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Do you believe that students living in New York City's poorest neighborhoods deserve a fair shot at college?
For children growing up in poverty, attending college can seem like an impossible dream. Amid the day to day struggles of living in underserved communities and attending failing schools, these children often end up letting go of this dream. Mission Society gives kids the tools they need to graduate from high school and take that confident first step on the road to college.
 One of thousands of Mission Society success stories, Anthony H. begins his freshman year at college this fall. When we first met him two years ago, Anthony had a poor attitude toward school and was falling behind. His mother was at a loss as to how to help him and feared that he belonged in military school. The future of Anthony's education was in serious jeopardy and his family was struggling with limited financial resources. Anthony and his mother then heard of Harlem Renaissance High School, one of the schools served by Mission Society, and decided to give it a try.
There, Anthony learned that Mission Society helps kids who are at least two years behind academically turn their lives around by providing intensive academic and career support, enabling them to graduate high school and go on to college. As Anthony recalls:
"I had friends who had gotten jobs through Mission Society, but what I
didn't know was that not only did Mission Society get students jobs, but
its staff also counseled kids about college, personal issues, career
planning - all types of concerns."
Mission Society found Anthony an internship with Verizon and prepared him with lessons in resume writing, office etiquette and the interview process. "It gave me a boost of confidence," Anthony said of the one-on-one attention he received from Mission Society staff. And it paid off. He got the job! His new success in school and on the job led Anthony to realize that he wanted to be a role model for his nephew. His negative attitude changed significantly as he looked forward to new opportunities, and for the first time:
"I was excited because I always wanted to work at a place where I could help others and now I knew I could."
Along with internships and job search training, Mission Society gave Anthony the opportunity to enroll in special courses that counted towards his high school and college credits.
"Mission Society taught me about becoming more responsible, about handling situations professionally, about how to deal with conflict and about what to expect in the near future."
Anthony graduated from Harlem Renaissance High School this summer and has been accepted to college, continuing his journey towards a successful and meaningful career.
Anthony is just one of the thousands of children Mission Society has helped this year, but we cannot do this work without you. We need the support of caring people like you. Your gift will enable kids like Anthony who are at risk of failing out of school to break the cycle of poverty and become self-confident and successful in school and in their chosen careers.
With your support, Mission Society can continue to keep kids in school, increase their academic achievement and take those first steps on the road to college. During these challenging times, as inflation rises and disproportionately affects the poor, we hope you will consider increasing your gift so we can maintain and expand our services to children in need.
Many thanks for your support.
Respectfully,
Stephanie Palmer
Executive Director
P.S. Please make a generous gift today to ensure that students like Anthony get a fair shot at a successful future.
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