November 2022 Newsletter

Happy Holidays!

November is Homelessness Awareness Month, and we plan to highlight the incredible work that donors, volunteers, and supporters of A New Leaf make possible in our shared community. Homeless families across the Valley are able to find safe shelter and food, all thanks to people like you. 

You have much to celebrate! Your support in the last year has expanded the number of shelter beds for homeless men in the East Valley, provided emergency rental assistance to thousands of households in Mesa, and given safe shelter to thousands of families. 

Even more exciting is that thanks to your support, A New Leaf will break ground this month on a brand new family homeless shelter in Surprise, AZ called the West Valley Housing Assistance Center. This shelter will offer 7 apartment style units for families experiencing homelessness.

This is all good news, but there is still so much to do. Homelessness has skyrocketed in the last year, and housing has become unaffordable for tens of thousands of families across the Valley. Your community needs you now more than ever. 

To address this crisis of homelessness, a generous donor has stepped up to DOUBLE any donation you make before December 31st, 2022. You can help TWICE as many families by making a donation today through our website. 

If you are able to help by making a donation, please know that we are so deeply thankful for your support. If you choose to give back by volunteering or hosting a donation drive, you will be making just as important of an impact. Every bit helps families facing crisis. 

Together, we can change our community for the better. No family, no child should have to face homelessness alone. With your help, they won’t be alone.

Thank you,

Joe Dulin

Chief Philanthropy Officer

A New Leaf

Clara lost her job the same week her rent when up by over $300 a month. With three children she was pushed out of her home and forced to live in her car. Thanks to supporters like you, Clara and her children got shelter and assistance when they needed it most.

Clara was living in her car with her two children while she tried to save up for an apartment. But between trying to maintain a job, keep her kids in school, and hide her homelessness, Clara couldn’t keep it all together. 

She had been raised to never ask for help and to always provide for her family, but Clara knew she had to ask for help. “It was terrifying to ask for help. I thought I would lose my children by admitting I was homeless. I thought my friends and family would condemn me as a horrible mother. 

“But thank god I did ask for help, because all of those fears were misguided. I was able to keep my kids, keep my dignity, and just get the help I needed.”

After calling 2-1-1 Arizona, Clara got connected with A New Leaf’s Desert Leaf Apartments, where she could stay for an extended period of time with a fixed, low-cost rent. This program often helps families like Clara that no longer need a shelter, but aren’t financially ready to move into an apartment.

“When I got to Desert Leaf Apartments I was astounded. We had a whole private apartment to ourselves, where I could lock the door and feel safe with my kids. All we had that first night was a mattress to sleep on, but that alone was a huge step in the right direction.” 

“The fact that anyone out there cared about me, wanted to help me, I couldn’t believe it. But it turns out that there are kind people in the world who are willing to help you, even when you feel entirely alone. I am so thankful to everyone that gives A New Leaf, and to anyone that helps someone in need.” 

Clara has since received a promotion at her work, allowing her to move out into her own private apartment. She has spent the last year focusing on helping her kids stay on track in school, and also talking out how they felt about the hard times they went through as a family. 

Clara is now planning to purchase a home in the near future, giving her small family the permanent home that they have always wanted. She feels confident that they will never face homelessness again.

Contributed by:

Tanner Swanson

Communications Manager

A New Leaf

Urgent Need For Meal Preparation Groups!

Your help is needed to donate and serve meals at local domestic violence and homeless shelters in your local community. A New Leaf’s East Valley Men’s Center is especially in need of groups willing to feed over 100 men experiencing homelessness. This shelter serves three meals a day entirely free of charge every day, and counts on generous people like you to do so. 

You can make an incredible impact in the lives of 100 men experiencing homelessness, and it can be fun! Opportunities are available morning, afternoon, and night on all dates without current donors. You family, business, church, or group can find a convenient date and time to give back! If you are able to assist, please reach out to btalty@turnanewleaf.org.

Taking Pride in YOU and the spaces you volunteer!

A New Leaf recognizes the value of our volunteers and is investing in our spaces to reflect YOU! The East Valley Men’s Center dining room, where volunteers serve tens of thousands of meal each year, has gotten a HUGE new mural! This new signage pays respect to all the work our volunteers put into providing over 100 meals every day for men at the shelter. A New Leaf will continue to invest in volunteer facilities to make them reflect strong values and show appreciation!

Getting Recertified as a Service Enterprise Organization!

A New Leaf is currently being recertified as a Service Enterprise Organization. This certification means that A New Leaf is an organization that strategically leverages volunteers to achieve operational efficiency and make a greater social impact. Service Enterprises are among the top 11 percent of nonprofits in the country in volunteer management and organizational performance.  Originally certified in 2019, A New Leaf is renewing our certification to continue investing in volunteers.

This certification shows how A New Leaf values supporters like you, helps you pursue a meaningful mission, and helps you to make a larger impact on the community. The Volunteer Team looks forward to sharing with you the results of our recertification in future communications.  

Ongoing Volunteer Results and Opportunities

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

· West Valley VITA Volunteers ·
· Shelter Support at the East Valley Men’s Center ·
· Administrative Volunteers ·
· MSW and BSW Field Instructor Volunteer Supervisors for Intern Supervision ·
· Special Project and Special Event Volunteers ·

For those looking for donation drive activities, we are currently in need of crafting gems. If you have small crafting gems that could use a new home please bring them to our donation center for arts projects in homeless and domestic violence shelters across the Valley. 

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.

