The local faces impacted by your United Way donation.
In just a few months, 236 Gannett Drive in South Portland will open its doors as a brand-new, high-quality child care facility. But during a recent September visit, that future was hard to picture. The building was still an active construction site with large wires dangling from the ceiling, dust and debris everywhere, and hard hats required for entry.
When a parent is incarcerated, children often carry the weight in silence. Some 2.7 million children in the U.S. currently have a parent in jail. One in every 13 children in Maine has experienced this separation. The ripple effects can be profound: lost connection, chronic stress, and deep emotional strain. That’s where United Way of Southern Maine steps in.
First jobs are exciting. They mark the start of independence, new opportunities, and financial security. But they also come with a less than exciting milestone—filing taxes for the first time. For Dora, a young mom and child care educator at a preschool in Portland, that first tax season felt overwhelming.
Like many families, Molly and Sam started their search for child care before their daughter was born. After two years of waiting, Sam decided to stay home as Violet’s primary caregiver while Molly continued to work full-time. However, sudden health complications meant Sam could no longer fill that role. They needed to find a spot for Violet—fast.
We’ve all been through it: being a teenager is tough. But teenagers today are navigating an increasingly challenging world, due to the influences of social media, access to substances, and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the onset of the pandemic, Eliane, a former student at Portland High School, struggled with her anxiety and fell behind in school. Greater Portland Health’s (GPH) School-Based Health Center team worked collaboratively to help Eliane and establish behavioral health services.