GIVE. ADVOCATE. VOLUNTEER. DECEMBER 2016 United Way of Roanoke Valley
UPDATE
“I was a high school dropout, but I want better for my kids,” says Nancy Smith, single mother of three, whose family was the first to enroll in the Rehousing Youth for Success in Education (RYSE) program. With hundreds of students in the Roanoke Valley not knowing where they’ll lay their head at night, RYSE is an initiative to help the 80% of those who fall through a crack in the system and are not eligible for existing programs designed to address homelessness. Their instability is hidden because instead of living on the streets, they are finding temporary shelter in motels or move from home to home as reluctant houseguests. After escaping an unhealthy relationship, Nancy and her children found refuge with various
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family and friends, however, she couldn’t quite get on her own feet until she learned about the RYSE program. She’s noticed a difference in her children’s attitudes now that they have a stable home, and says that they’re starting to do better in school. “I’m starting to get a little bit of me back,” says Nancy.
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