Tempe Community Action Agency (TCAA)

Back in December of 2014 I was about 7 months pregnant I was completely alone and homeless on the streets of Tempe. I was literally sleeping in a bush. I was cold, hungry, frightened and worried about how I was going to survive from one day to the next. One day I was told about the iHelp program in Tempe and I went there. It was a God sent program that I believe literally saved the life of not only myself but my unborn baby as well. I got rest, showers and plenty of good food served to me by volunteers who were absolutely amazing! I'm forever grateful to iHelp program for being there for me during the darkest loneliest time of my life. Thanks from the bottom of my heart.

I have been working with IHELP, an outreach to the homeless in Tempe Arizona, for over 4 years. TCAA oversees this wonderful organization and reaches out to the poorest of the poor in our community providing valuable resources to get and keep people off the streets.

I have worked for this organization for the past three years and know that what TCAA does everyday is making a significant difference in this community. I am proud to be a member of the staff and value to work I do every day. It is amazing how much this organization does with such little funding. I have worked for many organizations and this is the most efficient and effectively run non profit organization I have ever been apart of.

This organization has the most professional staff and conduct everything they do with the upmost integrity. They truly care about the community and do so much to help those in need on a daily basis.

I joined the Board of TCAA because I had heard so many positive things about the work of the organization and the success of its programs. I was especially interested in the senior meal deliveries and the I-Help programs. After joining I learned more about the "smaller" programs such as workshops for mothers in nutritional cooking and the help given to people who need assistance with rent or utilities on a temporary basis. TCAA is all about helping all ages in a variety of programs and I am proud to be a part of it.

As a volunteer that has served dinner at the IHelp program, I've observed how appreciative the guests are and that all the volunteers and TCAA employees care about the guests that are served, while having fun at the same time. The IHelp program should be copied in other cities. The guests help set up tables, clean up, pray and are so thankful.

TCAA is the parent organization for Tempe IHELP (Interfaith Homeless Emergency Lodging Program. Bethany Community Church is one of the partners and host sites. We also provide meals on some of the hostings. As a Christian, I believe this is what God expects us to do. As a Tempe taxpayer, I also like the program. Great program, with great results.

I have worked in the I-Help program for over 2 years and have seen peoples life change. I personaly know 5 people that have been through the program and are now off the street, have there own place and a job. I have been very fortunant to witness these tranformations and I am in contact with most of these people today. This propgram works because it allows us to build relationships with I-Help client and establish a network of people who care about the them, and an avenue for those clients who want to change and get back into society.

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.

Urban Outreach is an organization of the First United Methodist Church. I am a volunteer in their Potter House evening coffee house which is held 3 nights per week. We provide services to the homeless, including coffee, a place to rest and to get out of the elements, clothing and hygiene supplies and a place to feel welcome and safe.

The standards and rules are never met, just last week, almost half of the guest were clearly under the influence of some street drug,complaints are never looked over. I have been there for three years, and there are the same people in the program, Timelines are not even close to being met.There needs to be a push for people to better there lives, and there is no push.This program does not help, it enables people to stay Homeless !, There is no need for a person to be in the program for longer than six months.

I help does not care about if they are helping a homeless individual or not, they simply care about the numbers and their money. I wish I could say that ihelp has helped so many homeless people get back on their feet but instead I have seen people sit around at in the ihelp program for years. None of the people in ihelp have any expectations and they are not held to any standards. They could sit in the ASU library all day and sleep and we would still give them food and shelter for 3 years. Ihelp needs to incorporate rules and standards so that the people who are in need can find the help they need to better their lives.

TCAA provides so much to the community. The TCAA Food Pantry gives food to families daily. In Home Delivered Meals program, we deliver 60,000 meals per year to the homebound in Tempe and Scottsdale, AZ. Great organization with small administrative staff, which means your donations go directly to the programs! They are eligible for the working poor tax credit in AZ.