Garcia Family Foundation Makes Gift to Human Services Campus

The Garcia Family Foundation has made a $10 million multi-year gift to Human Services Campus. The goal is to build on the vision and mission of the agency, which manages a multi-use campus where 15 independent nonprofit agencies collaborate to address the needs of individuals experiencing homelessness.

“The Human Services Campus is a national model of excellence in providing services, resources and hope for men and women experiencing homelessness,” says Jon Ehlinger, Garcia Family Foundation president.

“The collective efforts of this collaboration have proven effective in identifying and developing solutions to a very difficult challenge. Through this gift we want to provide both a solid financial foundation to continue and enhance that important work and to challenge the broader community to engage in the effort by leveraging the gift with additional support to fund and fulfill these critical needs.”

During the past year, more than 6,600 individuals have been served and connected with services on the Human Services Campus, a process that begins with individual assessments at the Brian Garcia Welcome Center to identify barriers and develop individual strategies to move men and women into permanent housing. The Brian Garcia Welcome Center is named in honor of the son of Garcia Family Foundation founders Joanne and Ernie Garcia.

Among the investments targeted for the gift is formalizing an operational partnership with Arizona State University’s Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions to address homelessness.

The gift supports the new Watts College Nexus, a team dedicated to coordinating and aligning systems, building capacity and co-creating solutions with service providers for preventing and ending homelessness in the region.

Founded in 1996, the Garcia Family Foundation is committed to serving and solving the challenges of those living in poverty in Arizona.