Successful Kids: Faith's Story

Faith was struggling in school. She had a hard time reading and was falling behind. All she needed was a little help. Her teacher recommended her for extra tutoring and referred her to the Communities in Schools of Lakewood after school program at Tillicum Elementary. 

Thanks to funding provided by United Way of Pierce County, Communities in Schools of Lakewood was able to extend their program to serve students during the summer. 

“They need that extra support that we’re able to provide at the school.”  -Leah, Communities In Schools of Lakewood. 

Watch Faith's Story

While Faith was participating in the program, she also got books through the summer meal site nearby, thanks to a partnership with St.Leo’s Food Connection. Through summer meal partnerships like these, 

United Way distributed more than 2,000 books this summer. Many children don’t have books of their own at home and can lose up to two months of what they’ve learned over the summer. But that wouldn’t be the case for Faith. She worked hard with the teachers at the summer program and continued to get caught up. 

Now Faith will start the school year at grade level and is ready to succeed. Communities in Schools of Lakewood is just one of the many programs receiving funding from United Way of Pierce County. By focusing on programs that help young children and their families, we can remove the barriers preventing them from breaking the cycle of poverty.