With 33 programs across the Phoenix metro area, A New Leaf provides many necessary resources to underserved families in Arizona.
The 46-year-old nonprofit organization provides a broad spectrum of services to help people and families in crisis in Arizona. The La Mesita program in Mesa, which received a $3,500 grant from the Sundt Foundation last year, offers an emergency shelter and supportive housing for families with children. The program provides case management and skill development and has a computer lab, after-school center and Head Start program.
The Sundt Foundation’s grant helps A New Leaf’s La Mesita After School & Summer Program, which is attended by more than 70 kids.
“The program relies completely on funding from community corporations and foundations like the Sundt Foundation,” said Laura Bode, the Director of Community Engagement at the Mesa campus. “The impact of Sundt’s support goes far beyond the program’s day-to-day activities. The real impact is realized 20 years from now when the course of lives is changed and generational poverty is overcome.”
The after-school program helps lay a foundation for students of varying backgrounds, ages and experiences as they deal with some of life’s toughest challenges.
“There are a lot of outcomes that we measure for the La Mesita After School & Summer Program related to academic performance, behavioral challenges and life skills,” Laura said. “But perhaps the most powerful outcome is one that cannot be measured. It is the chance for kids to just be kids, free from the trauma and stress they have carried from experiencing homelessness, violence and instability.”
The next step for A New Leaf is to expand its after-school program, attract more volunteers and potentially build a new facility for its expanding programs. Last year, A New Leaf served 24,275 people.
This is part of a series of blogs about the positive impacts made by the Sundt Foundation.