Media

Three years ago, Jessica packed her kids’ things and made her way to the homeless shelter, taking the brave step to leave her husband. He was a meth user, abused her, frequently cheated on her, and destroyed everything they had. When he left her stranded at the hospital after she had delivered their third baby, that was rock bottom. Boosted by Support At that breaking point, a friend introduced Jessica to Live & Learn. Her Client Coordinator encouraged her and helped her work on goals for schooling and employment. She helped Jessica renew her Certified Nursing Assistant license and gave

As a young girl, MG dreamed of growing up to be a doctor. She wanted to be the first in her family to go to college. A real career, and one that made a difference in people’s lives. MG is smart, diligent, and kind. Yet, despite her several great qualities, the path to reaching her dream would not be smooth. Growing up in Mesa, Arizona, MG was the eldest of five children in an abusive family. Her father was physically violent towards her mother, but the family depended on him to help financially and her mother could not leave. “Finally,”

Ashley grew up in Phoenix. She graduated high school and started working, but she felt aimless. Though she is a smart and determined young woman of great potential, she did not have anyone who could show her how to go to college, pursue a career, or follow her dreams. “I was feeling lost. I was working, but I wasn’t headed anywhere. I wanted to go back to school, but I didn’t know how,” she remembers. “I had no idea what to do.” Then, in 2022, Ashley was accepted into Year Up AZ. Year UP offers a one-year, intense career training

At 28 years old, Jany found herself trapped in the cycle of abuse and poverty that her mother and her grandmother had experienced before her. She was determined to break the cycle for her two young daughters, despite the risks. Jany had tried to leave her abusive husband once, before she was a mother. However, she had been unable to support herself and ended up homeless. Eventually, she returned to her husband because she had nowhere else to go. As time passed, her husband’s abuse escalated to the point that Jany feared for her and her daughters’ lives. One day,