August 2022 Newsletter | A New Leaf

August 2022 Newsletter Introduction

August is promising to be a great month at A New Leaf?as hundreds of children living in shelters and attending community programs return to school. This is an exciting time when these students get a chance at a new year and are back to learning, in a safe environment.

Thanks to incredible people like you, A New Leaf has been able to help hundreds of children get new backpacks, school supplies, clothes, and more.?Giving a child in need the resources they need to succeed is exactly the type of work A New Leaf most believes in. We believe that every child should start their new school year off strong and confident.

We are entering the Fall season stronger than ever, and have some exciting updates for you in this newsletter.?From lives changed, to new opportunities to get involved, to remarkable community members stepping up to help, this newsletter is filled with amazing content!?

August 2022 Impact News: How You Changed Erica’s Life

Erica thought she would never be able to afford college, or find a better job to provide for her family. Thanks to supporters like you, Erica has graduated community college and transferred to ASU!

“My name is Erica and I attended?Glendale Community College. It was there that I learned about A New Leaf’s matched?ATO savings program. Every dollar I saved in this program was matched with 8 dollars from A New Leaf. This allowed me to graduate with my Associates Degree and transfer to?ASU.?

I am currently working on obtaining my Bachelors in Psychology at?ASU. I plan to utilize what I have learned in my higher education to help others in a clinical, counseling setting. At the time that I heard about A New Leaf I was working as a peer mentor at?Glendale Community College. While there I learned how to best support others in their goals and aspirations in higher education and career.?

I hope to finish obtaining my bachelors to assist others who need support in various aspects of their life. My current interest is in helping those struggling with trauma or substance abuse.”

“My family has struggled to envision affording college in the past. We almost thought that neither myself or my husband would be able to attend college. It is thanks to the wonderful staff at?Glendale Community College?and?A New Leaf?that we realized we could make our goals a reality.

By receiving financial aid and participating in?MesaCAN’s?Assets to Opportunity?matched savings program we have been able to afford higher education by finishing our associates at community college and then transferring to a university for our bachelors.?

The support from?A New Leaf?hasn’t ended there either as we continue to participate in other programs that allow me and my partner to see our dream of affording and attaining our bachelors, both at?ASU. We have a five year old and another bundle of joy on the way, so the hope this provides our family cannot be measured in words.?

Thanks to all that has been provided for us, my husband and I truly feel more comfortable in our financial future and goal setting for our family so that we can have peace of mind and true confidence in what our future has in store.”

August 2022 Volunteer News: Fall Season Volunteer Opportunities Open!

Volunteers make their most important impact during the fall season when communities across the Valley are focused on helping those experiencing?homelessness,?domestic violence,?and more. A New Leaf relies on people giving their time and talent to keep up with donations coming in during the holiday season, and with other needs across?homeless shelters,?domestic violence shelters, and community centers.

The fall and holiday season will be quickly upon us, and A New Leaf is looking forward to having many volunteers, new and returning, get more involved?We have many exciting volunteer opportunities across the Valley and in a variety of programs, with ongoing or temporary roles.

• Financial Wellness Mentors at?MesaCAN?and other program locations
• Shelter Support Volunteers at the?East Valley Men’s Center
• Administrative Volunteers at A New Leaf’s?Philanthropy?and?Corporate?Offices
• Special Event and Special Project volunteers
• MSW and BSW Field Instructor Volunteer Supervisors
• Donating and serving meals at A New Leaf’s?Domestic Violence?and?Homeless?shelters
• Back to School Drive donors, able to?collect donations?and deliver them
• Holiday Drive donors able to?collect donated items?and deliver them

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 at https://www.turnanewleaf.org/get-involved/volunteer/ or email us at?Volunteer@turnanewleaf.org.

August 2022 Donation Center News: Back-to-School Season in Full Swing

Generous supporters have been dropping by back to school supplies for nearly a month, but A New Leaf is counting on generous people like you to finish our donation drive strong! There are hundreds of children across A New Leaf’s?homeless shelters,?domestic violence shelters, and other programs in desperate need of school supplies.?

With more families facing homelessness and rising living costs, A New Leaf’s shelters continue to see more and more children in need. Our?Community Donation Center?is in urgent need of the following items:

• Planners and organizers
• Notebooks and folders
• Backpacks and pencil cases
• Children’s clothing of all sizes
• Children’s shoes and socks
• Basic cleaning supplies for a classroom

Donation drives are critical to A New Leaf’s programs. They provide the most essential needs for the children, individuals, and families who are most in need in our community. You can help make sure that every last child in need gets the supplies they need to start the school year off right.? You can donate here: https://www.turnanewleaf.org/get-involved/donation-drives/

August 2022 Donor News: Save On Taxes by Giving From Retirement Assets

Deanne gives back because it makes sense for her finances!

Deanne cares deeply about helping families who are facing homelessness, and she has been sending a donation check to A New Leaf every December for years. Her CPA suggested she start giving from her?IRA?instead of writing checks to charities she supports. This enabled Deanne to increase her giving, avoid being taxed on the distribution income, and even keep more of the income for herself.

