ICS We Care Newsletter - Winter 2024

FY23 Impact at a Glance

In the 2022-23 fiscal year, ICS expanded and enhanced its services to meet growing needs. We increased access to nutritious food with new Mobile Food Bank distribution sites, helped more single mothers pursue higher education, and aided more job seekers in securing employment or higher paying positions. We entered into partnerships to grow our ability to support families with children.

Here is a snapshot of our impact in the community. Visit the ICS website to read the full impact report with more statistics and success stories. icstucson.org/annualreports

595 people participated in Self-Sufficiency programs

$2.38 million financial assistance distributed

3,195 clients received Emergency Financial Assistance

60,602 INDIVIDUALS SERVED

66% MORE people served since FY18

1,076 older and disabled adults living more independently

22,579 Mobile Meals delivered

62,669 volunteer hours donated 840 active volunteers

2.3 million pounds of food distributed 5,000 families/households served by ICS food banks each month (nearly 20,000 individuals)

EVENTS AT A GLANCE

Events are free and open to the public unless otherwise specified. Register online at icstucson.org/events.

Wednesday, January 24, 5:30–7:30 p.m.

Bridges Financial Management Course Begins

First meeting in a 10-week course

Thursday, January 25, 10–11 a.m.

Dementia Friends Information Session (virtual)

Tuesday, January 30, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.

Mental Health First Aid

ICS Northwest Office, 2820 W. Ina Road

Thursday, February 1, 10–11 a.m.

Volunteer Orientation (virtual)

Thursday, February 8, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.

Mental Health First Aid (virtual)

Thursday, February 15, 1–3 p.m.

Volunteer Orientation

ICS Northwest Office, 2820 W. Ina Road

Tuesday, February 20, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.

Mental Health First Aid

ICS Northwest Office, 2820 W. Ina Road

Saturday, March 2, 12 p.m.

Empty Bowls Annual Fundraiser

Tickets available now at icstucson.org/emptybowls

Wednesday, March 6, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.

Mental Health First Aid (virtual)

Thursday, March 7, 10–11 a.m.

Volunteer Orientation (virtual)

Thursday, March 21, 1–3 p.m.

Volunteer Orientation

ICS Northwest Office, 2820 W. Ina Road

BRIDGES FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT COURSE BEGINS JANUARY 24

Create your financial future story! In this 10-week workshop series, participant “investors” work with mentors and financial experts to create their financial future story.

The course is FREE and is open to everyone in the community. It is presented by ICS in partnership with Pima County Ending Poverty Now and local banking institutions.

The first and last classes are held in person at the ICS Central Office: 122 N. Craycroft Road. The other meetings are virtual.

TOPICS

• Getting Organized

• Learning Where Your Money Goes Why Some People Pay Higher Interest

• Credit Reports

• Credit Repair

Borrowing and Saving

Bankruptcy and Financial Predators

• Renting or Owning a Home

520-297-6049 | info@icstucson.org | www.icstucson.org

www.icstucson.org

REGISTER

Contact Maryann Moulinet: 520-477-0272 or mmoulinet@icstucson.org

SENIOR SERVICES

The Senior Services team (at right) works to help older and disabled adults live independently at home, without the need for institutional care. Most services are FREE.

FOOD

Mobile Meals*: Fresh, nutritious meals delivered at lunchtime every weekday, along with the option of a second meal to eat for dinner. Serving Northwest Tucson. Frozen meals are also available (see below).

Food Box Delivery: Boxes of fresh food and pantry staples from the Food Bank delivered once a month.

Grocery Shopping: Volunteers shop using a list and payment provided by the recipient. Groceries are delivered to the recipient’s home.

TRANSPORTATION

Rides to the grocery store and medical appointments.

* Billed on a sliding scale based on income

(Left to right): Janelle Taiepisi, Senior Services Coordinator; Sally Saunders, Mobile Meals Assistant; Erika Sosa, Transportation Assistant; Jennie Lane, Mobile Meals Coordinator; Vivian Escobar, Senior Services Manager; Cindy Galas, Director of Social Services. Not pictured: Jessica Cortez, ICS Help at Home Programs Coordinator.

ICS HELP AT HOME

Wellness Checks: Regular phone calls to check on recipients’ welfare.

Friendly Phoning: Weekly 30-minute phone calls providing conversation and social interaction.

Friendly Visiting: Weekly in-home visits providing social contact while chatting, reading aloud, playing card/board games, watching TV, etc.

