Keshanda Mazyck and her kids Letrell, 10; Nekira, 8; Lanya, 6; and Tabitha, 3 had a rough 2008. Keshanda lost her job and had her car stolen. Then their house in St. Stephen burned down, but not before her husband lost his job. Then dad moved out.

“I’ve cried many nights and the children don’t know about it,” said Keshanda.

An entire community, led by Communities in Schools of the Charleston Area, the Red Cross, Salvation Army, Trident United Way and Lowcountry Orphan Relief helped the family survive. The school had a food drive. Keshanda’s mom took the family in.

Nevertheless, it was devastating for the two older children, whose grades plummeted. Nekira almost got left back. Fortunately, St. Stephen’s Elementary School has a Links to Success initiative operated by Communities in Schools, that helped the kids get back on track. Through Backpack Buddies, the kids had food for the weekends so they were ready to learn on Mondays. Through Reading Soul Mates they improved their reading skills. Links coordinator Whitney Kerr kept close tabs on both of them.

While mom worked and attended school, Letrell and Nekira progressed. Nekira improved her MAP scores by 36 points in one year. Letrell added 49 points. Today, both kids get As and Bs. All four children are sweet, well-mannered and generally happy, and once again they have bright futures on the horizon.

Trident United Way’s created Links to Success, an academic success initiative that brings comprehensive services into schools with at-risk children. Trident United Way invests nearly half a million dollars in Links at 10 local schools, including St. Stephen Elementary.

The family has moved to a new house in Goose Creek and the kids now attend new schools. Keshanda is grateful for all the support. “Thank you for being there for my family,” she said. “We’re going to stay positive.”