Annually, over 4,000 individuals and corporations donate to United Way to make an impact in Delaware, Fayette, Henry, Madison and Randolph Counties. They LIVE UNITED because they understand that alone we have hopes, together we take action, and united we can make an impact. United Way funds programs that help: • children enter school ready to succeed, achieve academic goals, and are emotionally healthy and socially competent • young adults make a successful transition from high school to college/career • have their basic needs met • families and individuals build and/or maintain savings and assets and have access to health care coverage and services • families and individuals are healthy and avoid risky behaviors • seniors and persons with disabilities are able to remain independent While United Way works strategically to meet these needs, it also works to create lasting change in community conditions. As the sponsoring organization for the community’s Campaign for Grade Level Reading, United Way is working to help children read at or above grade level by the end of their third grade year. It is during this pivotal point that children transition from learning how to read, into readers who learn from what they have read. Children who are not reading at grade level in the third grade are at risk of falling behind in their school work, which puts them at risk of not graduating from high school. In fact, it is such an indicator of a child’s future success that some states base their prison capacity off of third grade reading scores. United Way is partnering with schools to help at-risk readers meet this important benchmark. We have convened a coalition to identify gaps in services that are preventing children’s success with reading. Together, the coalition is finding ways to bridge those gaps and keep our community’s children on target for success in school and in life.