Phoenix nonprofit empowers women to succeed

SCOTTSDALE, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) — The WM Phoenix Open supports many Phoenix-area charities, including one that gives women fresh starts.

“I feel excited and grateful to be a part of an organization where I once stepped foot on the other side,” says Leslie Ramirez. She is just one of the thousands of women empowered by Fresh Start. Since 1992, the foundation has been providing access to resources to help women achieve self-sufficiency and use their strength to thrive.

It’s something Ramirez takes to heart, as she is now part of the Fresh Start staff, helping other women who have walked in her shoes. “Hey, I’ve been on the other side. I know exactly what it feels like and you are going to be OK. We are going to be able to support you and give you the guidance and the knowledge that you need which is powerful,” Ramirez explained.

It’s power that Jaylene Clausen desperately needed when she walked into Fresh Start. “I was broken in more ways than one, right? You’re broke like with money, but you are broke within your soul, too,” Clausen said.

Working three jobs and on the verge of homelessness, she was provided critical legal help and the education needed to now become a successful realtor. Thunderbirds Charities’ continued generosity helped Fresh Start set up a new family law support center that provided critical legal guidance for Clausen and many others. “How to divorce, or how to get the legal support to be able to get your child support or how to be able to manage that process. Because it’s so tricky when you are going through a divorce and the women that are out there that are coming through these doors. They are getting the help that they need, “explained Clausen.

With a strong emphasis on education, Fresh Start continues providing women skills in financial management, plus career training. The Thunderbirds donations from the proceeds of the Open provide many of these single mothers the ability to advocate for themselves and their children in family court, ultimately building stronger families. “They have no idea, like the donations that they are providing to this organization, it’s changed my life,” Clausen said.

“When you take care of the heart of the family, when you take care of the mom, when you take care of the woman, right? You are making that change. You are making that impact because once the heart of that family is solid, you are catapulting the generations after that to be able to lift themselves to see bigger possibilities,” explained Adriana Arroyo, Fresh Start’s director of education services.

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