Leslie has responded to life’s challenges with one clear focus: to be able to support her son, Connor, especially financially and physically. Connor has been through a lot in his young life. Five years ago, his dad died. His mom’s high-stress job often interrupts his schedule and routine. Most recently, Connor and his mom had…

CW: Child loss “You have our permission to share Nate’s story—but you should know that it ended on September 26 at 9:24 p.m.” Those were the words we got from Kristi after we reached out about an update on a grant her family had received for a wheelchair-accessible van needed by her 7-year-old son, Nate.…

Last August, when wildfires raged across the island of Maui, survivors like La’a Kea were left to put their lives back together. Where do you turn when everyone you know is facing the same devastation? After the wildfires wreaked havoc on the people and homes in Maui, La’a Kea’s aunt turned to Together Rising. La’a…

We believe it’s brave to ask for help. Always. And perhaps especially when you do it for the first time, because you’ve lived your life doing the helping. Lisa and Jessica are well-practiced at being brave. They were brave when they fell in love and had to keep it a secret from their conservative families…

For many of us, the start of a new year marks the feeling of a fresh start. But Amy’s life was irrevocably changed last January 1st, when she became the victim of domestic violence at the hands of her husband. After years of emotional abuse and threats, her husband was arrested and they divorced. Literally…

Meet 19 year old Abby. Due to a number of chronic health conditions, Abby has spent over 300 days in three hospitals over the past three years. Abby relies on a motorized wheelchair to get around since she was assessed as being a fall risk. She has not eaten solid food or drank water in…

Where do you turn when you need help? For Angelique, she was at a loss when she reached out to us. Angelique is a single mother of 4 children. Like so many others, she is working two jobs just to keep mouths fed. She lost her main source of income in the spring as she…

Can you imagine coming to the United States seeking asylum as a single mother with your 15-year-old son, Said, and 6-year-old daughter, Camila,  with multiple disabilities? For Angie, she doesn’t have to imagine.  When Angie and her children came to the U.S., she began working in a laundromat and had been steadily providing for her…

Jordan is a Senior at Yale University, and also the Co-President of the Yale American Indian Science and Engineering Society (yAISES) chapter. Fellow members of the organization, like Madeline say they have committed to promoting the visibility of Indigenous students in STEM. “A lot of our work is really going off [the phrase], ‘you can’t…

Have you ever donated clothes and wondered who would end up with your sweater or old pair of jeans?  Clare doesn’t wonder that, because she is part of the New Neighbors Partnership. Clare was matched with a refugee family with younger kids than her own, and she shares ongoing clothing hand-me-downs from season to season.…