Overnight, Larry became a single parent to his two children when his wife became critically ill and was hospitalized for 14 months.  With a job that requires long hours, Larry registered Blaine (age 4) in child care and Kim (age 8) in the out of school care program.  These vital services enabled Larry to retain his employment amid the chaos of his altered life.  The local food bank assisted with meals when having one income instead of two stretched their budget.  The Family Wellness Program provided individual and family counselling at no cost, to assist the family in adjusting to these monumental changes to their family unit and to cope with the emotional effects.  

Larry grew stronger in his abilities to carry out effective parenting responsibilities. These were never his when he had a healthy wife at home.  He was able to provide as much stability for his family as possible.  The children have continued to thrive in their home and school settings and have built the skills of resilience needed to cope with life changes.  

Thanks to the support of United Way, we have programs and services to help single parent families in times of crisis. 

Paige and Christian learning to print and read at Envision Family Centre in Innisfail. 

January 27 each year is Family Literacy Day.   

This is a day to recognize the importance of reading as a family and to celebrate literacy.   

United Way supports more than 450 young children and their families through a number of programs that promote learning in early childhood.