Poverty among women and children is an increasingly serious concern for the U.S. as a whole and for the state of Arizona. Back in 1980, more than 356,000 people of 13.2 percent of the state’s population lived in poverty. More than 1,100 children were homeless on any given night.

JLP partnered with the YWCA to support the Women In Transition program with baldy needed volunteers and financial assistance. The Women In Transition program provides homeless women and their children a wide variety of services including on-site day care, a 40 bed dormitory facility, family counseling, parenting classes, an empowerment program for women and links to vocational, educational and permanent housing opportunities. Unlike most homeless shelters which provide temporary housing, the YWCA program offers long-term (up to two years) housing opportunities for homeless women and children.

JLP volunteers served as mentors for female clients, tutors for the women and children, big sisters for the children and empowerment workshops.