April 2023 Newsletter

Crisis happened for me when my husband relapsed and fell into drugs again. I was trying to keep my family together, keep my kids safe, and keep my job,” says Olivia. “I was the only income in our house because he couldn’t keep a job, and we couldn’t afford daycare for the kids. It was scary, but I had to depend on my husband to at least watch the kids while I was at work.”

Her voice shaking, Olivia recalled how hard things became. “He would just leave, and my neighbors would call my work and tell me the kids were alone at home. I remember driving back one night and finding my son in the front yard running around in his diaper, alone. The interruptions at my work happened so often that they had to let me go. Losing that job destroyed my financial security and I lost my home. That is what put me into A New Leaf’s La Mesita Family Homeless Shelter.”

“When I went into the shelter I told my husband he wasn’t coming. He didn’t want to get his life together, and that meant I had to find a fresh start for my kids.” Olivia was determined to make the most of her crisis. “I knew I had to apply what A New Leaf was offering and make serious lifestyle changes. No excuses, just changes.” That approach changed everything for Olivia’s family.

 “I got a job within two weeks of going to A New Leaf’s La Mesita Family Homeless Shelter. I got my daughter into school and son into a free daycare program. All of that was thanks to A New Leaf, having the resources on-site. I could finally go to work and my kids had a safe place to be.” With a stable home, the changes in Olivia’s children were dramatic.

“When we were homeless my kids didn’t have good grades. My son was getting in trouble at daycare. My daughter was barely passing her classes and having trouble coping with her autism. Now they are both honors students. They never would have had those opportunities if we had been homeless.”

With the immediate needs of her family taken care of, Olivia began to plan for her future as a single mother. “After three months in shelter, I saved enough to move into my own apartment. After two years, I still live in that same apartment. I’m finishing college soon, so I can take the next step in my career. I’m even working to improve my credit so I can buy a home. I’ve come a long way to get where I am, and thanks to the help I got from A New Leaf, I’m not done yet.”

For Olivia, everything is about improving her children’s lives. “All I want to do is give stability to my children so they don’t grow up and make the same mistakes I did. I ask myself every day ‘what can I do differently to make sure my children are stable, happy, and that they can take care of themselves?’ Crisis tends to repeat itself and I’m doing everything I can so it won’t repeat with them.”

Olivia believes A New Leaf is different from most resources, and she wishes more people were involved in supporting its services. “A New Leaf doesn’t just offer shelter. They offer family security, helping kids that are in crisis through no fault of their own. My children didn’t ask to be out on the streets. They didn’t make the choice to be homeless. But, they did need help.”

“We think we know what homelessness is – some guy on the side of the street with a sign, asking for money – but that is not the reality,” says Olivia. “There are hundreds of families out there that are terrified to tell anyone they are homeless or ask for help, because they don’t want to lose their kids.”

“Thanks to A New Leaf I was able to own my mistakes, grow from them, and now I provide a stable home to my children. Other families on the streets need to have the same chance I got to make things right. Without the supporters of A New Leaf, those families – my family – would be lost.”

A New Leaf’s 2023 Camaraderie Gala was a tremendous success, as it not only brought together community members from across the Valley but also raised funds to support families experiencing homelessness and survivors of domestic violence!

This remarkable event attracted local business owners, community leaders, and concerned community members, who were all eager to help solve some of the Valley’s most pressing challenges. Thank you so much to everyone who attended and contributed. Your kindness inspired everyone!

Thanks to the generosity of the attendees, the 2023 Camaraderie Gala raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for shelter programs across the Valley. The support raised will help provide food, shelter, and support for families experiencing homelessness and survivors of domestic violence, empowering them to rebuild their lives and achieve a brighter future.

A special thanks as well to Dusti Hyatt, our guest speaker who shared her story of overcoming tremendous challenges. Dusti made it clear in her remarks that anyone can experience homelessness or abuse. Even the people you love the most. For this reason, we must always be there as a community for those in crisis. 

We are thankful to all attendees, and look forward to hosting you again in 2024 to create even more impact in your local community! 

Margaret Taylor has volunteered with A New Leaf for nearly 20 years, helping to organize meals at the East Valley Men’s Shelter. This program feeds 100 men 3 meals a day on average. Over the course of her volunteer career, Margaret has served over 1 million meals to those in need in the Mesa community. 

