Campaign Impact Stories
EDUCATION
From Maricopa’s Ak-Chin Community Alliance Against Family Abuse Peers As Leaders (P.A.L.S) Program:
Esther is a sixth grader who joined PALS in the beginning the year. She was timid with a sweet imposition. Reading the lines for scripts with her Elephant Ansvar in the beginning was difficult for her. However Esther regularly came not just to practices but to the Prevention Center during her lunches and read through her lines over and over again until she improved to a point where she no longer struggled.
Esther’s puppet Ansvar represents Responsibility and Esther has been learning to be responsiblethis PALS cycle. All PALS leaders are required to have C’s and above in order to perform during school hours. She has struggled through out the year in order to keep her grades up in order to qualify, as well as be viewed by her peers as Responsible. Twice now Esther has had to stay behind when the PALS leaders went to perform to the elementary schools. Instead of just quitting PALS, Esther was willing to work with Prevention Center Staff and her teachers to bring her grades up. She spoke with her teachers about what she needed to do in order to bring up her grades and then met with center staff daily to account for what she was doing to be responsible and improve her grades. She is now able to perform. Earlier in the year one of her teachers reported that in class Esther said a curse word. One of the other students said to her “Aren’t you in PALS, should you be cussing like that?” He said that she was embarrassed and put her head down. Just recently another teen leadership group asked their members to fill out a survey in essay format. The club officers within that group read through all of the essays and scored them. The two students who were selected were offered a place on a leadership retreat. The leadership retreat is offered to only a select few each year. Esther was one of the two students being sent by her peers to this retreat. She has truly come a long way from the beginning the year. When she began PALS, she was struggling with her grades, her reading skills, and her interactions with her Peers. She is now more confident and responsible.
From Salvation Army’s eQuip for Success Program:
One young mother has been working very hard to expand her skill levels. English is her second language and the lab provides her the ability to come during the day. In the afternoon, her son walks over from school and joins her in the lab. It is a wonderful sight to see a mother and son both sitting together at workstations, intent on learning all that they need to be successful. This mother cannot afford childcare that she would need if she attended other programs. This program is flexible and provides an environment that both she and her son can participate.
INCOME
From Community Action Human Resource Agency’s (CAHRA) Community Investment Fund Program:
During the year a mother of two children living in Eloy was referred to CAHRA by the Workforce Investment Act Program. She had been receiving TANF benefits and had worked sporadically over the past several years. The final step necessary to complete her participation in the Workforce Investment Act Program was to provide volunteer hours at a business or non-profit where she could learn proper business etiquette, office procedures and customer service skills. She was assigned to CAHRA in January of 2008 and quickly made herself nearly indispensible by demonstrating a willingness to learn and a wonderful ability to work with elderly/disabled clients. As her volunteer time drew to a close, she applied at a number of agencies and was offered a position with a local behavioral health agency. CAHRA was pleased to give her an excellent reference and she was hired. Shortly after she started her new job, she contacted this Agency to say that her supervisor at her new job had taken her aside to let her know that she needed to upgrade her dress. She explained to CAHRA staff that because she had not even received her first paycheck, she did not have the necessary funds. Community Investment Funds/Help For the Working Poor monies were used to purchase several suitable outfits for the client. She continues to work at the behavioral health agency and is enjoying her independence.
From Superior Food Bank’s Emergency Food Box Program:
One of our service recipients is and elderly woman who is legally blind. Her life is a challenge and she sometimes finds herself locked into a world that is bleak and hopeless. Even though she has a qualified disability, she never worked and does not receive much money in her social security disability check each month. Obtaining benefits such as a food box is difficult at best. Shopping at the store is completely hopeless as she cannot see the items or the prices. Her only contact with the outside world is her telephone. She doesn't have any family or friends who will drive her to register for services or shop. Many organizations require registration in person and our tiny market does not have home delivery service. Because she is good with her telephone, she contacted the Superior Senior Center director/Food Bank treasurer seeking help. After some discussion and planning, a Superior Food Bank volunteer was sent to her house to register her for the Food Bank in the comfort of her own home. That option had never been made available to her in the past and she was thrilled; however, she expressed her concern that she would not be able to get to the Food Bank to pick up her box each month. The Senior Center director discussed the effects of transportation to and from the Food Bank for the elderly and was approved to utilize the transportation services from the Senior Center to deliver boxes. This individual told another friend of hers who is also legally blind, and both ladies are now registered with both the Senior Center and the Food Bank. Each month a box is delievered to them so that their diets include some nutritional food items for them with minimal preparation needs. This was a success story for her, her friend, the community, the Town government, the Senior Center and the Superior Food Bank in their networking and outreach efforts. Each month after her food box is delievered, she contacts the Senior Center director/Food Bank treasurer to say "thank you" and how much this little bit of effort on our part is greatly appreciated!
