Left to right: Cathy and Dennis Howell and Donna Aybar in the Soft Room
New Life Center Soft Room
Linda Rowe
One great thing about living in PebbleCreek is the number of residents who volunteer for worthy causes. Residents often volunteer for multiple groups, which increases the community benefit. Such is the case with several members of the PebbleCreek Quilters’ Club (PCQ) and The Caring Friends of the New Life Center (CFNLC). CFNLC has 150 members from PebbleCreek, with several subgroups:
Respectfully Serving Valuable People (RSVP): RSVP is a meal enhancement project. Barb Lavin, Sharon Passaro, and Joan Stansell are the team captains. New Life Center (NLC) provides a cafeteria style meal but doesn’t have the budget for fresh fruits, veggies, and desserts. The RSVP team brings these items three nights per week.
Hope’s Closet: Hope’s Closet is a thrift store accepting donated items to resell. The proceeds support NLC. Residents at NLC can select items they need during and after program completion for job interviews, life needs, and for transitional housing, all for free.
Casita Project: Donna Aybar, a member of both PCQ and CFNLC serves as captain. Each family gets a casita while at NLC. Projects include fundraising, cleaning, stocking, and decorating casitas to make them feel more homelike and less like a shelter.
CFNLC was asked to renovate a space into an interview room with a homelike environment that was calm and comfortable for new residents and their children. This way residents could feel more comfortable and safe while sharing their experiences with domestic violence and sexual assault. Caring Friends donated $1,500 for furnishing the space. The most difficult part of the project was the need to complete the work within two months, due to fundraising, but a totally unexpected donor provided a $1,000 donation. An ocean theme with calming blues and greys was selected. PCQ donated the material, and Donna Aybar made a beautiful quilted wall hanging. PCQ member Cathy Howell and her husband, Dennis, then painted the room and hung the quilt. PCQ member Joan Kratz quilted a world map play mat, including animals for children to put on the map.
When asked how long and why she is a CFNLC volunteer, Donna said, “I have volunteered there for more than 15 years. I’m a retired early childhood teacher. The kids have my heart. Domestic violence is always here. I want to continue to help so these children can succeed.”
Caring Friends is always looking for volunteers and donations. Monetary donations are most needed. In addition, there is an ongoing list of new items: diapers, twin bed sheets, towels, personal hygiene (soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste), all sizes of diapers (especially pull-ups size 4 and 5), and baby clothes. They can accept gently used strollers and play-n-packs and car seats.
CFNLC is registered for the prepaid state tax credit program for Arizona. Please call Donna Aybar for information at 954-655-7237 or call Susan Allen at 623-932-4404 ext. 103 (or email at [email protected]) for any type of donation, or if you are interested in volunteering.