February 2023 Newsletter

“I was an investigator at the Department of Child Safety for seven years. I’ve removed a lot of children from foster homes and I have placed a lot of children in foster homes. It’s a tough job. I’ve literally spent the night in my office with multiple children because there weren’t any foster homes to take them to. That’s where my passion to become a foster parent started, I just saw the need so clearly.” 

“There was a tragic need for foster parents and these adorable kids needed somewhere to go. And I was ready, I wanted to have kids, I wanted to start a family. So I got licensed to foster through A New Leaf and started building my family.” 

“I always knew that keeping siblings together was important to me, so when I came upon Logan, Anthony and Noah, I knew they were perfect for me. I didn’t want these three beautiful boys to be separated or sent to different homes – a lot of foster families only wanted one or two of them.”

“It’s heart-breaking that so many siblings are scattered through the system. Can you imagine being separated from everyone you loved? I have a very strong relationship with my siblings, so I just couldn’t let that happen to my boys. I decided to take all three.”

“Getting to know them and having them really become my kids has meant the world to me. Logan is very much the typical oldest child. ‘I know the rules. You need to listen to me. I’m in charge.’ But he’s also very creative, loves to draw, and loves to create things.”

“Anthony is the type-A middle child, like if he gets a Lego set, he will build it to look exactly like that picture and it will stay that way. No flexibility, it has to be done right.”

“Noah, the youngest – well you can’t help but fall in love with him. He’s the jokester, and he’s got all the funny voices. He’ll talk himself out of trouble with this $1,000,000 smile. I always know he’s flashing that smile to soften me up, but it still works.”

“They’re incredible kids, but it’s still not easy to suddenly be a single mom of three right? That’s where A New Leaf helped me so much. I think you guys have awesome events. I get to meet other foster parents and share tips, I get a little extra help to provide for the kids, and I get the boost in confidence I need as a new parent.”

“I’ve been lucky enough to adopt them and give them a permanent home. They’re my kids and every day is a new adventure. These children have given so much depth and meaning to my life, and I am just so thankful to be their mom.”

The VITA Program provides free tax preparation services to ensure that hard-working individuals receive the maximum benefits available when they file their taxes. Hundreds of IRS-certified volunteers provide free basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing to qualified individuals. 

VITA program partners with the IRS, AZ Department of Revenue, DES, and all the cities in West Valley (Avondale, Goodyear, Buckeye, Tolleson, Peoria, Glendale, and Surprise) to provide the qualified residents with the opportunity to have their income tax returns prepared and e-filed at no cost.  

A New Leaf, VITA Program conducted multiple Information sessions, in-person and virtually, from August – November 2022 to recruit prospective new volunteers. We conducted 6 training sessions at various locations and currently have 102 certified volunteers registered to assist. 

VITA will be providing the free tax prep service from 1/30/2023 – 4/18/2023 from 11 different sites located all over the West-Valley cities and aim to help around 3000 individuals/households this season. 

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

· 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 ·

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.

You can provide life-changing support to those experiencing homelessness or domestic violence by donating urgently needed items! 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:

Our homeless shelters are full, and we are serving more families than ever. Generous supporters like you are often the only reason these households get the safety, food, clothing, and basic needs they require. Donating items is the most direct way to help those experiencing a crisis!

A New Leaf is privileged to honor the memory of the following Legacy Society members whose estate gifts were received in 2022. Their thoughtful planning will help serve children, adults, and families in crisis, and sustain our mission long into the future.

It is always a good idea to review your estate plan every few years to reflect important changes in your life and finances, and to provide for your loved ones and causes you care about. We are here to help you plan your charitable legacy. To learn more about giving from your estate or gifts of other types of assets, please click the button below:

In Arizona, unsheltered homelessness is on the rise due to lack of affordable housing, supportive services, and livable wages. As the housing crisis worsens, homelessness has become increasingly visible and, as a result, increasingly dominant as a public concern. 

Community-based social service organizations, like A New Leaf, are uniquely positioned to engage effectively with community members struggling with homelessness, however funders and research institutions often undervalue their expertise resulting in limited access to the resources needed to support effective and more widespread efforts.

A New Leaf has adapted time and time again to changes in federal funding initiatives for social services that do not always align well with what programs know local community members need. On top of that, federal funding, which is often passed through at the state, county, and city level, cover only a fraction of the costs for service delivery and can carry a high administrative burden for managing multiple contracts, which only adds to the operating expenses. 

In fact, the infrastructure needed to operate with federal funding has increased to the point that smaller organizations find it difficult to keep up. This challenge has resulted in numerous smaller organizations joining A New Leaf to preserve the vital services they provide. 

Vanguard recognizes the importance of supporting A New Leaf to effectively assist local community members struggling with homelessness and housing instability, contributing nearly $200,000 since 2018 in support of A New Leaf’s shelter, housing, and economic development services.

This year, Vanguard’s funding will provide 386 nights of shelter, basic needs, and support services for families and individuals experiencing homelessness and 5,600 days of housing stability for chronically homeless individuals with ongoing mental/physical health needs. Funding will also support A New Leaf’s infrastructure, including Finance, Quality Management, Contracts and Grants, Facilities, IT, Philanthropy, HR, and Training departments, to ensure high quality service delivery and sustainability.

Vanguard Charitable recently celebrated 25 years of giving, with $1.5 million in total grants issued to community-based organizations and an incredible $15 million in donor-advised funds. Vanguard’s donor-advised fund is an account for charitable giving designed exclusively to invest, grow, and give assets to charities, like A New Leaf, for meaningful and lasting impact. For more information about opening a donor-advised fund with Vanguard, visit https://www.vanguardcharitable.org/giving-with-vc.

A New Leaf is grateful for Vanguard’s partnership to support community members struggling with homelessness and housing instability. For more information about partnering with A New Leaf, please contact Laura Bode, Director of Community Engagement, at lbode@turnanewleaf.org.