PEOPLE HELPING PEOPLE
YOUR DONATIONS AT WORK - CHANGING LIVES
In each KECC Chronicle newsletter, we will feature the story of an ACTUAL individual or family that has been touched by your generosity, right here in Kentucky. Each of the six KECC Charities will be spotlighted throughout the campaign.
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Alex at age 14
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Alex and Robert
Alex was a precocious boy with boundless energy. But he started life in tough circumstances. He was adopted by his mother, Kathy, after being removed from an abusive home at the age of three. Kathy was a single professional woman with a lot of love to give, but even in a supportive and loving home, it became apparent that Alex needed something more. He needed a male presence in his life.
So, when Alex was seven, a friend of Kathy's suggested she call Big Brothers Big Sisters, an agency supported by United Way. Kathy took her friend's advice and within days her son was paired with Robert, a twenty-one year old UPS worker looking for a way to give back to the community. Alex and Robert were a perfect match.
"Alex reminded me a lot of myself," said Robert, recalling the first time they met. "We hit it off immediately."
Robert soon became more than just a "buddy" Alex could spend time with. He was more like a brother, and in many ways, like a father to Alex. He was the constant, positive male influence in Alex's life that gave it balance.
"We did a lot of 'guy stuff' together," said Alex. "Things I just couldn't do with my mom. In many ways, Robert has shown me what it means to be a good man."
What started with a phone call from a mother looking to support her son, turned into a friendship that has lasted nearly eleven years. But more importantly, it had an affect that will last a lifetime.
Today, Alex is a student at the University of Louisville's Speed School of Engineering. And while Robert is married and has two children of his own, he and Alex still maintain a close relationship, seeing each other regularly. If you ask Robert's children, the will tell you they "love Uncle Alex very much."
Across the state, because of your generosity, people are helping people every day. Thank you for making a difference for Alex, and thousands of kids like him, who are able to succeed because of help from the six KECC Charities and you!
