On a bright, beautiful morning in mid-April, golfers at the Las Sendas Golf Club could be found practicing on the driving range ahead of the 13th annual Golf Tournament to Save the Family.
“It is such a good cause,” said one of the participants, “I have never seen a group of more committed people.” He was referring to the enthusiastic staff of Save the Family, which, since 1988, has been dedicated to the provision of transitional housing in cities throughout the Valley for homeless families with children.
Las Sendas Golf Club hosted the occasion, for which Executive Director Jacki Taylor was immensely thankful. “We are truly very grateful for the many donors who have made this event possible,” said Jacki. “A full 100 percent of all proceeds made today will go directly to the help with the programs for the men, women and children we serve.”
The major sponsor is AFC Medical and Chiropractic, solid supporters of Save the Family for many years. Other sponsors included Aetna, Gorman and Company, Inc., Pollack Real Estate Investments, Scottsdale Insurance Co., Tofel Construction, SRP, Arizona Office Technologies, Eide Bailly and Udall Shumway. Many other organizations and companies also contributed in various ways, providing gifts for the raffle and prizes, including everything from vacation and golf getaways, to dining and sports event packages and custom made Ping clubs, among other treasures being offered. Eager volunteers were on hand to direct more than 100 golfers for the four-person scramble format.
Save the Family was founded by three area business leaders after witnessing the rise of families living on the streets in the 1980s. “Today, the majority of our clients are women fleeing domestic violence, and the average age of the person served is 6,” said Chief Operations Officer Laura Stotnicki. “This shocking statistic serves to highlight the vital need for organizations such as Save the Family. We have found the scattered site model is most helpful to families,” she continued. “It helps them stay integrated in their communities.”
Currently aiding nearly 500 individuals, Save the Family has the ability to rapidly re-house 40 people, and can help with avoiding eviction. The organization also operates 138 units in an affordable rental program. “Clients can stay up to 24 months, but the average is about 10,” said Laura. This is because services go well beyond mere housing. Save the Family runs a career development center, and provides parental and personal guidance. The goal is financial self-sufficiency, as well as providing support for both adults and children alike, and helping them connect to community activities, including after school programs and extracurricular pursuits. Support services include tutoring, financial literacy education and parenting classes available to the client base.
“The goal is for the client to secure a job, permanent housing and for each individual to reach personal goals,” Laura explained. “Clients are assessed throughout the program to see what improvement is being made to that end. We’re with them every step of the way,” she continued. “Then, each May, Save the Family hosts a Client Graduation, sponsored by Mesa business Crescent Crown Distributing. A former success story client will return to speak at this event. This year’s guest has just finished her master’s degree in counseling.” Observing achievements of this nature is very encouraging for clients.
As with many grass roots organizations, volunteers are critical to the operation. Last year, more than 6,000 people helped Save the Family in various ways, from making welcome baskets for clients, to cleaning and painting housing units and helping out in the office, to name just a few. “We literally could not survive without our volunteers,” Laura said. “They are critical.”
Happily, Save the Family raised close to $60,000 on tournament day, all of which will go directly to serving its client base. The golfers enjoyed their day out on the course where prizes were given for scoring a hole in one, the longest drive and closest to the pin. Everyone involved was pleased to help such a worthy cause. “Homelessness can happen to any of us, at any time,” commented one participant, “which is why supporting Save the Family is so important and will continue to be in the future.”
Save the Family is located at 450 W. 4th Place. For more information, call (480) 898-0228, or visit the Web site at www.SavetheFamily.org.