Our Family Services, Inc.

Our Family Services' mission is to eliminate youth homelessness and strengthen our community. We do this by: - Providing stability in times of crisis - Linking people to support and resources - Supporting social connectedness - Engaging our neighbors to tackle tough community issues Double the Impact of Your Gift! Larry "Buzz" Petersen and Roberta "Robbie" Willingham are generously MATCHING all Homeless Youth donations dollar-for-dollar up to $50,000.00 DOUBLING the impact of your gift!

When a family is experiencing homelessness, Our Family Services is a point of entry for them to launch their fresh start. We partner with 30 other community programs to get families housed. One of Our Family's strengths is that we don't just get a family housed, we keep them housed. We continue to work with them and make sure they have the tools and opportunities they need to be successful and healthy. This includes intensive case management, work and education assistance, counseling, and life and parenting skills - all designed to prepare our clients for long-term self-sufficiency and ensure they never experience homelessness again.

STREET OUTREACH
Rain or shine, our Street Outreach Team makes their way into areas where runaway and homeless youth congregate. Prepped with food and water, hygiene kits, and safety supplies, staff literally and figuratively meet youth where they are in their journey. Although youth living on the street are often mistrustful of adults, frequent outreach contacts establish staff as trusted adults whom youth can connect with when they are ready for a fresh start. Karl Blade, a member of the Street Outreach Team for the past 28 years, states "The main goal is to build a relationship. You have to chip away at their barriers. That's why it helps them to see us on a regular basis and offer them regular support."

WRAPAROUND SUPPORT
When a young person or family engages with case management staff, they will receive comprehensive services that meet their unique needs. While initially focused on getting them a safe place to call home, case managers also help with things like getting needed identification, signing up for insurance, parenting classes, connecting them to substance abuse counseling, coaching them for job interviews, employment assistance, and independent living skills education.

INFORMATION AND REFERRAL
When Arizona families or human services workers need resources, they can call, click, or email Information and Referral services through the 2-1-1 Arizona helpline. In the last fiscal year, Information and Referral had over 96,000 contacts. This provided critical connection for folks in Southern Arizona dealing with issues and needs such as domestic violence, GED preparation, emergency shelter, food boxes, childcare, job training and much more!

Testimonials

Bethany's STORY
One of the many families that came to us in November facing eviction was a single parent named Bethany* and her children. Bethany owed seven months of back rent as she struggled with childcare issues while she looked for a higher-earning job. She could pay a portion of her monthly rent, but the unpaid portion quickly snowballed into over $5,600 in back rent. Thanks to the support from community donors and their generous gifts to the eviction prevention program, Our Family had the resources to help. We were able to pay off Bethany's back rent, keep her family stable in their home, and put her kids in online school.

Jamie's STORY
Jamie* had been renting from her abusive ex-boyfriend's family. When Jamie found the courage to end the relationship, the family told her she would have to move out. During this time Jamie's business closed, causing her to lose her main source of income. Our Family was able to help Jamie find housing at a local apartment complex through our 3-month Family Shelter program. While Jamie was so grateful to have a safe roof over her family's heads, she didn't completely unpack and make the apartment home because she was worried that she would have to move in 3 months when the program ended. Thankfully, before the program ended, a spot opened in our Rapid Rehousing program, and she could sign a year lease with that same local apartment complex. Now, she can completely unpack her things, and her apartment feels like home.