Contributed by:

Raven Jordan Yosick

Volunteer Program Supervisor

A New Leaf

This November, you can help those experiencing homelessness by donating shoes, hygiene products, and household cleaning supplies! During this season, these are the items that are needed most and donated least. You can make a direct impact in the life of someone in need by donating one of these items to A New Leaf! Examples of the most needed items include:

• Men’s shoes, size 9-12
• Boys shoes, size 5-10
• Men’s deodorant
• Women’s deodorant
• Swiffer Wet Jet Mop

Homelessness is often worst during the holidays, especially for families and single parents. Donors and supporters like you are often the only reason these households get the food, clothing, and basic needs they require to get through the holidays. Donating items is the most direct way to help those experiencing homelessness!

Donation drives are critical to ending homelessness in your community. They provide the most essential needs for the children, individuals, and families who are most in need. You can help make sure that every family facing homelessness is able to find safe shelter and three meals a day.

Contributed by:

Sharma Glenn

Philanthropy Department Coordinator

A New Leaf

Barbara Changed Hundreds of Lives With One Donation!

 

As a supporter of A New Leaf for over 25 years, Barbara and her husband were contemplating a major gift in honor of the agency’s 50th anniversary.  After talking with their advisor, they determined they would give stock that had been gifted to Barbara when she was young.  

 

Working directly with their advisor, they determined the best time and amount to give.  Then the transfer was made and in a few days A New Leaf received the proceeds from the sale of the stock. 

 

So rather than reducing their cash accounts in a significant amount, Barbara and her husband were able to give from their appreciated assets and were able to avoid paying capital gains on the stock’s appreciation through the years.

Have you Considered a Gift of Stock?

Does your portfolio contain appreciated stocks?  Did you know that making a gift of stock is one of the smartest ways to make charitable gifts?  

A stock gift to A New Leaf allows you to make a greater impact while receiving significant tax benefits. By donating appreciated stock, you can avoid capital gains tax and claim a deduction equal to the fair market value of the gift at the time of transfer.

It is easy to give publicly traded shares by having your broker transfer the shares electronically to A New Leaf’s brokerage account. All the necessary details can be found here:

Make a Gift to Your Community Today

We are here to help with charitable planning strategies that can benefit you as well as A New Leaf. Contact Brad Harris at (602) 320-1185 or bharris@turnanewleaf.org for more information about giving appreciated stocks or similar gifts.

Contributed by:

Brad Harris

Senior Director of Estate and Gift Planning

A New Leaf

This information is not intended as legal or tax advice. Please consult an attorney or financial advisor to determine which strategies are best suited to your circumstances.

The Challenge of Addressing Homelessness

 

Homelessness is devastating Arizona as rent and housing prices skyrocket, forcing many households onto the streets. The solution in many communities has been to open homeless shelters that can help those in crisis to recover and find new housing. 

 

A safe place to sleep and basic needs for people in crisis is critical, and often lifesaving. However, A New Leaf believes that it isn’t enough for people to overcome homelessness. You must address the root causes of homelessness and financial instability to make a real difference in our community.

 

For this reason, A New Leaf offers a wide variety of services to anyone in crisis. These programs work together to give anyone overcoming homelessness a fighting chance at success. These programs include: dedicated case managers, childcare and after school programming, employment and financial literacy resources, personal savings programs, counseling services for families and individuals, domestic violence resources, health and nutritional assistance, substance abuse support groups, educational support, and so much more.

 

In addition to safe, dignified shelter and basic needs, A New Leaf provides all of these services to individuals and families for up to 120 days.

So, what does it cost to provide shelter, basic needs, and wrap-around support services for a family experiencing homelessness? Last year, A New Leaf’s La Mesita Family Homeless Shelter served 211 adults and children – 64 families, at a cost of roughly $12,180 per family. If that sounds like a lot, consider that the average cost of living in Arizona for a family of four for 120 days is 16,860. A New Leaf supports a family’s living expenses, plus provides life-changing wrap-around support services for $4,680 less.

Salt River Project, or SRP, knows a little about supporting families in our community. Not only does SRP provide affordable water and power to more than 2 million people in central Arizona, they also donated nearly $1.9 million in 2021 to organizations like A New Leaf that provide food, shelter and safety for households in crisis. In fact, SRP has partnered with A New Leaf for 23 years, contributing nearly $520,000 to support shelter services, in addition to valuable employee volunteer services and even the installation of solar panels to provide power for shelters and reduce operating costs.

SRP trusts A New Leaf to put their community investment dollars to the best use to emPOWER struggling households to overcome homelessness. A New Leaf invites other community corporations to join SRP to uplift vulnerable households and make our community stronger and healthier. For more information, please contact Laura Bode, Director of Community Engagement, at lbode@turnanewleaf.org.   

Contributed by:

Laura Bode

Director of Community Engagement

A New Leaf

On October 20th, 2022 over 150 people from all walks of life came together at A New Leaf’s first annual With One Voice Luncheon to raise support for domestic violence shelters in the Valley. On October 20th, 2022 over 150 people from all walks of life came together at A New Leaf’s first annual With One Voice Luncheon to raise support for domestic violence shelters in the Valley.

A New Leaf believes that every survivor of domestic violence deserves the chance to find safety, achieve independence, and pursue healing. In order to fulfill this belief, A New Leaf operates shelters, counseling programs, and legal advocacy centers across Maricopa and Pinal Counties. Through these programs, A New Leaf serves thousands of survivors each year.

As a result of this kind and generous group of people, A New Leaf was able to raise $106,612 in support of domestic violence services! This funding will go directly to shelter, legal advocacy, and counseling for survivors of domestic violence, saving lives across the Valley.

We are especially thankful to our title “Stronger Together Sponsor” Club Tattoo. Their generous donation made this event an incredible success and will save the lives of survivors of domestic violence in Arizona.

We are also thankful to our other sponsors including: Crescent Crown Distributing – Arizona, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, and Edward Jones for making this event possible.

Contributed by:

Kellie Snyder

Special Events Manager

A New Leaf