branching out A NEW LEAF 2 201 9 F A LL I S S U E
Finding peace & safety How you saved Dusti’s family from abuse.
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don’t know if we would be alive if it wasn’t for the help we got,� says Dusti, a loving mother of three children, Nicole, Hunter, and Brian. “I had never dealt with domestic abuse before.� Dusti grew up in a normal home, with happy parents. When she found herself in a dangerous situation, she didn’t know what to do, how to ask for help, or what resources were there to help her. “I just had no idea what to do once my partner started abusing me, so I just dealt with it.� Before the abuse started however, Dusti never would have imagined that her boyfriend would hurt her. “When we started dating, he seemed normal – nice even. But that changed.�
“I just had no idea what to do once my partner started abusing me, so I just dealt with it.â€? When Dusti and her kids moved into her boyfriend’s house, she immediately noticed a change in his behavior. “He started to shout at me and hit things around the house. I had never experienced that before, so I tried to make it work‌that was a mistake.â€? 2
Eventually, the abuse reached a turning point for Dusti. “One morning I woke up with a belt around my neck. I woke up because I couldn’t breathe. I panicked and managed to get away from him, and he said he was joking. But I knew he wasn’t, he wanted to hurt me.â€? Dusti knew that she couldn’t stay any longer. “My kids were in the house when that happened. What would KDYH KDSSHQHG LI Ζ GLGQȇW ZDNH XS" ΖW WHUULČ´HG PH Č‹ That day, Dusti left with her children and didn’t go EDFN ČŠ$W Č´UVW KH ZDV XSVHW DQG Ζ WKRXJKW HYHQWXDOO\ he would stop calling. But then he started threatening me, to take the kids, to come to my work‌I just wanted it to stop.â€? One night, he showed up unannounced to where Dusti had escaped, and she knew her safety was in danger. 'XVWL GHFLGHG VKH QHHGHG WR Č´QG SURWHFWLRQ WKURXJK the court system. Only with a court order of protection would she be sure that he wouldn’t harass her, and if he did, she could charge him. Thanks to supporters like you, A New Leaf was able to provide Dusti with a dedicated court advocate, Rosalie. Together, they set a court date and Dusti requested to have Rosalie with her when she had to face her abuser. “Going to court that day – I had never felt so alone in my life. It meant the world to me, just to have Rosalie
n Breathe Dusti (left) and her family were able to get court protection because of donors like you.
by my side. I knew that she would support me no matter what, and that just…it made it possible.”
“Going to court that day – I had never felt so alone in my life. It meant the world to me, just to have Rosalie by my side.” With help made possible by donors like you, Dusti got the court protection that she and her kids needed. She never looked back and is working to build a happier, safer home for her children. Her experience, Dusti says, made her stronger for her children and for herself. “What I learned most from this is that if you are in an abusive situation, you are strong enough to leave. If you can live day in and day out with the fear that the person you love most might hurt you, you are strong enough to get out.” “It isn’t easy to leave an abusive partner. You worry about money, having a home, of getting hurt. But, thanks to the support you gave me, it was easier – and safer – for me to leave. Thank you so very much.”
You can help a family in danger!
Your gift will support shelter programs and court advocacy to protect families like Dusti’s.
$50 will provide one night of shelter to a family escaping abuse
$100 will provide basic needs and food to a family escaping abuse
$250 will provide court advocacy to a survivor of abuse
$400 will provide one week of shelter to a family escaping abuse
$800 will help a family escaping abuse move into long-term stable housing
Get Involved TurnaNewLeaf.org | 868 E. University Drive Mesa, AZ 85203-8033 | (480) 464-4648 |
Life-Ch domestic violence services A New Leaf’s Domestic Violence programs are dedicated to providing any survivor of domestic violence with the choice and ability to leave
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foster care
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A New Leaf’s Health Services programs provide top quality medical and behavioral health resources to communities across the valley
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makes an impact
Deanna had been homeless nearly 20 years ago. Bashas’ hosted a charitable campaign on behalf of A New Leaf in their stores, helping to raise money for critical services in the community.
Deanna is a cashier at Bashas’ and recently participated in their seasonal fundraiser, supporting A New Leaf. After over a month of collecting donations, Deanna ended up the top-performing cashier in any of their stores, outraising all of her colleagues. She was passionate about raising support for a very personal reason. Deanna had been homeless nearly 20 years ago and had come to A New Leaf for help, staying at the La Mesita Family Homeless Shelter. At A New Leaf, she got the help she QHHGHG WR ȴQG KHU IHHW DQG SURYLGH
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a stable home for her children, never having to face homelessness again. We are so thankful for the support of incredible individuals like Deanna, going above and beyond to help those facing similar challenges.
“If you can make a gift to support services offered by A New Leaf, you will be changing a life, giving a family like mine a chance at a fresh start.”
Smart Ideas for End of Year Giving Tax-wise giving strategies
ANewLeafLegacy.org
With the end of the year approaching, here’s a checklist of tax-wise charitable giving strategies that can provide you with tax savings and SRVVLEOH LQFRPH EHQHȴWV •
Make a Gift of Appreciated Assets
•
Fund a Charitable Gift Annuity
•
Establish a Charitable Remainder Trust
•
Make a Gift of Life Insurance
•
Create a Charitable Life Estate
To learn more about these and other year-end gift ideas, contact Brad at (602) 320-1185 or bharris@turnanewleaf.org.
passion led us here WHAT DO YOU DO? My name is Rochelle and I am the Administrative Supervisor at A New Leaf’s La Mesita Campus. I work to support families at La Mesita that may be struggling with homelessness, domestic violence, or other serious challenges. I love my job and I love being here for people when they need help.
APPLY HERE: TURNANEWLEAF.ORG/CAREERS
WHY DO YOU WORK AT A NEW LEAF? A New Leaf is an amazing organization to work for because I get to see the impact we have on the families and individuals we serve on a daily basis. I come to work every day really feeling grateful and thankful. To be able to do the work that I do is a privilege. Working for A New Leaf has changed my life, and helped me to change the lives of others.
Rochelle found her passion helping families and adults experiencing homelessness. She is able to make an impact in the community, caring deeply about her work, while still making a living.