July 2022 Newsletter
A New Leaf
Dedicated to helping end homelessness, domestic violence, poverty, and other community challenges in Arizona.
July 2022 Impact News: How You Changed James’ Life
Disabled and in his 60’s, James had few options and was in desperate need of a place to live. Thanks to you, James found shelter and relief from homelessness.
James has been on disability and in chronic pain for nearly 5 years. His long career in construction and large machinery had taken a greater toll on his body than he ever thought it would, and although he had planned to retire, the costs of his medical care made that impossible.
“I spent all my money on trying to get better, and now I haven’t even been able to see a doctor in three years because of how much it costs. I can’t even pay for prescriptions, so I have to use ibuprofen to manage my pain.”?
Despite this, James had managed to keep a roof over his head and food on the table. However, with rapidly rising rents and a fixed income, that changed very quickly. When James went to renew his lease, it had inflated from $800 a month to $1,200 a month.
“I may as well have been kicked out, I could never afford that. I had lived there for years, and now all of a sudden I had to leave. It just felt wrong.”?
James stayed with friends, sleeping on couches and floors, while he looked for a new place. But after a few weeks, he had nowhere else to go and was facing homelessness.
“It was real hard on me. I can be a very emotional man, and knowing I didn’t have anywhere to go just hurt. When you don’t have a home, you start to feel like you don’t have a future – and that is very much how I felt.”
Knowing he couldn’t sleep on the streets due to his medical conditions, James started calling shelters around the Phoenix area to see if he could find a place to stay while he tried to find a long term place to stay. Eventually, he found A New Leaf’s East Valley Men’s Center.?
“It was a huge blessing. I wish I didn’t need help like this, but what else is an old guy like me supposed to do. Especially when I can barely work as it is. This place saved me.”?
Now James is working with his caseworker to make plans for finding more affordable housing when he leaves. He is also working on his budgeting skills, and seeking higher paying work that can accommodate his health conditions.
“I feel hopeful for the first time in a long time. We’ll see what happens for me in time, but right now it seems like I’ll be alright. I’m just thankful for the help. Hopefully I’ll make it and I won’t have to be back here again. As much as I like this place, I don’t like homelessness, I’ll tell you that much.”
July 2022 Volunteer News: National Intern Day 2022
July 28th?is National Intern Day and at A New Leaf we have the most amazing interns working in our programs. This year we have had 69 wonderful interns contributing over 13,500 hours of time and talent in 25 different intern positions across 15 programs and departments.?
We are so grateful to each of them for bringing amazing skills, passion for our mission, and compassion for our clients. Many of our interns are supported by two amazing volunteers providing field supervision and several staff leading these students’ education in the following areas:??
A New Leaf’s internship program is a great opportunity for students in the Phoenix area who want hands-on experience in a variety of fields within the nonprofit industry. If you, or someone you know, is interested in applying for an internship opportunity, please click the button below:
July 2022 Donation Center News: Urgent Donations Needed
A New Leaf’s Donation Center has been working around the clock to get urgently needed food, clothing, and more to homeless shelters and domestic violence shelters across the Valley. With more families and individuals experiencing homelessness than ever, our generous volunteers and stores of supplies have been stretched thin.?
As a result our shelves of donated supplies is lower than ever and we need your help to keep up with need for these items. The Donation Center is in urgent need of the following items:
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. If you, or someone you know, is able to assist with donating the items described above, please click the button below:
July 2022 Donor News:?Estate Plans Let You Control Your Legacy
When you hear “estate planning,” what do you think of? For many people, these words evoke images of immense wealth. But estate planning isn’t just for the wealthy – it’s for everyone. And it’s about more than preserving wealth – it’s about putting you in control of your own legacy. But how can you achieve this worthy goal?
You can start by identifying your estate planning objectives. Here are some of the most common ones:
1. Controlling movement of assets to beneficiaries
During and after your lifetime, you will want to ensure your loved ones receive what you want them to have, and when. Through documents such as a will and a living trust, and techniques involving life insurance and using proper beneficiary designations, you – not the courts – will control the movement of your assets to the desired recipients.
?2. Naming someone to make decisions for you if you become incapacitated
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Naturally, you hope to stay in good physical and mental shape throughout your life and remain capable of making your own financial and health care decisions. But the future is not ours to see, so, to protect your interests and those of your loved ones, you may want to consider creating arrangements such as a power of attorney, health care directive, and a living will. In this way, you’ll still be able to control the key choices that may lie ahead.