While updating her estate plan, Deanne also chose to name A New Leaf as a charitable beneficiary of a percentage of her?IRA. Because retirement funds are heavily taxed when left to heirs, she chose to leave other assets to her loved ones.

Did you know you can support A New Leaf by giving from your IRA? If you’re age 70? or older, making a gift of a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) from your IRA is a smart way to give to charity. By not taking all or a portion of the distribution and giving it directly to charity instead (up to $100,000 annually), you avoid being taxed on the income. And, if you’re age 72 years or older, a QCD gift can help satisfy your annual required minimum distribution.

We are here to help with charitable planning strategies that can benefit you as well as A New Leaf. Contact Brad Harris at (602) 320-1185 or bharris@turnanewleaf.org for more information about giving from your IRA or other assets. You may also view other ways to give here: https://www.turnanewleaf.org/get-involved/other-ways-to-give/

This information is not intended as legal or tax advice. Please consult an attorney or financial advisor to determine which strategies are best suited to your circumstances.?

August 2022 Community Partner News:?Fiesta Bowl Charities Helps Children at A New Leaf’s La Mesita

The La Mesita Community

A New Leaf’s La Mesita Community serves families in the Phoenix Metro community who are struggling with homelessness and poverty. The La Mesita Community offers?16 units for families experiencing homelessness?and?110 units of Affordable and Supportive Housing.

Over 250 children and youth are housed each year who experience challenges and trauma related to homelessness, poverty, family instability, food insecurity, anxiety, depression, academic underachievement, and poor social and coping skills.

La Mesita Offers Comprehensive Services to Help Children Thrive

To overcome trauma and break the cycle of poverty, La Mesita’s onsite Children’s Services include after school and summer programming, youth services, case management, and enriching activities. A Case Manager works with individual children and youth to assess their needs, provide referrals for onsite and community services, assist with navigating school challenges, and ensure stability within the family.

Government funding is available for sustaining shelter and supportive housing at La Mesita, however Children’s Services, that are critical for helping children and youth overcome challenges, rely on funding from community corporations, foundations, and individuals.

An important component of this programming is frequent field trips and experiences that can change the course of children’s lives, like trips to ASU, museums, sporting events, or just to see a movie. These are luxuries that many children at La Mesita do not typically get to experience, but absolutely should. Having a reliable form of transportation is critical to operating this program, and after 10 years, A New Leaf’s vehicle was nearly inoperable.

Fiesta Bowl Charities Comes to the Rescue!

A New Leaf was desperately in need of a new passenger van to replace a very old minibus that staff describe as a nightmare to drive. Over 10 years old, the vehicle struggled to get above 45 mph and could not be operated on the freeway. The AC system no longer worked, and many other simple features were broken.

Fiesta Bowl Charities came to the rescue with a $50,000 grant to purchase a new 15-passenger van.?Fiesta Bowl Charities?has been a long-time partner of A New Leaf’s, with multiple grants for different programs, donations of tickets and sports memorabilia, volunteer support, and was the driving force behind the installation of a playground at the?East Valley After School Program?as the lead funder and source of volunteers to assist with the project.????

The new van will provide safe, reliable transportation for children and youth, opening doors to countless experiences that can change the course of their lives. Thanks to this generous gift, hundreds of kids will be positively impacted by this new vehicle for many years to come. A New Leaf is grateful for?Fiesta Bowl Charities’ support.

Support Needed to Serve Children in Need at A New Leaf’s La Mesita Community

While this vehicle is an exciting development, the need for funding to support the life-changing services for children and youth at A New Leaf’s?La Mesita Community?is ongoing. This is an opportunity for community corporations, foundations, and individual donors to make a meaningful impact. Please contact?grants@turnanewleaf.org?to support vulnerable children and youth with a corporate or foundation contribution, or make a donation online at https://www.turnanewleaf.org/donate/.

August 2022 A New Leaf’s Upcoming Event: With One Voice Luncheon

It is our pleasure to invite you to A New Leaf’s first annual With One Voice Luncheon, benefitting survivors of domestic violence served by A New Leaf. All proceeds from this event will go to support A New Leaf’s?24-hour domestic violence hotline,?3 domestic violence shelters,?Valley-wide court advocacy?programming,?trauma counseling services, and more.

You can view event details and register for this event below:

With One Voice Luncheon

• Date and time: Thursday, October 20, 2022?|?11:00 AM – 1:30 PM
• Location: El Chorro, 5550 E Lincoln Dr, Paradise Valley, AZ 85253
• Registration:?https://www.turnanewleaf.org/events/fundraising/withonevoiceluncheon/

Contact Kelly Snyder at?ksynder@turnanewleaf.org?or?480-464-4648?if you would like to get more involved, sponsor the event, or if you have any questions.

Register now at https://www.turnanewleaf.org/events/fundraising/withonevoiceluncheon/