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Newsletter (corrected) for AUGUST 20 2024


We’ve recently received three very generous private donations, all three are reported on next below. Following those three items in this newsletter, please look at the next two articles, both on opportunities for your involvement.  One is about supporting an Arizona Housing Coalition legislation effort that has a sign-up date this Wednesday.  The other is about participating with THP in the Tucson Food Bank Hunger Walk.  Then you’ll next find our project status. Then there is an pat one of an article about the importance of loneliness.  Finally, note that the day and time for our monthly Board Meetings has changed -- see "Meetings" below.


   


Grant from the Tucson Realtors


The Tucson Realtors Charitable Foundation (TRCF) awarded The Homing Project (THP) a $6,500 grant to pay part of the salary for the onsite Social Worker.  This employee is critical for the welfare of our village residents.  Lisa Suarez, a Tucson Realtor and a Homing Project donor, suggested we apply for this grant. Thank you, Lisa and TRCF!



The Sundt Foundation donated $5000 to the Homing Project.

 

Andres Herrera, a local project superintendent with the Sundt Corporation, and his coworker Austin, presented Dr. Kris Olson-Garewal with a check for $5000 at the future site of our first village, on Estrella Avenue.  Andres explained that the foundation was begun to honor one of their employees who died from ALS as he was volunteering with Habitat for Humanity.  Sundt employees contribute to the foundation for a chosen non-profit and the Sundt Corporation matches their donations.  Andres and Austin are very supportive of The Homing Project have offered to volunteer when we begin work on the site.

One of our volunteers, Jim Gregory, moved our demo micro-shelter to the site so Andres and Austin could visit the site and see there an example of the Pallet-64 micro-shelters to be sited there. 

Jim also replaced the jack on the micro-shelter's trailer, sanded and sealed the wooden platform, and replaced the locking handle on the door.  Jim is always there, if he is available, when we need the micro-shelter moved to different places.  Thank you, Jim! 


Kitchen Appliances from Tucson Appliances Company


Tucson Appliances Company has donated a range, induction stove top, and garbage disposal worth over $4,000 for the village kitchen.  These appliances will get quite a workout: three communal meals a day prepared and served by residents.  The residents will be trained initially, at the beginning, by a chef.  We have opted to use high quality residential type appliances since residents will be learning cooking in this kitchen primarily to build a life skill for personal use.  Needless to say, if any Tucson Appliance Associate, especially owner Chris Edwards, is ever in the neighborhood, they can count on a free meal.  They generously offered a dishwasher as well, but we graciously turned down that appliance, because Gogi and Yolanda Sethi have already donated a stainless steel triple-sink set-up for doing dishes.  We expect a future newsletter photo of Yolanda, Homing Project Board member and our Volunteer Coordinator, demonstrating the sink’s proper use.



Raffle Tickets for The Jim Click Millions for Tucson are available for purchase here: The Homing Project Homepage




Sign up by Wednesday August 21 to help with legislation on homelessness!

Nicole Newhouse, Executive Director, Arizona Housing Coalition.

 

The Arizona Housing Coalition is excited to announce a series of upcoming stakeholder sessions to collaboratively craft pragmatic homelessness response legislation.  In light of the Grants Pass decision, we believe it is essential to develop effective solutions that reflect the diverse needs and challenges across our state.

 

These sessions aim to bring together a richly diverse range of voices from across Arizona—those involved in prevention, emergency services, supportive services, and supportive housing.  Your insights are vital as we work to present lawmakers with stakeholder-driven alternatives for addressing homelessness.  We understand that genuine solutions demand sufficient resources and practical tools to achieve positive, lasting outcomes.

 

The sessions will include:

  • Urban-focused Discussion: To address the unique challenges and opportunities within our cities.
  • Rural-focused Discussion: To ensure the perspectives of rural communities are equally represented.
  • Combined Session: Bringing together the insights from both discussions for a comprehensive legislative strategy.

We will convene both the Rural and Urban stakeholder sessions virtually on September 17, 2024 (one in the morning and one in the afternoon), followed by the combined session approximately two weeks later.  Your participation is vital to shaping legislation that truly addresses the growing issue of homelessness in Arizona.

 

We hope you will join us in this important effort. Your voice can make a difference in crafting effective, compassionate legislation that meets the needs of our communities. 

 

If you are interested in participating, please complete this form by Wednesday, August 21 so we can get our invitation out to everyone.



Join Us for the September Food Bank Hunger Walk


It’s Payback Time... The Food Bank gave us a $60,000 Thriving Community Grant, part of which paid for the upgrade in insulation for our Pallet micro-shelters.  A small group of The Homing Project volunteers has already agreed to do the Community Food Bank’s Hunger Walk as a team.  Please join us!  The Hunger Walk is September 14 and starts at the Kino sports complex in the New Sam Lena park.  There is also a Green Valley event.

More info and sign-up are found here, or 

here: https://www.communityfoodbank.org/hungerwalk/.

Sign up online and select The Homing Project ~pg 10 of groups in the  drop-opwn menu.



Project Update

 

 We have received feedback from the Tucson Planning Department on The Homing Project’s construction application;  our consultants at Rick Engineering are now addressing those issues.  In the meantime, our volunteer staff continues to apply for grants.   Also, we have a new General Contractor that will be profiled in the September edition.



Program to Build Connections and Fight Isolation and Loneliness: Part 1

 

The US Surgeon General has declared loneliness and isolation to be a national epidemic (www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf).  Over 70% of the adult population are experiencing loneliness, which has been found to have a significant negative impact on health and life expectancy.  In our society, an individual is often a member of several communities based on neighborhood, family, religious affiliation, sports, and other leisure activities.  Getting food, being hustled from place to place, lacking opportunities to maintain personal hygiene, and being explicitly shunned, it’s not surprising that unhoused people are lonely and isolated.  Afterall, if they had what is called “social capitol”, they would be sleeping in their mother’s guest room or on a friend’s couch.  So, with this in mind, Raj Garewal, THP cofounder, is developing a program to promote community integration as the fourth principle goal of The Homing Project*.  This program includes a village structure that facilitates interactions, treatment for conditions that interfere with socializing (such as alcoholism and/or depression), providing a wide range of activities for leisure time and social interaction.  The activities include taking turns creating communal meals, caring for egg laying hens, movie night, card games, and sandlot volleyball.  Working with the Project Manager, the Social Worker, and Keith Bentele, a Sociology Assistant Professor at the University of Arizona, Raj will look for what aspects of the Homing Project (other than just shelter) have the most impact on loneliness, resident’s life satisfaction, continuity in housing, and health.  Raj has written grant applications to fund staff facilitation of these activities.



MEETINGS:

General/Volunteer Meetings are held the last Saturday of the month at 10AM at St. Phillips in the Hills in the Children’s Chapel Room.

Join us to plan new & discuss past events.

Board Meetings ARE AT A NEW TIME, being held on the last Wednesday of the month at 5:30 PM at Kris Olson’s home. Project volunteers are welcome to attend.



The Homing Project Newsletter

Joe Vaughan edited this month’s newsletter. 

Email suggestions of items for inclusion to: newsletter@thehomingproject.org

Our email address is: newsletter@thehomingproject.org

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