YOUR IMPACT

LAST YEAR, WE INTRODUCED YOU TO DEYSI AND HER FAMILY. Deysi emigrated from Mexico as a child, and with English as her second language,

she struggled in school. Now, as a mom of two boys, Deysi wants to do everything

she can to create a better life for her family. Deysi, her husband, and her children joined

UWNYC’s ReadNYC® program in the South Bronx, where the supports UWNYC

provides, and the opportunities we offer, have Deysi and her family on the path to

self-sufficiency.

ReadNYC taught Deysi the importance of being a teacher for her children and to get

them reading on grade-level.

To get her son Luis Angel, a third grader at P.S. 49, on the track for success, Deysi

signed him up for Once Upon a Summer (OUS) a summer literacy and arts camp that

aims to reduce summer learning loss—where he learned critical skills in vocabulary

and reading comprehension. Deysi wanted her younger

son Manuel to get a jumpstart on literacy—even before he

started school. Through ReadNYC, Deysi signed him up to

receive a new, free book each month—helping build him an

at-home library.

Recognizing the power of words, UWNYC’s ReadNYC

program is helping kids—like Luis Angel and Manuel—gain

the critical skills in literacy needed to read on grade-level

by third grade—a milestone for future success. Deysi

learned that children who don’t read on grade-level by

ReadNYC®

third grade are 74% more likely to drop out of high school—continuing the cycle of

poverty for less privileged students.

At the same time that Deysi’s children were advancing from ReadNYC, so too were

Deysi and her husband. At UWNYC, we understand that a child’s success is heavily

dependent on good health, a stable home, and a strong education. That is why United

Way of New York City fights for the education, health, and financial stability of every

New Yorker—like Deysi and her family.

Achieving self-sufficiency—the ability to make ends meet without public assistance—is

hard in neighborhoods that have historically been centers of concentrated poverty.

That is why UWNYC—like no other nonprofit in New York City—focuses on these

communities. Bringing together companies, nonprofits, foundations, government

agencies, and individuals to the table, UWNYC sets a unified, full-spectrum strategy

to change systems and help both children and families succeed and reach self-

sufficiency.

When Deysi’s family was struggling financially—in danger of losing their apartment—

ReadNYC provided emergency funds that prevented homelessness and helped

stabilize the household. We helped Deysi’s husband Luis enroll in ESL classes at a local

community college, preparing him for future employment, and partnered Deysi with a

ReadNYC social work intern to help build her resume.

United Way of New York City’s ReadNYC program offers educational supports that

impact school-aged children, while also strengthening the financial capabilities and

education of their parents, and empowers principals and teachers, providing them with

the training and resources they need to help families achieve these critical milestones.

WE’RE EXCITED TO SHARE … Your investment in UWNYC made these tremendous results possible. Deysi is now

employed as an Expanded Day Community Educator, empowering other families to

strive for self-sufficiency and providing them with the tools necessary to succeed.

Congratulations, Deysi!

JOIN OUR FIGHT FOR LITERACY. HELP US

#SPREADTHEWORDS DONATE TODAY

readnyc.org/words