Minor Home Repair: Volunteers do

minor home repairs. Labor is free; recipients pay only for materials.**

Light Yard Work: Volunteers perform light yard work like pulling weeds and clearing small debris.**

Business Help: Help to sort and read mail, pay bills, balance checkbook, or organize papers.

** Recipients must demonstrate financial need to qualify.

Call 520-297-6049 to register

Sign Up for Weekly Delivery of Frozen Meals

Frozen meal delivery from ICS Mobile Meals provides convenient home delivery of wholesome food that is prepared locally. ICS volunteers deliver meals once a week throughout Northwest Tucson. They can be stored in the freezer and heated as needed.

VARIETY: Seven menu options are available every week. Recipients choose how many meals to get each week— some opt for as few as three, or as many as 14.

COST: $3 per meal

SOURCE: Prepared by Caridad Community Kitchen at the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona

SELF-SUFFICIENCY PROGRAMS

Single Mom Scholars Celebrate Milestones

On December 16, 2023, nine Single Mom Scholars were honored at the SMS graduation celebration. Every December and June, ICS dedicates the monthly meeting time to a meal, family activities, and a toast honoring Scholars that have completed huge milestones in their programs.

All the graduating Scholars are preparing for careers that are in high demand:

Three Scholars graduated with Associate's degrees in Nursing.

• One with a dual Associate's/ Bachelor's degree in Nursing.

• One with a certificate in Information Technology.

• Three with Associate's Degrees in Liberal Arts/Social work, all with plans to pursue further education for social work.

One with a Master of Science degree in Marriage and Family Therapy.

RESET PROGRAM BUILDS CONFIDENCE

"It's okay to ask for help."

Perla joined the RESET program at ICS when she got divorced. She thought her world had ended. Emotionally she was crushed. At the same time, she had to face the reality that she didn't have the career training to provide a stable life for herself and her family.

She was immediately directed to take classes through ICS: Getting Ahead (guidance to create a new vision and path for her life), Bridges Financial Management, and Grief Recovery. Monthly meetings with her case manager were filled with positive reinforcement, helping her gain confidence in herself.

"Some of the most important things this program helped me with is to believe in myself, realize that it's okay to ask for help, and feeling bad is OK. I can express myself now. The most important thing is knowing that I can get up and continue," says Perla. "They helped me start my new stage without a price and to gain confidence in myself and my abilities."

After two years in the RESET program, Perla will graduate soon with an Associate's Degree in early childhood education from Pima Community College. She plans to transfer to the University of Arizona to pursue a Bachelor's Degree in the same subject. She feels ready to continue on her own to build a new future for herself and her children.

Left: Single Mom Scholars Program Coordinator Rachel Riggs and SelfSufficiency Program Manager Maryann Moulinet greet Scholars and their families at the SMS graduation celebration.

ICS Volunteer Honored by Arizona Complete Health

Be an Ambassador for ICS

At every University of Arizona women’s basketball home game, Arizona Complete Health recognizes a Community Hero of the week: an individual or organization that goes above and beyond to help make Tucson a better place to live.

In December, our very own Seri Boettcher was recognized. Seri began volunteering at ICS soon after she retired from Raytheon seven years ago.

Seri serves in four roles at ICS: working in the Northwest Food Bank, in the office as a Client Navigator, delivering Mobile Meals, and driving older adults to appointments and grocery stores as a Transportation volunteer. During the holiday season she also helps with Gifts of Love along with her church, an ICS faith community partner.

Seri is a powerhouse of smiles and energy; she radiates joy and hope to all she meets. Her goal, beyond serving the community, is to run a half marathon with her brother in every state—37 down, 13 to go!

Congratulations, Seri! ICS is blessed to have generous and dedicated volunteers who are passionate about serving our community.

The Outreach team is looking for Outreach Ambassadors to represent ICS at community events. These volunteers distribute brochures and other print materials and talk about programs, services, and opportunities.

Some events take place in the evening and on weekends. Outreach Ambassadors embody ICS values of respect, integrity, compassion, collaboration, and innovation. They learn about all ICS programs and shadow a staff member or another volunteer while training.

For more information contact Becky Lococo: blococo@icstucson.org.

RIGHT: Jay Norzagaray and Terry Alexander represent ICS at booth at the Oro Valley Artisan Market.

IMAGES: Top: Seri Boettcher (right) with ICS CEO Tom McKinney and Dee Dee Connell. Bottom: Seri on the court in McKale Center with members of the University of Arizona Pom Line.

SUCCESS STORIES

Thank-You Notes for Senior Services

Receiving thank-you notes from clients and participants is the best part of every week. These are just a few of the notes we received recently that make ICS staff grateful for the good works we are able to facilitate.

