My Nonprofit Reviews
Ruth Kearns
Review for Tempe Community Action Agency (TCAA), Tempe, AZ, USA
I organize and participate in one meal per month for the I-HELP program. I am impressed with TCAA's organization and supervision of the guests/clients whom we feed. Guests are polite and respectful, and they frequently offer to help with bringing in the food from our cars. We who serve the food also sit and eat with the guests. In doing so, we learn something about those we serve--some of their problems, their paths in life, and the goals they seek. The guests are very grateful for our meals and thank us for providing them. On the day that monitor Dave Talley found the cash-laden knapsack, he told my husband about the difficult decision he had had to make. We were delighted to read about it the paper this week! I must feel that TCAA is influencing the very positive behavior we continue to see.
More Feedback
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
TCAA's level of organization is what makes I-HELP work. Sam Sumner, the supervisor, does things on time, and he explains the rules very carefully to the guests. The monitors function well and do a great job of supervising clean-up at the end of the overnight visit. When we pick up bedding, the main room and kitchen are always clean and ready to be used by others. I am impressed with the success of TCAA in helping clients to find work and housing and to move out of the program.
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
I wish that I-HELP could be expanded to include more homeless persons, but I recognize that TCAA has wanted to maintain the current level at workable numbers. It would take more churches and volunteers to expand the program according to the present model. My church, for example, is small and would be unable to serve a meal on a second night per month.
