Desiree was six years old when she began going to Girls Inc. of New Hampshire in Nashua last June, shortly after she and her mom had moved to New Hampshire. They were living in a transitional housing program because of the mental and physical abuse they had suffered. Desiree's mom, Rose, was looking for a safe place for her daughter to learn and grow and be able to start a new, healthy life.

The past abuse caused Desiree to have many behavior and trust issues. She also had a hard time communicating her feelings when she was upset and would throw tantrums. Through the caring and compassion of the one-on-one help at Girls Inc. (which receives United Way program funding), Desiree learned how to use her words to communicate and know that it is OK to be upset. Desiree has learned she can step away when she is angry and express her feelings in a positive way. Desiree now makes daily trips to the office to remind everyone of the good days she has, and that she is very proud of herself.

Desiree is involved with many of the programs at Girls Inc. She recently finished both the Media Literacy and Economic Literacy programs the agency offers to girls of all ages. She is also part of the United Way- Youth Venture Dance Creations class, which is run by young adults and offers creative movement, jazz, and hip-hop dance instruction free of charge.

United Way's General Fund also supports the Teen Program of the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Nashua. 66% of youth monitored in the program showed a positive change in behavior and attitude or an increased level of competence after participating in selected Club activities.

A recent study by The National Institute on Out-of-School Time, or NIOST, located at Wellesley College, found that after-school programs can have strong, positive effects on children's academic, social, and emotional lives. NIOST conducts important research and evaluations on the development of children and their time out of school. To learn more and download a copy of the study, visit http://www.niost.org/index.html

On May 9, 2008, about 200 students from Greater Nashua and North Central Massachusetts will gather at Nashua Community College for a United Way-Youth Venture regional celebration. United Way-Youth Venture allows students to create and sustain community benefiting organizations that build on their interests. The celebration will acknowledge students' hard work and provide tips to help them better manage their organizations.
Visit the online registration page for details about the celebration.

Among the teams invited to the celebration is the latest team launched through the United Way-Youth Venture partnership, Pure Water Vending. Teammates Jane Starke, Melia Robinson and Noelle Joubert of Merrimack High School (in above photo) seek to raise awareness and funds in an effort to help save children's lives in developing countries by providing clean, uncontaminated drinking water.

United Way - Youth Venture background