?3. Providing for minor children or dependents
If you have young children or other dependents, you’ll want to be sure they’ll be looked after if you aren’t around. In your estate plans, you can name a guardian for them. You can also use various estate planning tools, such as life insurance, beneficiary designations, and the establishment of a trust to provide the necessary financial resources for your loved ones.
?4. Supporting charitable organizations
Leaving something behind for your family is obviously an enormous part of your legacy – but it may also be important to you to provide support for charitable groups whose work you’ve admired. Of course, you can contribute to these organizations while you’re alive, but through strategies such as donor-advised funds and charitable remainder trusts, you can include these groups in your estate plans.
?5. Managing taxes efficiently
If you’re likely to have a large estate, your heirs may need to be concerned with income and estate taxes. To help control these taxes, you can take a number of steps, such as making outright gifts to your family during your lifetime, establishing an irrevocable life insurance trust, creating a family limited partnership and making charitable donations.
All the estate-planning strategies and techniques mentioned here can be complex – so, to implement them, you’ll need to work with an estate planning attorney and a tax professional. You may also want to include your financial advisor, who can help ensure your estate planning objectives align with your important financial goals, such as living comfortably in retirement and providing for your children’s or grandchildren’s education.
By identifying your objectives and working with your professional team, you can create an effective estate plan – and help yourself maintain control of your legacy.
Take Control of Your Legacy Today!
Learn how you can make A New Leaf a part of your legacy at?turnanewleaf.org/gift-planning?or contact Brad Harris at?[email protected].
You can also click the buttons below learn more about your options to include A New Leaf in your legacy, or email Brad Harris, A New Leaf’s Senior Director of Estate and Gift Planning.
Generously Contributed By Carina Burtell, Financial Advisor – Edward Jones, Chair of A New Leaf’s Professional Advisors Council
July 2022 Community Partner News:?PNC Bank?Invests in Phoenix Day
The Arizona Education Progress Meter indicates that only 38% of 3-and 4-year-olds attend preschool, and just 19% of preschoolers attend a quality program, with an even smaller percentage of children from disadvantaged backgrounds.?
Healthy development during the first years of a child’s life (birth to five) provides the building blocks for educational achievement, lifelong health, economic productivity, and strong communities. Many studies have documented poor outcomes related to education, behavior, and health for children who live in low-income families.
Top Quality Education at Phoenix Day
A New Leaf’s Phoenix Day Early Childhood Education Center fills a vital need in our community, offering high-quality early childhood education to children from low-income families, ages 6 weeks to 5 years of age, a critical learning and developmental period before traditional schooling begins.
The Central Park Neighborhood in South-Central Phoenix, where Phoenix Day operates, has been designated a Federal Enterprise Community, a classification that reflects a community in distress due to high rates of crime, poverty, and homelessness. Phoenix Day provides a foundation for success in school and beyond, changing the trajectory for many low-income children.
Children attend Phoenix Day through childcare subsidies issued to families by the Department of Economic Security, through scholarships issued by First Things First, and through affordable tuition paid by families. However, this funding only covers approximately 60% of Phoenix Day’s operating costs. Philanthropic support from the community is needed to ensure children continue to have access to Phoenix Day’s programming.
PNC Bank Supports Phoenix Day
Community corporate stakeholder, PNC Bank, is a champion for early childhood education, providing support for Phoenix Day and other providers and caregivers. PNC Bank has been helping young minds thrive since 2004, through their Grow Up Great program, which provides tools and resources that help develop curious young minds.?
“We’re proud to serve children from birth to five, particularly underserved children. For the last 15 years, we’ve grown into a $500 million initiative—because birth to five is such an important time.”
Get Involved with Phoenix Day
A New Leaf’s Phoenix Day offers top quality early education in South Phoenix, providing a solid educational foundation for children ages 0-5. If you are interested in getting more involved with Phoenix Day, enrolling your children, or supporting the program please use the contact information below:
A New Leaf invites other community stakeholders, including corporations, foundations, and individual donors, to change Arizona’s ranking of the third highest drop-out rate in the nation, by supporting Phoenix Day. Reach out to our grants team at?[email protected]?to learn more about how your organization can get involved.