 If you are interested in participating in other volunteer opportunities, we are currently recruiting for the following ongoing roles:

• Volunteer Chairs (Leadership Opportunity!)
•  Donation Center Volunteers
•  Shelter Support Volunteers
•  Administrative Volunteers
•  General Support Volunteers

A New Leaf welcomes anyone interested in serving their community to join us at one of our many program locations across the Valley. As a volunteer you will be making a direct impact in the lives of families and individuals in crisis. Please submit an application through our website or email us at Volunteer@turnanewleaf.org.

Your help is needed more then ever to help collect critically needed items for homeless shelters across the Valley! By donating one of these items to A New Leaf, you will be giving someone the resources they need to overcome a crisis like homelessness or domestic violence! Examples of the most needed items include:

Homeless shelters in your community are full, and A New Leaf is serving more families than ever. Kind people like you are often the only reason these households get the safety, food, clothing, and basic needs they require. Take action now and help those experiencing a crisis by donating one of these urgently needed items!

Sarah, age 74, has been a loyal monthly donor to A New Leaf for many years. She is deeply committed to helping survivors of sexual and domestic abuse. A retired social worker, she has personally counseled many survivors over the course of her career. She knows their stories.

 

Sarah was looking to increase her income in retirement, but she wanted to be sure she could count on that income to remain steady no matter what was happening in the markets. She had some stocks but was reluctant to sell due to potential capital gains taxes. A friend of Sarah’s told her about a gift annuity the friend had established on behalf of her own favorite cause, funded with stock. Sarah was intrigued and reached out to her charitable giving advisor at A New Leaf.

 

After speaking to her CPA, Sarah established a charitable gift annuity to benefit A New Leaf. She funded it with appreciated stock, and now she will receive an additional $6,000 in income each year for life. The remainder will help survivors of sexual and domestic violence at A New Leaf.

One way you can support A New Leaf, receive a reliable source of income during retirement, and save on taxes, is through a Charitable Gift Annuity (CGA). With a CGA, you donate cash or appreciated assets in exchange for guaranteed fixed payments for life, and for the life of a loved one. The gift qualifies for an income tax deduction, and when funded with appreciated assets, can reduce capital gains. CGA payout rates recently increased, so now may be a good time to set up a CGA, increase your income, and create a charitable legacy to support A New Leaf in the future. With recent changes in retirement laws, if you are 70½ or older, you can now fund a CGA with a one-time qualified charitable distribution from an IRA, up to $50,000.

We’re here to help with charitable planning strategies that can benefit you, your loved ones, and A New Leaf. For more information about CGAs or other life income gifts, or to request a sample gift illustration, click the button below:

For more than 130 years, The Arizona Republic has been committed to making Arizona a better place to live for all of us. One of the ways the news company does this is through the Season for Sharing campaign. Each year, thousands of Arizona Republic and azcentral.com readers donate more than $1.5 million to help those in need in our community. Since the campaign began in 1993, Season for Sharing has raised and given away almost $72 million to local nonprofit organizations. This amazing generosity provides support for children and students, teachers, older adults, domestic violence survivors, and those struggling with housing and food insecurity.

A New Leaf has been a recipient of the Season for Sharing campaign for 23 years, receiving more than $875,000 in funding for domestic and sexual violence services. Most recently, Season for Sharing made a $25,000 contribution to support domestic and sexual violence survivors through crisis intervention, safe shelter, court assistance, and other supportive services. 

Domestic and sexual violence affects millions of people every year. In Arizona, the CDC reports that 1 in 4 women and 1 in 10 men are victims of domestic or sexual violence. The true extent of sexual violence is unknown as it is often unreported. Social norms related to gender, a culture of victim blaming, and the significant traumatic impacts of sexual violence make it difficult for survivors to freely share their experiences.  

Experiencing sexual violence has severe short and long term physical and emotional impacts. A New Leaf’s Sexual Violence Survivor Advocacy and Support Services (SVSASS) program addresses these impacts with care and compassion. Trained support staff and advocates provide individualized support and empowerment for survivors who have experienced present or past sexual violence. SVSASS offers a non-emergency helpline (480-733-3028), personal advocacy and emotional safety planning, medical and legal accompaniment for forensic exams and law enforcement reporting, resource referrals, healing activities, and support groups.

The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com connect us to our community and to our neighbors. The media outlets help us understand, care for one another, and come together to address issues and make our community stronger. Through the annual Season for Sharing campaign, we meet people in our community who have faced challenging circumstances and the nonprofit organizations that are doing the critical work to provide support that changes, and even saves, lives.

A New Leaf is grateful for Season for Sharing’s partnership that makes a difference for survivors of domestic and sexual violence. For more information about partnering with A New Leaf, please contact Laura Bode, Director of Community Engagement, at lbode@turnanewleaf.org.