Lutheran Church of the Foothills is continuing its longtime partnership with Primavera Foundation through a new breakfast bag initiative supporting residents at STAR Village, a collaborative housing program with the City of Tucson and Old Pueblo Community Services serving women and non-binary individuals experiencing homelessness. 

Led by Pastor Naomi Hartman, church volunteers recently packed their first round of breakfast bags filled with comforting food items and handwritten affirmation cards meant to remind residents they are valued and supported. 

“We wanted the bags to feel like a warm hug,” Hartman said. “Not just food, but a reminder that someone is thinking about them and cheering them on.” 

Breakfast bag supplies for STAR Village

The congregation has partnered with Primavera for nearly 30 years, preparing meals and volunteering with residents. According to longtime volunteer Beth Daum, the connection goes beyond providing food. 

“Our volunteers really enjoy talking with the people we serve,” Daum said. “It’s about building community and helping people feel seen.” 

Pastor Naomi Hartman and church member Beth Daum in front of supplies for breakfast bags  

We've been thrilled to welcome new volunteers to Primavera this quarter! Whether you've jumped in at our shelters, supported our drop-in centers, provided meals, or helped behind the scenes, your contributions are already making a meaningful impact.

Thank you for being part of this important work - we're so glad to have you as part of our community!

Thank you for your continued generosity and support of Primavera's programs! As we move into the summer months, our focus has shifted to meeting urgent, seasonal needs while ensuring we can efficiently distribute donations to our participants.

Due to limited storage capacity, we are currently prioritizing a focused list of high-need items.

We are currently only accepting:

General Needs:

Summer Essentials & Heat Relief:

Donations can be delivered to our Training Center office (151 W. 40th St., Tucson, AZ) on Mondays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. without an appointment. To coordinate a delivery on a different day, please schedule an appointment in advance by contacting Sophia Smith-Gatto at ssmith.gatto@primavera.org.

You can also support our programs by purchasing items directly from our Amazon wishlists, which are regularly updated to reflect current needs. The links for each program's wishlist can be found on our website.

To ensure our residents have everything they need to start their day strong and stay active, we are updating our current wishlist for the STAR Village community.

Current Program Needs:

If you're interested in supporting STAR Village through in-kind donations, please contact Sophia Smith-Gatto to coordinate delivery.

As we continue supporting participants across our programs, there are several high-priority needs where community support can make an immediate impact.

At the Men's Shelter, reliable appliances play an essential role in maintaining a clean and functional environment for residents, so we're working to address critical equipment needs to support our daily operations.

Current needs include:

For more details, contact Pete Corrigan at pcorrigan@primavera.org. 

As families move into our Adelante property, we're working to ensure each of the 17 units are equipped with essential items to create a safe and comfortable home environment.

Current needs include:

For more details, contact Sophia Smith-Gatto at ssmith.gatto@primavera.org. 

Thanks to the ongoing dedication of our volunteers, we’ve been able to sustain consistent, meaningful support across Primavera's programs throughout this past quarter. Every hour contributed directly strengthens our ability to serve individuals and families in our community.

Below is a snapshot of volunteer impact over the past couple months:

Men's Shelter Volunteers & Meal Teams: 365 hours

Casa Paloma Volunteers & Meal Teams: 260.7 hours

STAR Village Volunteers & Meal Teams: 177.75 hours

HIP Drop-In Center Volunteers: 679 hours

Primavera Works Sack Lunch Meal Teams: 150 hours

Philanthropy Volunteers: 91.5 hours 

We're so grateful to each volunteer who gave their time, energy, and care this quarter. Your continued support makes our work possible, and we couldn't do this without you!