"North Penn United Way supports Partner Agency programs that help Seniors in need"
Helping Seniors In Our Community
Recently, Mary, a senior who lives on a fixed income, found herself struggling to make ends meet over the past year. Mary started shopping at a local Food Pantry to get by. When her electric bill suddenly rose, she struggled to pay her rent and her bills. To assist and get her back on her feet, Mary's electric bill was paid for one month through Manna on Main Street's "Summer Cool Down Program for Seniors". They also invited Mary to visit their soup kitchen for regular healthy meals and good company. Manna on Main Street reports that Mary comes often and is doing well with the help of Manna and her new found friends. Each year many people look to our partners when in need of a meal, food and the safety of a community who cares about them.
In 2004, an elderly couple joined a new fitness program at a community center in their area. Soon after, the husband’s health went downhill, but his wife kept bringing him for as long as she could. After he passed away, she continued to work out several times a week, many times coming just to chat with the staff. She has told them many times that she would never have made it through the first year without her husband if not for the community center. She still walks down from her nursing home often to visit and take fitness classes.
Esther has a similar story. She became involved at the same center when she found herself alone after the death of her husband. She also joined the fitness program. Since then, she has become a member of several of the other programs offered, as well as joined several committees. She has become an invaluable volunteer for many of the events that the center holds and is always the first to sign up to help. Esther believes that her involvement at the center saved her after she became a widow.
Financial Stability Programs are Life Changing for Families in Our Communities
North Penn United Way funds agencies in the North Penn and Indian Valley communities that change the lives of those in need every day; and every day, people in our community are given a chance to apply for assistance, get the help they need to support themselves and their families and in turn, they give back to the community. This is a story of a local Montgomery County family who turned to the helping hands of a local homeless shelter in the fall of 2008. This family with one young child and a new baby on the way were looking for a way to get back on their feet. Their primary goal: homeownership. After a few weeks in the homeless shelter, the family entered a transitional housing program sponsored by a local human services agency. Their determination to achieve their primary goal of homeownership was demonstrated by their phenomenal work ethic. The father worked supplemental jobs and the mother returned to work as soon as she could, following the birth of their second child. After attending a Home Ownership fair, the family was further inspired to continue their hard work and adhere to the advice of a Financial Educator provided to them by the local human services agency. After only a year and a half of participating in these support programs, the family was able to complete a Credit Repair Plan to help clear their credit report, save $8,500 in a high interest savings account for a down payment on their first home and began participating in a 401(K) program. They obtained a first time home buyers mortgage and purchased a home in Berks County. Not only are they maintaining their home and family, they are also volunteering with the human services agency that helped them reach their ultimate goal of financial stability.