Impact Stories

EPC’s efforts translate to public and private systems that work better for children, youth, and families. Individual successes add up to improved community-level outcomes. Here we share four examples of how our work, with your support, translates to achieved aspirations and fulfilled potential in our communities.

Through United Way of Central Minnesota’s efforts, families open the door to Dolly Parton's world of reading

Dolly Parton established her Imagination Library in 1995. Dolly wanted children to be excited about books and to feel the magic that books can create. Moreover, she wanted to ensure that every child would have books, regardless of their family’s income.

Each month, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library mails a high-quality, age-appropriate book to all registered children, addressed to them, at no cost to the child’s family.

But how do families register and how is it that every child has access to these books? That’s where the United Way of Central Minnesota comes in!

Through our extensive cross-sector partnerships in Central Minnesota, we are the lead agency responsible for registering families and ensuring books can be provided to all. We began this work in 2005, and to date, over 1.7 million books have been delivered to children in Central Minnesota, including to Ekram and her niece, Azra, pictured here.

And we’re not finished yet! Our goal for July 1, 2025 is to have registered 6,660 families, reflecting an increase of 1,000 children each year since July 1, 2023. Please join us in reaching our goal!

With Saint Paul Promise, Ahmani found a community that supports her journey to be the best parent possible

A single mother to Amir, 6; Axel, 2; and Antonio Jr., 8 months, Ahmani is particularly grateful for the people she’s met and the services she’s tapped into through Saint Paul Promise. 

Saint Paul Promise is an education partnership that puts children in the Frogtown, Rondo, and Summit-University neighborhoods of Saint Paul on the pathway to college and career success. 

Ahmani was introduced to Saint Paul Promise through The Peoples’ Fellowship, a program that offers financial literacy workshops and parenting classes to African American families.

 “That was the first time I had support and backup from my community,” Ahmani says. 

From The People’s Fellowship, Ahmani learned about other programs in her neighborhood that helped her support her family. She participated in the Promise Advocates Cohort (PAC), which gives parents the tools to advocate for family-centered policies in their schools and neighborhoods. 

The experience confirmed Ahmani’s decision to remain in Saint Paul with her children. For the first time, she felt like she really belonged in a community.

“It’s easy to feel unheard and unseen in a big city, especially as a single mom and survivor of domestic violence,” she says. “Being a part of PAC was welcoming and warming to my heart.”

It’s easy to feel unheard and unseen in a big city, especially as a single mom and survivor of domestic violence. Being a part of PAC was welcoming and warming to my heart.”

Ahmani

Thanks to RiseUp, teens become architects of community change

The Community Youth Council (CYC), officially launched in 2024, is a pathway for young leaders to collaborate and advocate to shape our community’s future. The CYC is comprised of community partners and local youth, who came together to design and implement this program. With 24 members meeting weekly for more than 50 hours in working sessions, the CYC's activities have been diverse and impactful.

We are just getting started! CYC activities so far include:

  • Visited the Minnesota State Capitol and lobbied for policies after working with a lobbyist to develop policy agendas

  • Granted out $50,000 to community organizations to support initiatives that serve youth

  • Began the process to develop a Youth Center in Red Wing by touring other youth center sites and leading a community pitch meeting at Red Wing Ignite

  • Hosted a voter registration drive at River City Days

  • Met with community leaders, including City of Red Wing staff and Red Wing League of Women Voters

  • Volunteered at Red Wing Pride and the local farmer’s market

  • Created a Theory of Change and a set of long-term goals and strategies.

Thanks to Northside Achievement Zone, Faith’s Reading Skills Improved Dramatically

Meet Faith, an 11-year-old basketball enthusiast from the Northside who one day dreams of playing in the WNBA. But off the court, Faith struggled with reading, falling far behind her classmates.

"When I was five years old, I didn't know how to read," recalls Faith. "And when I was eight, seven, and six, I still didn't know how to read." The frustration began to take an emotional toll on her. "She would shut down when she saw other kids reading, and she couldn't," Faith's mother, Tata, remembers. "She felt like she wasn't worth anything."

Spotting a gap in her daughter's academic skills, Tata sought help. Active in Northside Achievement Zone (NAZ)'s Family Coaching program since 2016, she reached out to her Family Achievement Coach, who connected Faith with a tutor at Reading Partners, which creates opportunities for Northside youth by diligently recruiting and training tutors to ensure that each student receives high-quality, personalized instruction for 45 minutes, two times a week onsite at school.

By providing tailored literacy interventions for each student, Reading Partners is just one of 35+ NAZ partners helping scholars like Faith and their families get the support they need to be successful in school and life.

With an all-star support team of family, tutor, and NAZ coach, Faith's reading abilities improved dramatically. "One day Faith came home, she was so excited to show this book to me—and she was reading!" says Tata. Her progress is not just academic; it has profoundly impacted Faith's self-esteem. "I feel proud of myself for reading better than when I was little," says Faith.

This confidence boost has opened up a whole new world for a student who had created a narrative for herself about her own abilities. WAY TO GO, FAITH!

I feel proud of myself for reading better than when I was little.”

Faith