I began working with UMOM in 2007 when I joined the UMOM Auxiliary. We supplied volunteer help and did a fund raising luncheon each year. I am also a member of the Methodist Church women's group now called United Women in Faith. As a district officer for the group I volunteered to join the UMOM Board as an ex officio member. I can attest to the wonderful people who are employed at UMOM, the very professional UMOM Board Members. and the volunteers who work to end homelessness in the greater Phoenix area. In my time of volunteering for UMOM thousands of families and single women have been elevated out of homelessness and into affordable housing.
I became involved with UMOM through the mission ministry at my church, First Institutional Baptist Church. A lay minister from our church conducts chapel services on the 2nd and 5th Sundays each month in the Chapel at the main campus. It was during one of the Sunday opportunities that I was asked to become an ambassador and attend quarterly meetings with UMOM. I was impressed and captivated with the work that UMOM does on behalf of helping homeless people regain their confidence and become whole, self-sufficient, productive citizens. Soon after my first meeting, I began volunteering in different areas, The Read-To-Me Program, Gift Donations, and enlisting the efforts of others at FIBC to contribute time and talent. I also discovered that our church had been involved since the inception of UMOM, but had lost a representative to the ambassador meetings. I am very thankful that I have been blessed to be a part and look forward to assisting UMOM in ending the problem of homelessness in Phoenix, AZ.
I started going to UMOM shortly after moving here more than 15 years ago. to help sort clothing & etc that had been donated. I really liked that UMOM wasn't just another place to hand out whatever clothing was needed, but that the residents had to earn what they needed by doing "chores" on campus. Shortly after they hired a new CEO, Darlene Newsome, and they have been doing more and more programs to help break the cycle of homelessness. Through her guidance UMOM has grown and is helping many more that are in need of a helping hand.
You may have heard that it is better to give than to receive. Well, at UMOM when you give of your time, talents and money you get far more. The staff at UMOM will point each interested person in the direction of service where they will fit in. The leadership of UMOM works extra hard to make sure that everyone can find the answer to where donations go. The clients of UMOM will tell you about the life changing experience they have encountered at UMOM. I, as a member of the UMOM Auxiliary know that my friends and I in the Auxiliary can make a positive difference to reach the UMOM goal of ending homelessness in Arizona
I have volunteered at UMOm for years. They have a great success rate of moving families into housing and keeping them there. T hey do not give the clients a hand out they give them a hand up. They are given every opportunity for success. The staff is there because they care. Everyone of them has a heart for helping people.
UMOM is a amazing organization dedicated to ending homelessness in our community. I have been a volunteer on the UMOM New Day Center campus for many years and have worked in various areas and programs at the shelter.
A number of years ago I worked with parents who were studying for the GED exam. A GED has a significant impact on employability and income. One young mother of three small children really struggled with reading. Together, we studied the GED reading and comprehension materials. One of the longer articles we read was about World War II, a subject my student knew very little about. Thus, we not only read the article but had a long conversation about the war and in particular the role hard-working women, who were much my like my student, played in winning the war. As our study session drew to a close ‘Ana’ paused and then with such earnestness said to me, “You are not just teaching me to read, you are teaching me the world!”
UMOM provides their clients much more than just shelter, UMOM provides homeless families, single women, and unaccompanied youth a means to change their world forever.
This is why I continue to volunteer at the New Day Center and financially support UMOM.