Amanda – a new beginning
Growing up, Amanda’s childhood was harder than most.
She didn’t know her father and she faced instability from her mother who was struggling with substance abuse.
“My mother had a drug addiction, but she didn’t let me see it,” says Amanda. “That lead to me being babysat by different families in different homes. I always felt like a guest. I was never at home.”
When she was only eight years old she had to make an incredibly difficult choice. She had to tell her mother that she could no longer see her.
“I remember that day like it was yesterday,” Amanda says. “I had to do it over the phone. She was upset, but she was also very gentle about it, and she just let me go.”
Finding a second family through after-school programs
Today, Amanda is 25 years old and she is thriving. She is completing her education in holistic health and nutrition and she works as a supervisor in the grocery industry. She is also an Impact Speaker with United Way’s fall fundraising campaign. In her role, she will travel to different workplaces and share how the right connection – a United Way-funded after-school program – helped change her life.
“Things really did change when I found the Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House. United Way funded programs that I attended where I gained confidence and I learned new skills. I met really great people who were focused on healthy activities as opposed to more destructive ones.”
“I was safe to open up to the staff, the teen leaders and the other kids. I could be there and not have to worry about things. They were so understanding,” Amanda says.
Many of her friends at the after-school program didn’t have the easiest lives either. The difference for Amanda and her peers was that somebody believed in them so they could tap into their potential.
Amanda says that they needed some guidance – a family – to set an example for them.
“There is a lot that can be avoided if we support people,” she says. “If my mother had that support, things may have been different for her. And I’m definitely proof of that, because I did get that support.”
“I gained confidence and I learned new skills. I met really great people who were focused on healthy activities as opposed to more destructive ones.”
Right now vulnerable kids like Amanda are still lingering on after-school wait lists.
The right connection could save their lives. Could it be you?
A bright future
Looking forward, Amanda is excited about completing her education, helping others, and continuing to better herself, every day.
“I do my best to grow as a person,” she smiles. “And a lot of my fundamental characteristics came from those [United Way-funded] programs.”
Every year, United Way invests $10 million to help children succeed in school and in life.
None of the work United Way does would be possible without the generous support of donors. Thank you.
“If my mother had that support, things may have been different for her. And I’m definitely proof of that, because I did get that support.”
Send a note of encouragement to Amanda
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