Helping Youth Choose a Better Way

“Why try to do good things when I will be dead on the streets in a couple of years?”

Ten-year-old Jackson was dealing with serious discipline issues when he asked this question at a United Way of Central Oklahoma Partner Agency after-school program. He would yell at teachers, frequently leave the classroom and was failing his classes. When the Partner Agency began working with Jackson, they learned that his misbehavior was actually a cry for help for his family. Through the United Way network, Jackson and his family were able to connect with counseling services, mentoring programs and assistance with basic needs like food and clothing.

Now Jackson has learned coping skills to deal with his frustrations, improving both his behavior and his grades.

“I have a choice to do good and be good, and I choose to be that,” Jackson now says.

When you donate to United Way, you support a network of Partner Agencies that can help provide Oklahoma children with a safe place to go after school, employment assistance for their parents, food for their families and a roof over their heads. Every dollar matters. And every donation makes a critical impact. If you’re not in need yet, please help someone who is.