North Delta fresh from Greece and not really knowing how to speak English. “People would pick on me,” he recalls.
Spiros is among a group of youngsters working on an anti-bullying project called The Crafters, funded by United Way of the Lower Mainland. They bring their presentation, Let’s Stop The Bullying into local elementary schools, helping children by addressing the problems of bullying.
United Way ensures children age 6-12 have the basic values and skills needed to be healthy, happy and resilient. Read Spiros’s full story.
Research shows that children in their middle childhood years (age 6-12) are experiencing an increased sense of isolation and are disconnected from the community.
What does this mean?
Kids who feel disconnected often have low self-esteem and may spend too much time home alone. As a result, they run the risk of injury, bullying, suicide, crime and gang violence, such as the kind we’ve seen escalate on our streets and in our neighbourhoods.
Reaching children before they make the wrong choices is a key part of United Way’s prevention-based approach to address the underlying causes of issues such as bullying, violence and crime.
Many Metro Vancouver children age 6 to 12 don’t currently have the services, resources and programs they need to meet their developmental needs outside of school.
United Way’s goal: To ensure children 6-12 are healthy, happy and resilient.
United Way of the Lower Mainland supports innovative initiatives that are helping children develop the capacity to make wise future choices. For example, by supporting community schools, after-school programs, innovative tutoring services and research forums to broaden awareness for future action, United Way is helping to create child-friendly neighbourhoods.
By helping kids get the best possible start in life, United Way sets them on the right path, helping to prevent future problems such as school drop-out and crime.
Our work is guided by our community impact model. It is the four strategies of engaging communities, strengthening non-profits, focusing on root causes, and influencing the decision-making environment that allow us to reach our goal of helping children in their middle childhood years.
We are committed to tracking and evaluating how your dollars make a difference in the lives of people and our communities. Demonstrating the impact of your gift also enables United Way to continue to make wise and prudent investment choices to ensure the greatest return for our community and your generous investment.
Read more about how United Way is helping children.
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