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Mila’s Story: Tears of Thankfulness for Her Children
Sometimes a family follows a well-set plan for their lives. Find your soulmate, get married, decide together on the number of kids you will have, plan your expenses, pick out all your children’s names in advance, and perhaps even buy a home to raise them in.
Jessica’s Story: A New Life at La Mesita Community
This is the story of Jessica, a young woman who has found hope, courage and strength through A New Leaf. Her story could be that of thousands of others.
VITA Program Seeks Volunteers
(Glendale, AZ) – A New Leaf’s community Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program in the West Valley is currently seeking volunteers to assist qualified taxpayers prepare and file their tax returns.
Michael’s Story: His Son’s Death and Then Homelessness
By Michael Tuebner
I had just started a new job in Colorado Springs when my ex-wife let me know our 30-year-old son was dying.
ICE Donates to 150 Children for the Holidays
(Scottsdale, AZ) – A New Leaf received a record number of holiday gift items this week to benefit 150 children staying at A New Leaf’s shelters – all because of a generous donation from International Cruise & Excursions (ICE), Inc.
Amy’s Story: Surviving Domestic Violence
A very articulate Amy defined her story as “not your typical domestic violence situation.” She wasn’t romantically involved with her roommate, but because she had no place else to go, it was either room with him and live in daily fear or go to the streets. The reality of one and the thought of the other were equally terrifying to her.
Emily’s Story: A New Start at Faith House
Wrapping her 9-month-old son in a blanket stained with her blood, Emily tried to calm her baby’s crying and her own beating heart. The baby had been awakened during the night by her husband’s shouting as he beat Emily. She panicked when his rage turned from her to the baby and Emily desperately scrambled to the crib before he could get there. She felt a searing pain and realized her husband had stabbed her hand with the pocket knife he had been threatening her with. The blood and Emily’s scream startled both of them and her husband thankfully backed away.
A New Leaf’s CEO Selected as Most Admired Leader
A New Leaf’s CEO Michael T. Hughes has been selected by the Phoenix Business Journal as one of this year’s Most Admired Leaders. The award will be presented on September 27 at a dinner presentation hosted by the Phoenix Business Journal.
CEO Blog: Record Giving Celebrates the Impact of Donors
By Michael T. Hughes, Chief Executive Officer
Charitable giving last year leaped to $373 billion, setting a national record for the second year in a row, according to a recently released report from the Giving USA Foundation. On behalf of A New Leaf, I thank all of our generous supporters who took the time to donate to our shelter programs and invest in transforming the lives of vulnerable families to become independent, thriving members of the community. You are making a difference!
Meet Pearl, a Survivor and Activist
My name is Pearl, and I am a Mobile Court Advocate for A New Leaf, helping survivors of domestic violence find protection and security – or whatever else they may need – through the courts. As a survivor of domestic violence, I choose this career because I want to empower people who are facing what I faced.
Mental Health Month: A New Leaf Heals Hearts and Minds
May is Mental Health Month. It’s the time each year to raise awareness of mental health and recognize the caring medical teams that work tirelessly to help so many people in our community. One of the most important issues among healthcare professionals today is care for children and teenagers who struggle with their mental health.
Rooted in the Community
In a small, modest medical office, three stories above South Phoenix, Dr. Duane Wooten sits behind a large wooden desk, scattered with paperwork and prescription receipts. He has run a successful pediatric medical practice in the Phoenix area for over 31 years. “I’ve helped a lot of people – nearly 35,000 kids – since I started as a practitioner.”
Stacy Finds her Better Tomorrow
For the first time in her life, Stacy feels truly secure. She has a good, predictable job, financial security, and a stable home for her children. But things haven’t always been so optimistic for her.
Mother. Survivor. Thriver.
As a single mother of three young children, Lonique fought hard to build a safe and stable home for her family. “In Michigan, I was making over $15 an hour. I had a house a car, and my credit score was over 700. We were happy.” But things were still hard as a single parent.
A New Leaf Celebrates Volunteers and Donors
Are you a hero? We sure think so! Next week, A New Leaf will be celebrating the contribution of its donors and volunteers at a luncheon to say thank you, once again, for all of their service and support.
Amanda Finds a Better Tomorrow
In November, 2015, Amanda came to A New Leaf struggling to save her home and in desperate need of a job with insurance to help care for her son’s unique needs. She was also in a toxic marriage, and the emotional and psychological trauma had already caused major damage to her self-esteem and confidence.
Meet Chef Jennifer
Chef Jennifer Johnson has been cooking as a pro for almost 23 years, but she had an unusual start in the industry.
Jennifer never intended to make cooking her career, but when her 2nd grade son wrote a loving Mother’s Day card full of all the reasons he loved her, it included a side note… he hated her cooking. The perfectionist in her decided to go to culinary school, and 23 years later, Chef Jen has never looked back.