My Nonprofit Reviews

I have been involved with Future 5 for 7 years. I walked up the stairs to volunteer and am now on the Board. It is an amazing organization that helps kids who might fall between the cracks realize their potential. The staff and volunteers do a great job and the kids are the real stars!!!

I started volunteering at Future 5 almost 3 years ago. I was looking for something to dig my teeth into when my younger son left for college. I walked in my first day and was hooked. I became a "coach" that very first day during a Job Prep session. I went home excited, invigorated and eager to get involved. That first school year I volunteered in just about every aspect of the organization and decided I wanted to be a college coach. I was assigned a young man I had met during my first few sessions as a volunteer. Together, we battled our way through the college application process. He did not have support at home, so I was his point person. It was a challenging adventure for both of us, but we stuck together and he is starting his sophomore year at UCONN Stamford and moving into the new dorms in a few days. He will be a part of our family forever-- and my family and his Future 5 family are incredibly proud of him.

My second student for the College Prep was a very bright, shy rising star. We had a very different experience than I had with my young man the year before. That is when I learned that each of these young people have their own story and I needed to figure out where I fit in. We worked very hard together throughout the year. We had great successes and great disappointments, but I am so happy for her that she will be begin her college journey this week when she moves into the dorms at UCONN in Storrs.

Very quickly I became involved not only with my students, but with the organization. My husband and I have worked to spread the word to our friends and acquaintances about how this group of mainly volunteers works with this underprivileged, motivated group of young people to help them realize their potential. I joined the Advisory Board a year ago and look forward to contributing what I can to help our students realize their dreams.