A Circle of Service

United Way funding is helping Mooncrest Neighborhood Programs (MNP) to support entire families. The Lopez family settled in Mooncrest about 10 years ago, and they are now thriving with the help of MNP. Outreach staff have helped the family with a variety of needs, from health care to transportation and food access. All three Lopez children have attended the free MNP after-school program, and older siblings Marisol and Daniel have gone on to volunteer for the program. Their mother, Ana, takes English classes through MNP and was hired as staff for the after-school program after an injury left her facing unemployment. Marisol recently graduated high school and plans to pursue a degree in nursing. Daniel, currently a high school student, has made honor roll and is the recipient of an inaugural scholarship at Our Lady of Sacred Heart High School. Both Daniel and Marisol were also accepted into the Carnegie Mellon University STEM Ambassador program, which hires, trains and pays local teens to make a difference in the lives of children in their neighborhoods. STEM Ambassadors from Mooncrest have supported the MNP summer camp by leading age-appropriate and engaging STEM lessons. With the guidance of STEM Ambassadors, children learn through hands-on experiences. They build spaghetti towers, habitats and hurricane-proof houses and learn about the dangers of oil spills and the importance of adaptation. Children also design their own paper airplanes and build cardboard monsters and machines among many other activities.