The following success story was submitted by New England Arab American Organization (NEAAO). Dollars given to United Way of Kennebec Valley support this program as well as many others across Kennebec Valley.

Amal arrived in Maine with her three young children, carrying only a small bag and an overwhelming sense of fear. She had fled war, leaving behind everything she once knew—her home, her family, her sense of security. Now, in a new country with a different language and no support system, she faced impossible choices: How would she feed her children? Where would they sleep? How could she give them a future when she had nothing? Through the Bridge to Basics Program, Amal found a lifeline. She was met with warmth, not just assistance. Volunteers helped her find emergency housing so her children wouldn’t have to sleep in a shelter. Food was placed on their table. Winter coats and boots arrived just in time for the first snowfall—her children’s first ever.

With the support of NEAAO, she navigated school enrollment, secured healthcare for her sick youngest child, and even began learning English. Today, Amal stands on her own. She has a job, her children are thriving in school, and for the first time in years, she feels safe.

“I thought I had lost everything,” she says, tears in her eyes. “But here, I found kindness. I found hope.”