Meet Primavera’s New Development Director: Clara Lee Arnold |
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Clara Lee Arnold joined Primavera Foundation Jan. 16 as its new Development Director. Clara Lee oversees donor relations, in-kind donations, fundraising and community networking. Read more about Clara Lee below! What drew you to Primavera Foundation?
I have held a variety of positions at nonprofits for 35 years. I feel strongly that everyone on the planet – humans, animals and wildlife – need to have their basic needs met to survive and thrive. Primavera does an excellent job of meeting the needs of its participants through a variety of important services made possible through the support of our generous donors, volunteers and community partners. |
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What new ideas do you plan to implement at Primavera?
Many of our participants have important relationships with their pets. In fact, pet food is the No. 1 requested item at Primavera’s Resource Center. I want to immediately increase the availability of pet food and pet care for our participants’ pets. I’m also working hard to build on existing partnerships, getting to know our donors, volunteers and supporters, those who play a critical role making sure Primavera continues to reach those who need our services. What unique perspectives do you bring to this role?
I love to learn about people and connect them with causes they care about. As a Southerner, making connections happen is ingrained in me culturally. I love chatting with participants, staff, donors and volunteers. I love learning about their lives and needs and then go out and help make connections between those who are passionate about the work we do.
How do you plan to engage the community? I like the idea of building a network. I want to increase usable in-kind donations beyond clothes, towels and blankets. Having a strong network allows us to share in-kind donations with our community partners. I like to think: how can we work together to make sure all individuals in Pima County are getting what they need? Can you share details about upcoming events in 2024? We are planning some exciting new events this year. We will hold the famous Primavera Cooks! dinners this summer. We are also introducing a golf tournament to raise funds for our new women’s shelter and a memorial 5K Walk/Run is in conjunction with Primavera's Annual Homeless Persons’ Memorial. Contact Clara Lee at carnold@primavera.org. |
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When Home Means Staying with Your Pet |
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Family evokes a different meaning for all of us. For some, family extends beyond human connection. At Primavera Foundation, we recognize the importance of our participants’ relationships with their pets. In fact, at the Primavera Resource Center, pet food is the number one requested item by participants. In 2024, Primavera is striving to increase our ability to help participants with access to pet food, veterinary care and pet deposits to ensure no one has to leave a fur family member behind.
To donate to the Primavera Pet Assistance Fund, please contact Clara Lee at 520.882.5383 x 155 or carnold@primavera.org. |
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| A Golf Outing, a 5K Walk/Run and a Reimagined Cooks! are Among Primavera's Upcoming Fundraising Events in 2024! |
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A new season of Cooks, a Golf Outing, and a 5K Walk/Run are on tap for 2024!
As the summer approaches, we are thrilled to announce another season of Primavera Cooks! We will be bringing back the culinary delights we know to love! This year, alongside our signature event, we’re introducing a couple of new dining experiences and apprenticeship opportunities.
But that’s not all! Following a jam-packed summer season, we are excited to announce our inaugural golf tournament scheduled for September 15, 2024. Join us for a day of community on the greens, supporting our fundraising initiative for our new women’s shelter. |
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Additionally, we invite you to participate in our first-ever 5K race, a memorial walk/run in conjunction with Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day and our annual memorial service.
Keep an eye out for updates and correspondence about all our events throughout this year. We eagerly anticipate these memorable experiences and the chance to unite with our community once again. See you there! |
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Pima County, Tucson Agencies Discuss Workforce Development Challenges and Opportunities |
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Following last year’s series of co-convenings, held in partnership with Old Pueblo Community Services, Primavera Foundation hosted agencies from Tucson and Pima County on February 12 to share information about their services, build an understanding of their roles and the referral process, and identify gaps to better serve the community. |
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Primavera Foundation CEO Tisha Tallman led the discussion and was joined by more than 20 representatives from nine other organizations, including Old Pueblo Community Services (OPCS) and the Pima County Community and Workforce Development (CWD) department. This was the first co-convening of 2024 with three more to come this year addressing housing, homeownership and restorative justice.
After acknowledging that housing is consistently the biggest barrier and agreeing that it is usually the first priority, the group began identifying challenges, opportunities and action items, as well as identifying the populations that each organization focuses on and collaborating on how to fill gaps. “We want to be thinking from a place of abundance rather than scarcity when it comes to overlapping services,” Tallman said.
Some of the consistent themes throughout the discussion were the importance of addressing the needs of participants with criminal histories, mental health challenges and a lack of reliable transportation, and ensuring they have access to a wide range of services.
