9 minute read
SEE GOODMAN
GOODMAN FROM PAGE 1 working with individuals who are experiencing homelessness.”
Following graduation, Goodman worked as a housing specialist assisting women to find long-term housing outside of a homeless shelter. She specialized in working with “women in domestic violence situations or fleeing from domestic violence situations, women who have mental illness, women who have substance abuse issues,” and a plethora of types of people within the homeless population.
A fellow ASU alumni and longtime friend told Goodman about the Phoenix Rescue Mission.
“There was a position at Phoenix Rescue Mission for community connections coordinator and I asked him about it,” Goodman said about joining the nonprofit in 2017. “He had been working there for a while and he encouraged me to apply.
“I applied for the position, and I was hired on. It allowed me to really work with the community and get to know the community. Get to know the different aspects of hunger insecurity, housing insecurity, the homeless community in general and the different subpopulations.”
Through that position Goodman connected with regional efforts that worked toward finding the solution to homelessness.
In 2019, Goodman was promoted to street outreach supervisor overseeing the work under that program. Not long after, Goodman was named interim director. She was assigned the position after a few months.
She oversees the criminal justice program, Glendale Works, Hope for Hunger Food Bank, mobile pantries, community market, growing Hope Coach Street Outreach team and other programs.
“I might be a little bit of a different type of director, I like to be in the weeds,” Goodman said. “I like to know what’s going on.
“I really like to provide assistance to my team. I like my team to feel supported. I’m hardly sitting at my computer all day.”
Goodman is kept on her toes between problem solving with her team, answering emails and staying connected with the community at large.
“My day is really all over the place and I get to do a little bit of high-level work but still do a bit of weeds work as well,” Goodman said.
Although she has switched to a more “heavy administrative job,” she still enjoys brainstorming with her team and providing them resources to succeed.
“I would say that my favorite part of my job is when I get to support my team that does work with the people directly,” Goodman said. “I might not get to engage with the clients on a face-to-face basis, however, I still get to be part of the everyday solutions.
“I’m a true believer in what it is that we do here. I have been able to see people’s lives change and transform. I’ve seen people walk through the gates of our recovery program and walk out a different person and I’ve been able to see their hope restored.”
Goodman said she finds it rewarding seeing not only the whole person change, but also their emotional to housing states. Goodman also knows that working for a nonprofit in a supervisor role is not the easiest job.
“The hardest part is the disconnection from clients,” Goodman explains.
She aspired to be in this role but loves to communicate with people who are “in the weeds and get to work with (clients) day in and day out.”
“Everyone goes into nonprofit work to help,” Goodman said. “It’s definitely not a sector where you can go and get rich.
“Having those stories and experiences of how you are making an impact are vital to keep going. It reminds you why you do what you do and so I think that is really important on the front of how this position could be difficult which is this connection between you and the clients.”
Goodman has a message for students who are considering a career in the nonprofit sector or wanting to help their community.
“I encourage students to volunteer,” she said. “I wish I would have done this more. Volunteer a whole lot wherever you can. Just don’t volunteer at one location but volunteer at tons of different organizations and ones that serve different populations. I think that having that understanding of what you are interested in doing within the nonprofit capacity is just going to be a benefit to you.”
Overall, Goodman could not see herself in a different field.
“It’s really rewarding and fulfilling work,” Goodman said. “It’s hard work and sometimes challenging work but I think when you catch a glimpse of something that you started and now see it through as far as a program or service, you really get to see all of your hard efforts at play.”
For more information about Phoenix Rescue Mission, visit phoenixrescuemission.org.
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FSL ReCreación reimagines ‘adult day care’
BY GLENDALE STAR STAFF
The Foundation for Senior Living (FSL) has introduced ReCreación, a reimagined approach to its long-time adult day programs focusing on the overall benefi ts of being involved in a program outside of the home for members and caregivers. The brand new Diane and Bruce Halle Adult Day Health Services Center opened in October in Glendale.
“It’s a program that surrounds not just the person we serve, but their family,” FSL Center Director Carolyn Hutchens said.