From Tri-Community’s Emergency Food Box Program:
Two women arriving in the same vehicle at the Food Bank requested emergency food boxes. They were first time clients having been directed to the Food Bank by a local church. It was necessary for them to complete applications, provide proof of residency and demonstrate need. They shared their story: the two women were sharing an apartment in Oracle with one woman's two young children. Each had recently secured employment as nursing assistants in a nearby senior citizen's facility and would not be paid until the end of the month, another three weeks time. They described how they had only two cans of soup at home in the kitchen cupboard for the rest of the month for all of them. No family or friend lived in the tri-community area to help them. They had only recently moved to the area to find work at the senior facility. We determined that after receiving their paychecks, they would no longer qualify for assistance at the Food Bank. But until those checks arrived at month's end, they were struggling to put food on the table for the two young children and for themselves. Tri-Community Food Bank was able to assist them.
HEALTH
From East Valley Senior Services Home Delivered Meals Program:
Betty is 81 years old and has been receiving home delivered meals for the last 18 months. When the Apache Junction Active Adult Center first started delivering meals, Betty was very depressed, saying nobody cared about her and she had virtually no food in the entire house except for a little rice. In addition to the meals that began immediately, the staff got her in touch with Caring Corps and helped find someone to help her with her shopping, etc. At first, Betty was always in bed and listless. But as the meals continued and the volunteers began helping her she began to improve and now she is always up and dressed with a smile when the food arrives. She can now see a future with a few key services and a friendly person who delivers the meal. What a difference a smile can make!??
From Pinal Gila Council for Senior Services Home Delivered Meals East Valley Program:
Marjorie is a 93 year old female client that is legally blind. It is Marjorie's desire to remain in her own home and live independently, however she has experienced difficulty cooking meals for herself due to her disability. Marjorie was referred to the Hayden Senior Center's home delivered meal program and began receiving hot meals during the week. Marjorie was recently hospitalized and following her release she stayed with her daughter for two weeks. As her daughter was not always available to cook her meals during the day, Marjorie continued to receive home delivered meals at her daughter's home during her recovery. Marjorie is back on her feet and living in her own home. She has expressed that the home delivered meals are a tremendous help to her as she can no longer cook over the stove. She would like to remain in her own home and the home delivered meals she receives from the Hayden Senior Center make this possible for her.
From Community Action Human Resource Agency’s (CAHRA) Food and Integrated Resource (F.A.I.R) Program:
During the previous year 189 seniors and/or disabled individuals received the Guardian Angel/Emergency Alert Pendants. 17 were referred to CAHRA's Housing Program and received home repair and weatherization services. 32 households received an energy/utility assistance grant.
Each of the seniors and/disabled individuals receiving a pendant were contacted via telephone and surveyed. The results indicate that 99% of these individuals have remained safe in their homes, feel safer and secure and are pleased with the pendants and any other devices installed in their homes.
From Seeds of Hope’s Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Program:
"James" is a 73 year old grandparent raising three children ages 7 and 10. To complicate matters, he sometimes has his other daughter, boyfriend and two other children stay with him on a regular basis. The 10 year old twins are at the stage of wanting to challenge his authority. Through the program we have been able to direct them to professional counseling help. While the situation is far from over, the trust we have attained throughout this process has been very beneficial to all of us. He is a faithful participant at all of our events. We have been able to direct him to the VITA program helping him financially with the Earned Income Tax Credit. The information he has received at the educational events has greatly enhanced his ability to raise these children in our current social environment. He never asks for a hand out, just a hand up as he is always striving to make the children's lives better.
