My parents drove me up to my dorm, the family car stuffed with clothes, bedding and more to get me through the coming year. I was filled with excitement and a little bit of fear, as I was about to embark on my collegiate journey.

I had the typical freshmen concerns:

Will I like my roommate?

Will my classes be hard?

Will I have a good time?

One question, I never had to ask, however was:

Will I be able to afford my education.

I am privileged to have had my entire college education paid for by my parents. Not once in my four years as a student did I ever have to worry about where I would find money for books, room and board, or even food. I was fortunate. More fortunate than many of my peers.

Knowing my financial situation was always stable, I was better able to focus on my studies and handle the other pressures of college life.

But, my family support wasn’t limited to money, I also had parents, who, were actively invested in ensuring myself and my two siblings made it through school and earned our degrees.

They knew getting through college is not a task easily accomplished without help.

Many young people today do not have the support system I was so privileged to have when I was a student. Having to choose between helping their families make ends meet and pursuing higher education is a reality for many teens. Without financial and moral guidance, these promising teens and young adults will be less likely to earn their degrees and go on to better opportunities.

For people like Rainey Day Foundation founder Lorraine “Raine” Curtis, this is unacceptable. Along with fellow alumni of Camden High School in Camden, N.J., she is on a mission to seal the cracks that far too many students slip through, by providing deserving youth with both scholarships and mentorships to guide them through college and beyond.

By supporting Rainey Day Foundation, you are helping students pay for tuition, buy books, and get much needed emotional support. You are also helping close the gap between those with more means and privilege and those whose circumstances make achieving a college education more difficult.

Rainey Day Foundation is Blogging for Better’s featured charity for the month of August. To learn more about the work we do, and to support previous causes, please click here.

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