February 2017 Team Accomplishments

Catholic Charities team members based in Mohave held a Launch the New Year gathering in Lake Havasu. The gathering included AZ Families F.I.R.S.T. (AFF), in-home services, foster care and adoption and PATH homeless outreach.

Rosie Esquivias continues to do an exceptional job in coordinating support for our board and staff. We all appreciate Rosie’s total commitment to the mission and the resourcefulness she displays in getting the job done. Thanks for making our lives easier as we strive to better serve others!

Steve Capobres has been working quietly behind the scenes to help the agency receive more than $1.2 million in proceeds related to the development of our affordable housing projects for the past five years. His service helped us cover gaps in the budget and allowed us to continue to offer the robust portfolio of services.

Sandi Flores was named the new senior programs director for Catholic Charities’ northern region. She is excited for the opportunity to carry on the great leadership provided by Jean Littlehale, and to pursue additional opportunities for program expansion in the northern region. Sandi has worked for Catholic Charities for the past 10 years and has a great deal of expertise in housing-related programs. She recently earned her master’s degree and is energetic, passionate about our mission and ready to serve!

Darrel Reynolds is the new site director in Prescott. He has extensive background within the child welfare system as well as longevity in the Prescott area. He has been integral in the growth and expansion occurring in Mohave county. Darrel will bring his leadership and expertise to the Prescott office and its programs.

Bradford Ross works in the Arizona Families F.I.R.S.T. program. On a recent client satisfaction survey, Brad received kudos from clients describing him as kind, awesome and helpful. One client said, “Brad treats me as a person with no judgement of my past.” Thank you, Brad, for your great work and for treating all our clients with dignity and compassion!

Kudos to Westside Head Start teacher Ana Rapalo! She recently had 35 parents volunteer in her classroom in a single week! In all, the parents volunteered 109 hours, which equals $1,603 in kind donations.

ASC receptionist, Margie Leivas, is an amazing asset to Catholic Charities. From her “good mornings” to her “have a blessed day!” Whether with clients, staff, walk-ins or callers, Margie always knows how to get them what they are looking for in a respectful, caring and loving way. Many times going above and beyond to help those that need it most. Margie has also become an amazing leader, taking new receptionists and training them to take on the front desk like champs. She truly understands the mission of Catholic Charities.

Kudos to Renee Livas! She put on an absolutely amazing holiday party for our foster families up in Cottonwood, Ariz. She truly went above and beyond, and with the help of our Advancement team, it turned out to be the best and most entertaining party that our foster families could have ever imagined! Go, Renee!!!!

Maricela Mata of the Dignity program enthusiastically took on the added responsibility of conducting intakes, accepting payments and the required court paperwork. If that wasn’t enough, she stepped up to the plate to serve as our Spanish language translator for the prostitution solicitation program (PSD). Great job, Maricela!

Alaenya Bailey, home resources adoption specialist, has been with the agency since May 2007. She has an ongoing caseload of 25 families. Alaenya is very proactive in helping her families and finding resources for them. Alaenya is able to handle difficult situations effectively and has excellent communication skills.

Tammy Snow is a teacher license supervisor with Westside Head Start. Her afternoon teacher has been out since the second week of December and recently returned. Tammy has been doing all the paperwork that Head Start requires and meeting all the deadlines for both classrooms. She has done this with a positive attitude all the way around. Kudos, Tammy!

A big thanks to Paul Mulligan and Tami Bohannon for taking the time to address and explain changes that occur at Catholic Charities. Their listening skills and open communication are deeply appreciated.

Holly Yzquierdo does a great job at taking direction and putting her heart into her work! Thank you, Holly, for caring about the staff you serve and giving your job 100 percent!