Garcia Family Foundation Gifts $10 Million to Human Services Campus to Address Homelessness
Advocates for locals experiencing homelessness will have substantially more resources they can use in their efforts, thanks to a huge shot in the arm from the Garcia Family Foundation.
The foundation, which works to promote and enhance cultural, educational and artistic appreciation of the world, gave a $10-million multi-year gift to the Human Services Campus, which manages a multi-use property where 15 nonprofit agencies come together to provide support, resources and assistance for homeless community members.
“The Human Services Campus is a national model of excellence in providing services, resources and hope for men and women experiencing homelessness,” said Garcia Family Foundation President Jon Ehlinger, of the foundation’s decision to aid the campus’s efforts. “The collective efforts of this collaboration have proven effective in identifying and developing solutions to a very difficult challenge. Through this gift, we want to provide both a solid financial foundation to continue and enhance that important work and to challenge the broader community to engage in the effort by leveraging the gift with additional support to fund and fulfill these critical needs.”
The Human Services Campus assisted more than 6,600 individuals in the last year alone, helping many of them identify barriers preventing them from finding a place to live while formulating strategies that will help them secure permanent housing. The gift will help the organization continue to serve those experiencing homelessness in this manner while funding additional efforts identified by a new partnership between the Human Services Campus and Arizona State University’s Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions.
The gift will also support the new Watts College Nexus, which is a group of likeminded individuals and advocates committed to coordinating and aligning systems, increasing capacity and developing new solutions for preventing and ending homelessness throughout the region. A Watts College liaison will work directly with the Human Services Campus and related student, faculty and industry partners on a range of practical projects to further the effort.
“We are deeply grateful for this incredibly generous gift from the Garcia Family Foundation, and what it means for the men and women we serve every day,” said Human Services Campus Executive Director Amy Schwabenlender. “With this gift and the potential it provides for additional support, we will be able to improve, expand and enhance our ability to address homelessness through a diverse range of opportunities, partnerships and collaborations.”
Jonathan Koppel, the dean of the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions, echoed her sentiments. “Homelessness is a regional challenge requiring diverse community engagement and involvement,” he said. “This strategic partnership will provide critical resources that will both deepen and broaden the mission, vision and outcomes of the Human Services Campus’s efforts and leadership in identifying and finding solutions for men and women experiencing homelessness.”
