Boost! initiative brings nonprofits to New Haven schools

“United Way designed the RFI process to help connect the rich diversity of programs and services in the community with the schools,” said Jennifer Heath, executive vice president at United Way of Greater New Haven.

Published in the New Haven Register on Saturday, May 28, 2011
By Steve Higgins, Special to the Register

The New Haven boy was already in trouble with the law, failing in school and struggling with obesity by the time he was 14 years old. After he joined a gym in Fair Haven, the young man lost weight, gained self-respect and turned himself around academically.

Those are the kind of life-altering results that Devonne Canady hopes to achieve with her new gym, the Elephant in the Room (EIR) Boxing Club Inc.

EIR Boxing Club was among the first group of area nonprofits to respond to a Request For Information (RFI) from Boost!, a partnership among United Way of Greater New Haven, the city of New Haven and the New Haven Public Schools to meet the needs of area schoolchildren.