FSL’s former program focused on the medical services and “day care” aspect, leading caregivers to feel like they were ditching responsibility by sending their loved one to the centers. For many caregivers, this created guilt in an already demanding situation. Members shared that while the program has always been benefi cial, the marketing of the program increased their feelings of being a burden on their families.
The new branding aims to ease those feelings, by shifting perspectives from being somewhere a member has to go to somewhere they want to be.
“Here at FSL, we are focused on enriching the lives of the people we serve,” FSL Program Administrator Jeff Tourdot said. “That’s what it means to us being able to serve you, is that you feel the human connection we are able to provide.”
ReCreación is open to any adult over 18 who is living with a physical, cognitive or developmental disability or medical condition. Through the program, FSL focuses on providing personalized help through activities that will stimulate, engage and inspire a sense of well-being in members in safe and inclusive environments.
The rebrand comes just in time for the opening of the Diane and Bruce Halle Adult Day Health Services center, with over 10,000 square feet of space designed with the needs of members in mind. The new center features a young adult activity room, a space for members in the early stages of dementia, and a kitchen area where members can take part in cooking groups through the Empowerment Kitchen program.
FSL ReCreación will be open Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. To enroll in the program, visit or call the site you or your loved one would like to attend. FSL operates three ReCreación centers in the Valley: in Tempe, in Phoenix and in Glendale. Staff can assist you in completing paperwork and complete an assessment in person to evaluate the level of care needed. A physician’s order is also required, but the staff can help provide guidance for this process as well.
To learn more about FSL or to schedule a tour, call 602-285-1800 or visit fsl. org.
Arizona ranked 3rd worst for public schools
BY MADISON PERALES Glendale Star Staff Writer
Arizona has been ranked the third worst state for public school systems in America.
According to a study by personal fi nance website WalletHub, out of all 51 states (including the District of Columbia), Arizona is ranked 49th for the highest dropout rate and 51st for the highest pupil-teacher ratio.
These statistics show that Arizona has a low spending budget for the schools. This can lead to teachers not getting paid enough and them moving to another school.
Another reason the education system might be lacking in these areas is because the spending on students is also low.
“Many variables contribute to school quality, like school climate, school environment, parental and community wealth and engagement in the school, and per-pupil expenditure,” said Comfort Okpala, a professor at North Carolina A&T State University. “Per-pupil expenditure is a refl ection of the quantity and quality of resources available for school districts.”
While these statistics are daunting, in 2020 Glendale attempted to take action to improve the school systems in the area. There was a request to approve a $130 million bond to improve the schools in the area.
“If approved, the bond funds will protect money allocated for the classroom, not cause a tax rate increase and will be used to better school safety and education,” Glendale Union High School District spokesperson Kim Mesquita said in a previous Glendale Star report.
When it came time to approve the bond, voters chose against it. GUHSD didn’t respond to an interview request.
“When we’re looking at taxes and resources provided to schools, Arizona is known as a retirement haven in a lot of
aspects, and maybe, more emphasis is put on that than earlier stages of life,” said Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub analyst. Glendale isn’t the only city attempting to improve its schools, as Peoria Unifi ed School District openly released its school spending distribution on its website. According to the Arizona auditor general, over 70% of Peoria’s school spending is focused on instructional and student support. The downfall in the spending is 9.8% of its funding goes toward principals, secretaries and school supplies. While support is extremely benefi cial for students, school supplies and wellpaid staff members are just as important in order to keep the school functioning properly. When comparing a couple of cities, the common denominator to this low statistic is low teacher pay enough and a lack of technology and supplies for kids. “When your teachers are unhappy, when they’re leaving to teach elsewhere, that shows in the quality of the school districts and even at the state level, just how much there needs to be improvement,” Gonzalez said. Even though Arizona is ranked lowest in America for public schools, there are some pockets in the state where schools are trying to better their students’ education. Though the dropout rate is high overall, Peoria Unifi ed School District is breaking the norm by having a 96% graduation rate, according to spokesperson Danielle Airey. “We offer career programs where students can work with mentors who are in the careers the students are interested in,” Airey said. “The program is offered to students as early as seventh and eighth grade.” The opportunity gets students excited to work in a job they potentially want to pursue, which eventually leads them to fi nishing school.