From a recipient of daily Wellness Checks:

"Thank you for all you do to help individuals. Your 'checkup' phone call team contacts me faithfully Monday through Friday. What a reliable team! Here is a donation. May each one of you celebrate this wonderful season, JOYFULLY!"

Fall Food Drive

What a fantastic Fall Food Drive!

This special drive brought in extra provisions to help ICS food banks prepare for the holiday season. Food donations to ICS were 20,000 pounds higher in October than the previous month!

We're grateful to our returning Fall Food Drive partners: Edward Jones, Town of Oro Valley, and several of our faith community partners. This year new partners joined the effort, including Estes Elementary School, Involta, and several branches of the Pima County Public Library.

From a Gifts of Love recipient:

"Thank you very much for my wonderful boombox CD radio! I will use it in my living room where I need it most. I do not have a TV and do fine with just radio and playing CD music.

"Also thank you for the $30 cash. With it, I was able to get what I wanted and needed and stopped having to worry."

New Freezer

A much-anticipated addition to the Northwest Food Bank was installed in November, completing phase 1 of the planned Northwest expansion. The free-standing walk-in freezer is located at the east end of the Food Bank building.

With the new freezer up and running, a smaller unit inside the Food Bank has been converted into a refrigerator, doubling the available cooler space. The Food Bank can now store more fresh meat and dairy and can accept larger donations of these foods.

From a recipient of monthly deliveries of fresh food and pantry staples:

"Thank you so much for the last 2 food boxes you delivered to me. Everything was very useful. I truly do appreciate your service because I am a senior on Social Security and have no vehicle. We need more services like yours in our community."

Gifts of Love

A local assisted living home reached out to ICS for help providing holiday gifts for their residents who otherwise would not receive one. Two of our faith community partners and two local schools rose to the challenge and created handmade gifts and cards. The residents received cozy blankets and afghans, handpainted mini trees, ornaments, and sweet cards and kindness notes. Thank you to St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church, Innovation Academy elementary school, and Anza Trail School!

Welcome

NEW STAFF

Lotsa Pasta Food Drive Begins February 1

WHAT

A month-long food drive focused on noodles! The goal is to collect:

• 5,000 boxes or bags of pasta and spaghetti noodles

• 5,000 cans of pasta sauce (no glass, please!)

WHEN

The entire month of February! Drop off donations February 1–29.

WHERE

Donations are collected at two ICS locations:

Northwest Food Bank, 2820 W. Ina Road

Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m.

Saturday, 8–11 a.m.

Eastside Food Drop-off, 8701 E. Old Spanish Trail

Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–1 p.m.

WHO

Anyone can organize a local drive: faith communities, neighborhood associations, clubs, companies, community partners… and you!

WHY

A pasta dinner is an easy, shelf-stable meal that is popular at ICS food banks. It can feed a family of four for under $5.

icstucson.org/lotsapasta

ICS welcomes these recent additions to the team:

Pam Asghar, Workforce Development Program Coordinator

Steven Cisneros, Mobile Food Distribution Program Assistant

Jessica Cortez, ICS Help at Home Programs Coordinator

Renee Lewis, Executive Assistant to the CEO

Cristina St. Charles, Single Mom Scholars Case Manager

TOP PHOTO: Jessica Cortez, Renee Lewis, and Pam Ashgar

BOTTOM: Cristina St. Charles and Steven Cisneros

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EMPTY BOWLS

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Saturday, March 2

VIP Admission begins at 11 a.m.

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General Admission begins at 12 p.m.

Last admission at 1:30 p.m.

Tucson Chinese Cultural Center 1288 W. River Road

MARCH

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» Sample signature soups, breads & desserts from local restaurants

» Bid on silent auction items

» Enter raffles

» Select a beautiful keepsake bowl made by a local artist

BUY A TICKET: $35 EACH

Tickets are on sale now! The family-friendly event includes indoor and outdoor activities and live music.

BECOME A SPONSOR

Five sponsorship levels are available. Get VIP event tickets, recognition on event day signage, and more.

Presenting/Title Sponsor: $10,000

Platinum Tureen: $5,000

Gold Bowl: $2,500

Silver Ladle: $1,000

Souper Hero: $500

DONATE AN AUCTION ITEM

Items for the raffles and silent auction at Empty Bowls are donated by local businesses and individuals. These include:

• Jewelry

• Pottery

• Home decor

• Artwork

• Restaurant gift cards

• Passes and tickets for experiences

• Hotel and resort stays

• Gift certificates for services

Tickets and information: icstucson.org/emptybowls