Crossroads United Way: Creating Youth Opportunities
At Crossroads United Way (CRUW), we are dedicated to empowering children and youth in our communities to reach their full potential. Through programs that support early literacy, family engagement, and youth development, we help create pathways to success from the earliest years through adolescence.
Our focus on youth opportunity ensures that children have access to the resources, programs, and experiences they need to grow, learn, and thrive.
Read United: Building Early Literacy Skills
Read United connects children to the joy of reading and builds critical early literacy skills. Through events, resources, and community partnerships, Read United encourages children to develop a lifelong love of reading—an essential foundation for academic success and future opportunities.
Lantern: Supporting Families and Youth Development
Lantern provides free, age-specific parenting tips and resources via text, helping families nurture children from birth through adolescence. Lantern connects families to:
- Local events, programs, and youth opportunities
- Tips on early learning, social-emotional growth, and development
- Guidance that supports children’s academic and personal success
Lantern helps families stay informed, engaged, and empowered, creating a strong foundation for children’s growth and access to future youth programs.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library: Early Literacy at Home
Through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, children from birth to age five receive FREE, age-appropriate books each month, mailed directly to their homes. Early literacy is critical for school readiness, long-term academic success, and access to future youth opportunities.
- Now offering bilingual English/Spanish books
- Helps children build early reading and numeracy skills
- Connects families to resources that support learning, growth, and youth engagement
Building Strong Brains: A Strong Start for Every Child
Building Strong Brains helps parents and caregivers understand how everyday moments—talking, playing, reading, and responding—support healthy brain development in children from birth through age five. These early interactions build the foundation for learning, school readiness, and lifelong success.
Families are provided with simple, practical tools and resources they can use at home to support their child’s growth during these critical early years.
Together, these programs represent Crossroads United Way’s commitment to Youth Opportunity—ensuring every child in our community has the support they need to learn, grow, and succeed. From building early literacy through Read United and Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, to strengthening family engagement with Building Strong Brains, to connecting families with resources and guidance through LANTERN, we are helping create a strong foundation for lifelong achievement.
But this work is only possible with community support. When you give, you help open doors for local children and ensure these programs continue to reach the families who need them most.
To support Youth Opportunity in our community, please click the “Donate” button in the top right corner.