Mesa United Way Launches Azura to Help Arizonans Experiencing Poverty

Mesa United Way has been serving the Mesa community for 100 years with a host of programs aimed at helping the most vulnerable. They recently announced the formation of a second nonprofit called Azura, which will offer preventative solutions to address the effects of poverty.

“Over the last several years, the need for our programs has grown,” said Mark Young, president and CEO of Mesa United Way and Azura. “Our clients now span the Valley and Azura will provide us with new opportunities to expand. We have plans to open two new foster care homes for youth who have aged out of foster care by the end of 2023. It’s an exciting time for our organization!”

Azura believes that poverty is the root cause of almost every social problem. For instance, did you know that approximately 40 percent of young adults become homeless within two years of leaving foster care? Or that people who drop out of high school are twice as likely to live in poverty? Azura wants to improve those statistics and plans to focus on finding solutions for generational poverty and systemic inequities.

Programs that will serve Arizonans throughout the state include:

• Helen’s Hope Chest: a boutique for foster and kinship families and children to obtain clothing and necessities.
• VITA program: free, expert tax-preparation services for low- and moderate-income households.
• AZURA Literacy (formerly 12 Books): an initiative to improve literacy among Title I elementary students and provide a free mentoring reading program.
• AZURA Veterans Coalition (formerly Mesa Veterans Resource Center): provides job training, benefits counseling and extensive case management to those who served our country.
• Foster360: provides housing, trauma care and life coaching for aged-out foster youth.

Azura is researching ways for people to ascend from poverty and will soon create a Poverty Alliance pilot program for a small group of single mothers.

“We want to collaborate with other innovative and cutting-edge organizations by providing nonprofit venture capital,” Young said. “We also want to explore timely issues in our state, like the growing number of homeless seniors, the lack of affordable housing and support groups for foster families. Basically, we want to be nimble and help whenever the community needs us most.”

As part of their nonprofit incubator, Azura envisions helping other nonprofits by providing services to allow them to thrive and make a difference in the community. From coaching to logistical support to accounting to fiscal agency, Azura is committed to empowering the next generation of nonprofits.

For more behind this Frontdoor, visit azuracares.org.