branching out A N EW LE AF 2019 SUM M ER I SSUE
Bound & Determined How you helped a family find hope and break the cycle of teen pregnancy.
MEN’S SHELTER CHANGES LIVES DEB DUVALL MAKES A LEGACY GIFT LOCAL BUSINESS HELPS THOSE IN NEED
Bound & Determin y mom was a teen mom. She was a wonderful mother, but as is so often the case, I followed in her footsteps,” says Melinda.
“I was a teen mom too. I was pregnant at 15, and I had my daughter Maria at 16. I was just a kid and I didn’t know any better – I was just doing what my mom had done,” she explains. “But, everything changed when Maria came into my life. When I saw her for the first time, I just fell in love, and I knew that I would do anything for her. I would make sure that she wouldn’t be a teen mom, that she would have goals, that she would have a future.”
“Your support was critical. I had to work and go to school, and without your help I wouldn’t have been able to finish school.”
Melinda knew that she couldn’t drop out of high school, but she didn’t have someone to care for her daughter. “I couldn’t drop out and I couldn’t start working until I was 18, so finding somewhere safe for my daughter to learn and grow while I finished school was extremely difficult.”
Only two years later, Melinda graduated from high school. “I don’t know if I would have done that without the support from A New Leaf. Those resources transformed my life, making it possible to help myself. It meant the world to me.”
“I was pregnant at 15, and I had my daughter Maria at 16. I was just a kid and I didn’t know any better.” After a long search, Melinda found A New Leaf’s Phoenix Day program. “It was the perfect fit, in a 2
community with almost no other resources. The preschool was one of the top in the state, and the staff worked with me to make it affordable.” Melinda enrolled her daughter, Maria, at just a few months old.
And Melinda wasn’t done yet. She decided that she would be the first member of her family to attend college, so that she could provide for her daughter. “I wanted a future for my daughter, I didn’t want her to struggle.” “I enrolled at Phoenix College and was determined to graduate. I didn’t have a car, so I spent three hours a day on the bus, getting Maria to Phoenix Day, going to work, picking her up, and then taking her to night school with me.”
Get Involved TurnaNewLeaf.org | 868 E. University Drive Mesa, AZ 85203-8033 | (480) 464-4648 |
Melinda (left) cherishes the ways Phoenix Day helped her daughter, Maria (right), to break the cycle of becoming a teen mom.
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Melinda kept Maria at Phoenix Day as she worked through college. “It was a critical support. I had to work and go to school, and without a place like Phoenix Day I wouldn’t have been able to finish school.” Melinda ultimately graduated college, and is now pursuing a career in Community Development at Ottawa University. “To demonstrate to my kids that this was possible, it was so important to me.”
“Without the resources that A New Leaf was able to provide, I don’t know where I would be today. I don’t know where my daughter would be today.” Melinda’s success made an impact. “Maria broke the cycle. She wasn’t a teen mom. She graduated high school, started college, got a good job, and she’s happily married.” “Without the resources that A New Leaf was able to provide, I don’t know where I would be today. I don’t know where my daughter would be today,” says Melinda. “Thank you so much for supporting programs like Phoenix Day. You changed my life, and my daughter’s life, forever.”
Back to School Children Need You!
Your gift will help a child like Maria start school on the right foot, ready to learn and achieve.
$50
will support a week of free school lunches for a child in need
$100
will provide back to school supplies for a child in need
$250
will provide after-school support for one week to a child in need
$400
will provide all back to school costs for a child in need
$800
will provide critical school supplies for an entire classroom
Making Housing
Affordable
How your support is creating solutions to the Valley’s affordable housing crisis Tari is the founder and CEO of a small business called There’s Room, a successful company dedicated to making housing affordable for those in need. Tari had the idea for There’s Room a few years ago, and came to A New Leaf’s Dream Builder’s program, an entrepreneurial program made to help small businesses grow. After creating a business plan and networking with A New Leaf’s advisors, Tari’s business took off and has started helping families and individuals across the valley find affordable housing. She now works closely with A New Leaf’s programs, helping those transitioning from homelessness, domestic violence, and other serious challenges.
There’s Room works to match up property owners with spare rooms, and potential renters in need of affordable housing. By providing legal assistance, background checks, and a compassionate understanding to owners and renters alike, There’s Room helps both parties reach their financial and life goals.
Visit theresroom.com
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“You helped me build my business, and now, my business is helping connect families served by A New Leaf to affordable housing.”
Deb Duvall
Dedicates Her Legacy to the Community
I
have been a resident of Mesa for over 30 years. I am a public school educator; I have been a teacher, principal, supervisor, director, district superintendent, and the Executive Director of the Arizona School Administrators Association. While I was the Assistant Superintendent for elementary schools in the Mesa School District, I joined A New Leaf’s Board of Directors, and served for 30 years. Through those years A New Leaf expanded, contributing in positive ways to social services in Mesa and Arizona, providing domestic violence, housing, education, and foster care services. At various stages in my life, A New Leaf has been there for me – either as a resource or a direct service provider; most recently as I sought certification as a foster care provider.
“I know the contributions I make today, as well as my legacy gift, will contribute to the success of the families and individuals served by A New Leaf.” I continue my financial support of A New Leaf and included them in my estate because the staff and management are caring, compassionate and talented people. And after 50 years of work, the organization provides comprehensive services to help address all community needs.
Compassionate Care for Those in Crisis
How you helped Sean find a home Sean had a stable life for many years. He worked hard,
paid his bills, and did everything he could to have a stable home for his sons. “I’ve always been a hard worker. I never went to college, but I’ve always had good, stable jobs. I figured that if I was responsible with my money, that would be enough.” But when a crisis struck his family and bills consumed his savings, Sean found himself without enough money to make ends meet. “It blindsided me. I was always so careful, but now everything was on the line.” 6
In just a few short months, Sean was on the streets without a home. “It was really hard on me. My sons couldn’t visit me and had to stay with their mom. I felt like I had failed not only as myself, but as a father. I went into a deep depression.” Sean struggled to find his feet. “I ended up having to sleep in parks, on the streets, anywhere safe – not many places. It was really hard. But then I found A New Leaf.” When he arrived at A New Leaf’s East Valley Men’s Center, Sean was assigned a case manager and
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men were impacted by this program in 2018 received the support he needed to find his feet, find a job, and get moving toward independence again. After only a month, Sean has found a stable job and is saving for a safe departure. “I will have an apartment when I leave here. I’m already working on the paperwork. Soon I will be able to have my sons spend the night with me again. I can’t tell you how much that means to me.”
Questions? Call us at (480) 464-4648 or visit TurnaNewLeaf.org
gifts anyone can afford Have you ever wished you could help more, but thought you couldn’t afford to give? There are many types of gifts you can make to A New Leaf while preserving your assets for retirement and providing for your family.
Here are some gifts that almost anyone can afford to make:
Gifts from a Will or Trust
Beneficiary Designations
Life Insurance
Appreciated Securities
Real Property
Tangible Personal Property
Life Estate
Business Interests, Closely Held Stock and Partnerships To learn more about how you can make a lasting impact through these types of gifts, contact Brad Harris at (602) 320-1185 or bharris@turnanewleaf.org, or visit ANewLeafLegacy.org.
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Summer 2019 Newsletter
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