Charlie Dipinto was very close to having his utilities shut off. He was used to paying his bills paid on time, but things changed when he got hurt and had to leave his job. Charlie, age 68, now lives on $1,000 per month. Through a grant provided by NV Energy, United Way has helped Charlie and 1,800 vulnerable adults with their power bills through Project REACH (Relief through Energy Assistance to Prevent Customer Hardships).

Summer, a single mom who lives paycheck to paycheck, is challenged with raising her active four-year old son, Daylon and juggling school and a career. Without United Way’s support, Summer would not have been able to send her son to preschool. “I wouldn’t want my son to start school behind,” said Summer. Daylon has now learned his alphabet and can count to 20 without interruption and is ready to succeed.

Learning at an early age the power of volunteering and the path to success, 995 NGAGE high school students committed their time to building a better future for our community. In the 2014-2015 school year, United Way recognized 169 students representing 24 high schools for serving a minimum of 100 hours. Participating students gained access to community, business and personal experiences and friendships that will last a lifetime.

Carolina's mom didn't have the resources to take her to the dentist. United Way funds programs that provide free dental care at elementary schools around Clark County. Carolina is receiving preventative dental care and learning good dental habits early so she hopefully never has to struggle with cavities and painful dental decay.