Live & Learn

Live & Learn empowers women to break the cycle of generational poverty. When women thrive, they strengthen their families and the community.

We need YOU this Arizona Gives Day to give women the opportunity to pursue their education and a career, so that they can give their children a better future! Women are waiting. Your investment in our mission will give more women the opportunity to join and begin the hard work of changing their lives.

WHAT
Live & Learn offers a structured pathway out of poverty for motivated, hardworking women. Over 2 years, every woman in the program pursues her education, begins a professional career, receives financial literacy coaching, develops life-skills, accesses healthcare, and receives mentoring.

WHO
The organization works with adult women whose lives have been shaped by poverty, homelessness, and violence. Upon admission to Live & Learn, 100% of women are unemployed or underemployed. Most are single mothers. They rely on government assistance to provide their families' basic needs. Over 80% have experienced domestic violence, some have experienced sex trafficking, many battle substance use, many struggle with mental illness. They all share a deep motivation to change their circumstances.

HISTORY
Live & Learn was founded in 2012 by the Bruce & Diane Halle Foundation and the Arizona Foundation for Women. These Foundations recognized a growing need in the Phoenix-metro area for a nonprofit that could meet the unique challenges of generational poverty. Live & Learn remains the only nonprofit effectively offering a pathway out of poverty for individuals trapped in the cycle, and demand is incredibly high.

NEED
Live & Learn works with 200 women each year. Yet, 500 women apply. Funding is the only barrier to serving more women.

Testimonials

"Amanda had a lot of really hard challenges this year. There were some bad moments, and things came up that were completely out of her control. She never despaired though. She stayed focused on building a brighter tomorrow for herself and her baby."
- Jocce, Lead Client Coordinator
_______________________________________
Martha, 32 years old, spent years underemployed underemployed, deeply depressed, and struggling to make ends meet. Now a lead teacher in a Headstart classroom, she recalls, "I would never have gotten to the place I am now without Live & Learn. I wasn't a good mother; I could barely get out of bed and I didn't have the money for anything from air conditioning to shoes or even enough food. Live & Learn was the beginning of a new life for me and my children."
________________________________________
"I'm working harder than ever, but I'm so happy. Being around all these other women who all have their own struggles that we're all overcoming together, it just finally feels like it's all going to be okay." Katie came to Live & Learn a week after she and her toddler escaped her abusive husband. As a Live & Learn client, Katie received emergency financial support, counseling, found a job, and went to school to become a nurse. Now, three years later, she and her son are thriving.
_______________________________________
Raquel grew up in poverty in Phoenix. Her mother raised her and her siblings, while their father spent years in prison. Raquel dropped out of high school, used drugs, married young. By the time she was in her mid-20s, she had three children, and her husband was abusive. At age 31, Raquel found herself newly-single and living in her car with her children. Then, she found Live & Learn. She is now a Certified Nursing Assistant with a good job. She explains:
"When I met Kristin from Live & Learn, talking to her was the first time I ever sat down with someone who was interested in what I needed, someone who wanted to see me grow and succeed. While I was in the program, I had two part-time jobs, went to classes, and was a single mother to my three boys. I couldn't have done it without Live & Learn's support. When I wanted to give up, when I thought I couldn't do it anymore, they still believed in me."