Current Articles (continued from Home Page) her self esteem has greatly improved. An unhappy person before her job, Crystal now smiles a lot. As she sets more goals for herself, she continues on the path to an independent lifestyle. Crystal is empowered to make her own decisions, is a tax-paying citizen, takes public transportation to work, and leads the life she has chosen. United Way’s Action With funding by the United Way of Tampa Bay, the Employment Services staff, and the individual served, together develops an Individual Plan for Employment (IPE) that includes employability skills, vocational counseling, resume development and job placement assistance. For individuals like Crystal Vantilburg, transition to employment can lessen dependency on government support, including Medicaid, social security, stipends and food stamps. Our community benefits by having a qualified and well-trained employee in the workforce. ........................................................................................ Don’s volunteer experiences have varied. At Salvation Army, he has “mastered the peanut butter and jelly spread,” while Ronald McDonald House in St. Petersburg has helped to sharpen his culinary skills – or at least his chopping, prep and assembly skills! One of his favorite projects is Personal Energy Transporta¬tion, where he gets to “use power tools and cover himself in paint and sawdust, all for a good cause.” Don appreciates being able to experience new environments outside of his office. “Five days a week, I’m inside, working with computers and paper. It’s nice to get up and going on Saturday mornings, doing something with my hands.” With a busy life full of work, friends and family, volunteering remains a priority for Don. “You have to take a step back now and then and realize there is a world outside of your own. You can choose to watch it on the news and be passive, or you can choose to get involved.” For Don, the choice is easy: “I choose to take care and engage myself in my community. I’ve realized that I am part of something bigger than myself – and, as a result, I’ve reduced my level of self-importance.” ........................................................................................ Imagination Library Turns the Page on Successful First Year Numerous statistics attest to the importance of young children having an early and frequent association with books in the home. If children are exposed to books and reading early in life, they have a greater opportunity for success by the time they reach kindergarten. Children who have not developed some basic literacy skills by the time they enter school are 3 to 4 times more likely to drop out in later years. The partners for Imagination Library of Hillsborough County include: Children’s Board of Hillsborough County, Healthy Start Coalition, Hillsborough County Department of Children’s Services, Hillsborough County Head Start/Early Head Start, Hillsborough County Public Schools, Hillsborough County Public Libraries, United States Postal Services-Tampa and United Way of Tampa Bay. How can you help? Sponsor a child. For a $30 donation, you will help provide a child a book a month for a year. For a $150 donation, you can sponsor a child for the entire five years.  Click Here For More Information *Zip codes 33563, 33604, 33610, 33612, 33614, 33619 were chosen to pilot Imagination Library because the elementary D and F schools scored the lowest third grade FCAT scores.