Dsquared receives a $4,000 grant from Arizona Financial Credit Union

CHANDLER, AZ – (January 27, 2023) – Dsquared Homes for the Homeless was recently awarded a $4,000 grant through Arizona Financial Credit Union’s Local Causes Visa® debit card give-back program. The debit card initiative was launched by the locally based financial cooperative in 2020 to allow its member-owners the opportunity to impact change in the community with every swipe of their debit card.

The grant will support Dsquared's mission to prevent homelessness for the independent, working, mentally health-challenged population when they experience a temporary setback.

The mission of Dsquared Homes for the Homeless is to create a support system for the Seriously Mentally Ill (S.M.I.) through community collaboration, providing hygiene bags, and rental assistance programs to assist those who live independently and experience temporary setbacks.

Dsquared Homes for the Homeless seeks to combat the growing homeless problem and stigmatization of those who are homeless in the state of Arizona. Since April 2020, the organization has prevented homelessness for 58 individuals by funding move-in costs and application fees. This generous grant will be used to prevent homelessness for 10 more individuals or families.

“Serious Mental Illness (S.M.I.) and homelessness are no respecters of boundaries, political parties, or status. Most individuals are one crisis away from homelessness," states Juan Te Dailey, Founder and CEO of Dsquared Homes for the Homeless.

Dsquared Homes For The Homeless was joined by 11 other deserving non-profits in receiving these Local Causes grants through Arizona Financial, who will continue to make bi-annual grants.

“Dsquared Homes for the Homeless is a shining example of the community partners we look to support as they have identified a specific need and made it their mission to affect change on a hyper-local level,” says Rachel Galvez, marketing partnerships manager at Arizona Financial Credit Union. “We are so thankful to our member-owners for entrusting us with the power to be a small part of that change in our community and look forward to future partnerships with these inaugural organizations in the future.”

In addition to helping 10 families through the Local Causes grant, Dsquared is hosting a Homeless Hygiene Bag Fill at Folley Memorial Park in the North East corner on Saturday, February 4th from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Donations are not required to volunteer, but the organization is always accepting donations of toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, Nutrigrain Bars, travel-sized hygiene (shampoo, body wash or soap), and body wipes.

For more information on Dsquared Homes for the Homeless, visit https://www.dsquared4homeless.org/ or learn about Arizona Financial Credit Union’s Local Causes give-back program; please visit https://www.arizonafinancial.org/community-involvement.

About Dsquared Homes for the Homeless

Dsquared Homes for the Homeless is a 501c3 nonprofit organization focused on humanizing the homeless by providing dignity in a bag through our youth-focused community outreach programs and providing students ages 14-18 with education scholarships for serving in their community. Dsquared humanizes the homeless by providing hygiene in a bag, rental assistance, and sleeping mats weaved from plastic bags for our most vulnerable populations.

As of today, our GAP program has prevented homelessness for 58 individuals with over $22,000 in donations, mainly from private citizens who believe in our mission. We've filled and distributed over 15,000 hygiene bags, partnered with the Chandler Sunset Library, Gilbert Library, and five schools with our Sustainability Project, weaving mats on a loom. We have also provided three student scholarships to date and another three will be awarded in December of 2023. We are a small but mighty organization focused on impacting our youth, the mentally health challenged, and local homeless populations.