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The Good Neighbor Alliance looking to expand its programs

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By: Taja Davis

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SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. — A Sierra Vista homeless shelter is gearing up to make some big improvements to help its homeless population.

“The Good Neighbor Alliance is the only homeless shelter in Sierra Vista,” said Dr. Lilla DeLuca, the shelter’s grants & media manager.

She says there are roughly 80 to 90 homeless people in the city.

“We can only service 23 people, 22-23 people, compared to the 80 people out there,” said DeLuca.

She says the shelter has been a staple in the Sierra Vista community for more than 20 years. It was a grassroots organization that lived solely on donations from community members. However once COVID hit, funding ran low, and DeLuca needed to reach out for federal funding.

“And now we’ve gotten a little more aggressive in the grants. And we’ve got some new projects we want to tell the community about. That’s why we’re having our open house. We want the community to see where their money goes,” said DeLuca.

She says they’re looking to build a playground, a garden, host day programs, and are looking to put in a kennel so homeless people can come stay at the shelter with their pets.

“And anybody who wants to donate money to a specific project, can say exactly where they want the money to go. If it's your heart for the kennel, you can donate directly to that. If it's your heart for job searching, you can donate directly to that. We will set aside that money and restart it,” said DeLuca.

DeLuca says with the funding and plans in store, the Good Neighbor Alliance is a place that can provide a roof and a place to learn certain skills.

“We’re concerned, with the moratoriums lifting, that more families are going to become more vulnerable. So there needs to be a soft, safe place to land,” said DeLuca,

The shelter will have its open house Saturday, Oct. 23 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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