Dionne’s Story

Both Dionne’s* parents are drug addicts. Dionne was abused her whole life until she finally left home. Thankfully Dionne found the Boys and Girls Club when she was 5 years old. “I don’t call my house a home because for me, my home was the Club. The Club was the place I could go to for everything I needed. It was my safe place.”

Dionne, now 22, recalls, “The staff there made sure I was warm, fed and as happy as they could make me. Whenever an opportunity for a program or event happened, the staff made sure I was signed up. The Club was where I went every day.” Dionne relied on the support she received at the Boys and Girls Club. She had role models who nurtured her, guided her and supported her throughout her difficult childhood. Dionne spent almost every waking moment for 13 years in that Club, and without the love and support of the qualified staff, she may have continued on a harmful path.

Dionne never gave up - nor did the staff. She’s now working as an LPN and hopes to complete her degree in nursing soon. She is just one of the children who has benefited from United Way’s standards of excellence that we require of our funded programs. And part of that is making sure that agency staff have the capacity, resources and quality training to identify and help children like Dionne needed to be helped.

Dionne is now giving back to the community and the future has never been brighter.

* Name has been changed