MESA, AZ — A Mesa woman has found purpose through years of volunteer work helping those who are experiencing homelessness.
These days, there are plenty of new faces looking to get back on their feet at A New Leaf, a men's center in Mesa.
The men’s center aims for those experiencing homelessness to find a job and a place to live in about 120 days. Services like financial literacy, family support, and housing are just a few offered to help someone down on their luck find a better tomorrow.
Lingering impacts of the pandemic's job loss and increase in housing costs have priced out even more people into homelessness across the country.
But there’s one face that has consistently shown up at the East Valley men’s center, nearly every single day.
“I had purpose here,” said Margaret Taylor, 85.
Taylor has helped serve roughly three meals a day to the 110 men staying in the center, every day of the year - for 17 years. Perhaps just as remarkable, the kitchen she’s spent countless hours in runs without a budget – just community donations.
”What we need is more protein items,” said Taylor while rummaging through the food pantry on Monday.
The staff at a New Leaf crunched the numbers and determined, Taylor recently served her millionth meal.
“Until you start working with these populations, you have no idea of the huge need for people just to be there for them,” she said.
Back in the day when she told Mesa School District she would retire from her career as a first-grade teacher, her husband passed away.
All the plans they had together were wiped clean.
Some in her position would find refuge by living their days at home. Instead, a 55+ volunteer organization put her in touch with A New Leaf. Her first impressions led her to say their services are “more than a bed.”
So, she just kept coming back for those in need.
“She doesn’t do it for the praise or recognition, she does it because it’s the right thing to do. Give back to her community,” said the Director of community engagement, Laura Bode.
Margaret’s millionth meal was served like all the others before it - with a side of compassion.
“These are human beings, they want to be accepted, loved, just like everyone else, when they come to this facility they get that feeling. It’s not just a bed,” she said.