Moving forward, the group was able to identify next steps, such as reaching out to both employers and participants and getting feedback from those on both sides of the process. While there is some existing feedback from Pima County, the group agreed to develop strategies for gathering information in order to form a more comprehensive plan. |
Putting Your Best Foot Forward: Ronald Shobey’s Primavera Journey |
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Nine years ago, Ronald Shobey was struggling with drugs and alcohol, housing and employment. Throughout his journey, Ronald learned that you always have to put your best foot forward, no matter what’s happened in your past.
When he first heard about Primavera Foundation, Ronald had only heard about the Men’s Shelter, but after nine years of struggling to find stable housing, a chance encounter at a bus stop led him to Primavera’s Homeless Intervention and Prevention Drop-In Center.
“Primavera’s been helping me with the ID, birth certificate, the mail service,” he said. “It’s like anywhere else. You put your best step forward and you can get things done.” |
| “I figured since I wanted to thank so many people at Primavera, I’d rather just put it on a shirt and let everybody know.” |
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Ronald is one of the approximately 4,000 individuals that visit Primavera’s Resource Center each year. Since opening in 2021, the center has provided drop-in respite and emergency services through our Homeless Intervention and Prevention Program (HIP). |
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Celebrate Women's History Month by Supporting Housing for Women |
Happy Women’s History Month! Let us celebrate by supporting housing for women in our community.
Unsheltered women in Pima County are greatly underserved with limited emergency shelter options in Tucson and in Pima County. In Pima County, there are about 50 beds system-wide for women and Primavera provides the only two transitional housing beds.
According to the Point-in-Time (PIT) Count conducted a year ago by the Tucson Pima Collaboration to End Homelessness (TPCH), 483 women were in emergency shelters, transitional housing, or safe haven, and more than 67% of those women were unsheltered.
In Primavera’s women’s shelter, Casa Paloma, this last fiscal year 80% of the women were 55 years or older with our oldest identified participant in the women’s hospitality center (respite and day shelter) being 86 years old.
To aid this major need for more emergency and transitional housing for women, Primavera is raising money to build Casa Isabel. Casa Isabel will provide emergency and transitional housing for women in Pima County. Primavera is aiming to raise enough funds to provide housing for 20 women who would otherwise be unsheltered.
Our fundraising initiative for Casa Isabel consists of two main components. Our Friends campaign and our inaugural golf tournament. The Friends campaign calls on community-wide support and word of mouth. It takes a one-time contribution of $10 and then identifying 10 friends of your own and encouraging them to also give a one-time $10 contribution. Primavera hopes that your friends will tell their friends and their friends will tell their friends to create a strong network of community support for the unsheltered women in our community.
Next, our first-ever golf tournament will take place September 15, 2024, and all proceeds made at the event will go straight to funding Casa Isabel.
As we embark on this initiative during Women’s History Month, it’s imperative to highlight the importance of community care. By addressing the urgent need for safe and stable housing for women, we demonstrate our commitment to caring for our community and its most vulnerable members.
To start lifting up women in our community today you can volunteer at our women’s shelter Casa Paloma or donate clothing, blankets and hygiene items. For more information about volunteering or in-kind donations email us at ecross@primavera.org. You may also visit primavera.org/give/ and make a donation and indicate you’d like it to go towards Casa Isabel.
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Voyager Community Chapel and McCandless Foundation Donate Over $27,000 to Primavera! |
Primavera is grateful to Voyager Community Chapel and the McCandless Foundation for donating $27,070 to Primavera in February!
Their donations will provide crucial support for our mission of co-creating pathways out of poverty and serve as a spark for our Friends Campaign, which is raising money for emergency and transitional housing for women. |
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Primavera Job Fair - a Great Success! |
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Primavera Foundation hosted its inaugural Job Fair at the Training Center on Friday, Feb. 2. More than 30 job seekers attended and were interviewed on the spot.
Primavera plans to host and attend more job fairs in the near future. Stay tuned for future announcements and make sure to RSVP if you would like to join us!
Primavera offers many exciting career opportunities in emergency services, finance, shelters, mobile outreach, financial education and homeownership. Check out our careers page for details and be sure to send us your resume! |
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Need Yard Help? Hire Primavera Works! |
Get a FREE estimate from Primavera Works!
Primavera Works offers supervised crews for yard maintenance and water harvesting, and individual workers for general labor, moving, landscaping, construction cleanup, janitorial and more! All these services are available for residential and business needs. If you are interested in hiring Primavera Works please contact us to discuss your project at (520) 882-9668 or visit our website.
When you hire Primavera Works, you support men and women in their pathways out of poverty. |
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Give a Gift / Volunteer with Us! |
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Stay up-to-date with current activities and future events by following us on your favorite social media channels. |
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Primavera provides pathways out of poverty through safe, affordable housing, workforce development and neighborhood revitalization. |
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