Successes

United Way Helps Make Dreams Become a Reality

Kindergarten Kamp

Kindergarten Kamp is a collaboration between United Way, Lima City Schools and Head Start. Children entering kindergarten in the fall attend classes in the summer, taught by city school teachers and Head Start teachers, to better prepare the children to begin school in the fall. 2010 was the second year for the program. Children attending Kindergarten Kamp have consistently scored higher on the kindergarten readiness test than children who did not attend the kamp. The program will be expanded in 2011 to Liberty Elementary and to Perry School.                                                                              Click here for more information on Kindergarten Kamp.  

Backpack Program                                                                                                             This program continues to grow. On Wednesday morning volunteers come to the Food Bank and pack 500 backpacks with food. They do this so that children who may not have anything to eat on the weekends can take the backpacks home with them on Friday afternoon. The children bring the empty backpacks back to school on Monday the volunteers refill them on Wednesday. The program serves 500 children within the 5 elementary schools in Lima. They have now included Elida students in the Backpack Program.