15th Annual Statewide Conference on Homelessness

Going the Extra Mile

Ben Zechariah

Ben is richly deserving to be nominated for the Going the Extra Mile Award. He first came to CASS as a homeless person in the early 90's. He was an immigrant who had recently lost everything while trying to start a business in a strange new land. From this humble start, he became employed at CASS and over the years was promoted to the Shelter Supervisor position. Since 2004, he has participated in the Connections to Care Program and was awarded Outreach Worker of the Month by Southwest Behavioral Health Services in 2004! Since then he has continued to use that experience to develop new outreach efforts in the area surrounding the Human Service Campus in downtown Phoenix. This is a collaboration involving CASS, Southwest Behavioral Health Services, Community Bridges, Tumbleweed, HomeBase, Native American Connections, and the Phoenix Police Department. Every evening, teams hit the streets in an effort to engage homeless people. They offer to meet their basic needs and services and often times, simply offer a sympathetic ear. A recent example best tells the story. A 31 year old woman was found in a nearby alley. She had a very serious and contagious staph infection that had gone through the skin on her leg and right down to the bone. She recently left a local hospital AMA because she was a heroin addict and they refused to provide her with methadone. Paramedics were contacted and Ben was able to convince her to return to the hospital for medical treatment after arranging for her substance abuse treatment at Community Bridges. This is what Ben does. Ben is the living embodiment of going the extra mile and he is an inspiration to all of us who work side by side with him!

Outstanding Achievement in Overcoming Homelessness

Gordon Block

Ten years ago Mr. Gordon Block arrived in Yuma at Crossroads Mission unable to walk more than six feet without a cane; he was homeless, disadvantaged, disabled and disenfranchised. After several weeks of bed rest in the mission's dorm, he was assigned work at the Front Desk at the Men's Shelter due to his inability to walk. After several months he regained his capacity to walk without a cane. He was then admitted to the Crossroads' Alcohol Treatment Center. When Gordon graduated from his four month treatment plan, he gained employment in the Missions' Education Department and began his climb in the organization. He moved to the position of Homeless Shelter Director where he was in charge of the Food Services Department and has landed in the position of Crossroads Mission Treatment Director and still holds his very first job as the Education Director. You will most often find Gordon, day or night, talking to a homeless individual or family, giving hope where none existed. This man has a heart that is full of love and compassion for those in need.

Business Partnership

Bougainvillea Golf Course

Bougainvillea Golf Club is a family owned and operated small business. Its partial-owner and full-time operator, Warren Pitman toured U.S. VETS - Phoenix and, in so doing, came to understand the issues facing homeless veterans in our community. It was then that Warren committed Bougainvillea Golf Club to become part of the solution to help homeless veterans. To that end, Bougainvillea and U.S. VETS partnered to sponsor a fundraising golf event for the agency. The Golf Club's generosity afforded U.S. VETS the ability to raise nearly $20,000. The event was so successful that plans are underway to hold a second golf gala in March 2009.

The Golf Club also demonstrated its compassion for homeless individuals by donating 2 Annual Golf Passes for U.S. VETS graduates and developed a life skills program where Warren teaches homeless veterans to play golf as a way of developing their self-esteem and social skills.

Bougainvillea Golf Club and Warren Pitman have shown incredible commitment to improving the lives of homeless veterans in our community. It is this commitment to all aspects of partnership that Bougainvillea is being recognized as "Business Partnership" of the year.

Volunteer of the Year

Bill Packard

A year and half ago Flagstaff was looking for ways to better serve its homeless population when Theresa James with the City of Tempe introduced the concept of Project Homeless Connect to the Flagstaff Continuum of Care. As a result, the Continuum was inspired to provide its own Project Homeless Connect. There was only a 3month window in which to pull the project together. Midst doubts of the ability to achieve this lofty goal, Bill Packard, President of the Flagstaff St. Vincent de Paul was one of the first to raise his hand.

Anyone whose planned a large event knows the headaches inherent in the details such as place, food, volunteer guidelines . . . and the list went on and on. In face of these logistical challenges, Bill kept raising his hand. "I'll do that", "I can get that", "I know who can help us with that". So, Flagstaff's first Connect ended up being in the Catholic Church with half of the St. Vinnie's crew making and serving both breakfast and lunch and the other half of the crew acting as guides to the homeless guests.

Bill was very successful in creating an atmosphere of happiness and warmth for those participating in the event and in so doing earned the nickname "Superman" Bill.

He didn't stop there. While busy with owning his own business, serving as president and volunteer with St. Vinnie's and building a new warehouse to the St. Vincent Thrift shop, Bill was key in the second Project Homeless Connect. He was nicknamed the "Magician" this round due his amazing ability to make things appear at just the right time.

Bill has an uncanny ability to get people interested, engaged and involved in ending homelessness.

Advocate of the Year

Gerri Mattern

Geraldine "Gerri" Mattern served as the City of Tempe's lead prosecutor for 20 years until her retirement in 2003. In Gerri's case the term prosecutor is a bit misleading. While always assuring that justice was served, she has a strong belief that the community should take responsibility for its homeless and disenfranchised community. As such she was a strong advocate for the development of Tempe's Mental Health Court. After Gerri retired from public service in 2003 she made it clear that she was going to devote her time representing the homeless, mentally ill and disenfranchised members of the community. In so doing, she volunteered as the defense attorney for those homeless and mentally ill defendants who would find themselves in Tempe's Mental Health Court. Gerri represents these indigent defendants, sees them in jail, advocates with their case manager, and attends case staffings. Tempe is not the only recipient of Gerri's incredible generosity. She also represents homeless defendants in the Maricopa County Superior Court. Gerri is passionate in her advocacy for this population and fights vigorously on their behalf.

Gerri's concern for homeless people is also demonstrated outside the courtroom. She is known to provide food, shelter and clothing for her clients and connects them with resources that are typically known to only the most experienced case managers. Gerri Mattern exemplifies the spirit of volunteerism. She is a fearless advocate, tremendous role model and very worthy candidate for the Arizona Coalition on Homelessness award for Advocateof the Year.

Liaison of the Year

Roxanne Richardson

Roxanne Richardson has been the Homeless School Liaison for the Kyrene Elementary School District for 5 years. During her time as liaison she has tirelessly provided support and hope for families facing unfathomable situations. Roxanne is met with many challenges day in and day out and never falters in her commitment to the families she serves.

When thinking of Roxanne's many successes as liaison one family always comes to mind, "Kathy" and her 5 children. Kathy had fallen on tough times and did not know what to do, Roxanne learned that this family had fallen victim to predatory lending, before we even knew this was a nationwide issue, and Kathy had just lost her home. This was the only thing Kathy had left after years of marriage to an infamous professional football player had ended in divorce. Kathy didn't even know where to begin and had no idea how to navigate to the social service system. Kathy worked with Roxanne at the Kyrene Family Resource Center to ensure that her children remained in school. She was also able to provide resource referrals, groceries, transportation reimbursement, and most importantly moral support.

Roxanne portrays amazing spirit and vitality when addressing the needs of the families she serves. She treats everyone she serves with dignity, respect and compassion. Because of her ability to see the good in everyone and to stand up for the rights of everyone, more families are receiving needed resources, more students are getting to school and staying in school and more schools are receiving the support they need to promote growth and success for all students. Her work ethic is not only admirable but it is rare to find someone who genuinely cares and gives as much as she does.