You made a difference in a child’s life! Begun in 1997, BLAST, a program run by the Upper Darby Community Outreach Corporation,  serves pre-teens and teens from the densely populated and ethnically diverse community of Upper Darby in Pennsylvania. The primary focus of BLAST is improving academic and social skills of youth at risk of being left home alone while parents or caregivers work. The hours between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. are considered “prime time for juvenile crime.”  BLAST keeps youth safe and in a supervised environment, with caring adults.

Freddy enjoys going to After School Blast while his mom is working. He gets his homework complete and gets to hang out with some “cool kids.”  Before this program, Freddy was with different family members each day but now he gets to make things and get extra help on his school work.

Thank you Kevin, Brooke, Deborah, and Tracy for giving Freddy the support he needs.

UDCOC is a faith-based nonprofit organization committed to serving the residents of Eastern Delaware county and West Philadelphia, with programs and services that enhance education, increase health care access, improve life skills, and promote understanding that embraces diversity and unifies neighborhoods.

In an attempt to meet the needs of people who want to learn English, the Language Institute was established in September of 2003. The Institute holds sessions throughout the year, with terms of ten weeks, and classes each week for Beginner and Intermediate Level Students. Adults who enroll in this program increase their ability to speak and read the English language with confidence. They are able to better communicate with their children, their neighbors, and essential people one encounters in daily life.

Munzir has been down on his luck lately.  He has lost two jobs and is working as a short order cook. He works quite hard but it is difficult for him to understand what people are asking him to do. He has moved three times since arriving in the United States six months ago. Munzir is looking to improve his life here in America starting with these English classes through UDCOC.

Thank you, Brigid, for helping people like Munzir succeed in this country.

UDCOC is a faith-based nonprofit organization committed to serving the residents of Eastern Delaware county and West Philadelphia, with programs and services that enhance education, increase health care access, improve life skills, and promote understanding that embraces diversity and unifies neighborhoods.

In an attempt to meet the needs of people who want to learn English, the Language Institute was established in September of 2003. The Institute holds sessions throughout the year, with terms of ten weeks, and classes each week for Beginner and Intermediate Level Students. Adults who enroll in this program increase their ability to speak and read the English language with confidence. They are able to better communicate with their children, their neighbors, and essential people one encounters in daily life.

Due to your generous donation, Lee, someone like Lorna was able to participate in these English classes. Lorna wanted to thank you personally:

Lorna came to the United States from Sudan about 15 months ago. She was getting by but it was hard for her to communicate with neighbors or go into a store and ask for the things she was looking for. The final straw came when she went to her child’s school and could not understand what the teacher was telling her about her six year old. She is now enrolled in English classes and well on her way to learning the language!

Thank you, Lee, for giving Lorna the chance to communicate with her child’s teacher and make in-roads into her community.

UDCOC is a faith-based nonprofit organization committed to serving the residents of Eastern Delaware county and West Philadelphia, with programs and services that enhance education, increase health care access, improve life skills, and promote understanding that embraces diversity and unifies neighborhoods.

In an attempt to meet the needs of people who want to learn English, the Language Institute was established in September of 2003. The Institute holds sessions throughout the year, with terms of ten weeks, and classes each week for Beginner and Intermediate Level Students. Adults who enroll in this program increase their ability to speak and read the English language with confidence. They are able to better communicate with their children, their neighbors, and essential people one encounters in daily life.

Barbara, your generous contribution gave someone like Manny the opportunity to take these classes. Manny says:

Thank you for supporting me in my effort to learn the English Language. I came to this country with the hope of finding a better life and working so that I can one day cook in a cafe that I own. I realized I can not do this without learning English so I am taking classes to help me. We made an American meal with chicken and mashed potatoes! Thanks to this program I am learning a lot of English!

Thank you, Barbara, for helping Manny and others achieve their dreams.

Kenny, from Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, had a hard time keeping himself busy (and safe) after school.  He found the Upper Darby Community Outreach Corporation after-school program and has since turned a corner. He now looks forward to the games and activities the program provides and keeps himself busy in a safe environment. His mom is pleased to have a safe, productive place for him to play.

Thank you Tanu, Lesley, Richard, Akiko, Tom, and Craig, for providing a year of after school programming to Kenny!

You made a real difference in someone’s life!  Michael’s aunt was very concerned because he was extremely shy. It took him about 4 weeks to become comfortable with his teacher at the after-school program, but now he does not stop talking, exploring, and asking questions. This program has been wonderful for his self -esteem.

Thank you for supporting Upper Darby Community Outreach, and helping provide Michael with a year of an after-school program!

Steven is a 7th grader in middle school in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. After School BLAST is a safe place for him to attend everyday and a place where he can be assisted with his homework. Steven has been in the US for just 9 months, and this program has been very important for him to make friends and gain confidence.

After School BLAST is a place where Steven can continue to practice his social and academic English skills. Thank you so much for supporting Steven and helping him both socially and in school!

Diego is a young man from South America who lives with his father and works as a carpenter. He immediately charms you with his bright smile and willing attitude. While he can speak some English, when he needs to go to the doctor he feels he must have his English speaking father come along “just in case,” At work he is surrounded by English speaking carpenters who help him learn, but sometimes accents and pronunciation are important!

During his first night in his English as a Second Language class, he shared that he has difficulty understanding the spoken words for measurements, such as: sixteenth, eighth, three thirty-seconds of an inch, etc – important concepts for a carpenter to know.  Learning ordinal numbers and focusing on listening to consonant sounds helps him measure up at work!

Thank you so much UBS for helping support Diego improve his English so that he can excel both in work and in his life in the United States. Diego greatly appreciates your support!

Naheema has lived in Upper Darby, PA, for eight years and is happy that her daughter was also able to join her three years ago. At her job as a hair dresser, she has many customers who speak only English. It seemed natural for her to continue with her citizenship application and go on the interview. All these plans were put into action before she joined the ELL class. One evening she arrived sad-faced; the letter in her hand stated that she had not passed the citizenship interview. Naheema said, “But the lady had an accent, she was hard to understand.”

Naheema has nice customers, but they use simple sentences and familiar phrases.  Now that she is in class, she is able to practice new phrases, expand her vocabulary, and gets personal attention practicing sample questions for her next citizenship test. Thank you Yosia for providing Naheema with this opportunity!

Veronica is a happy child who loves to sing. She lives in Upper Darby, PA., and a few years ago she lost her father in an accident. Her mother brought her to CLC’s after school program because she had to work. At CLC, Veronica is also able to spend her time with people who care about her. Thanks to your generous donations, Veronica is able to continue attending her after school program at CLC, where she gets homework help, gets to take trips, and to be around people who provide love and support.  This would not be possible without you – you have changed a little girl’s life for the better!