32 JULY 2021 I n the appraisal world, we encounter all sorts of people and situations when a valuable item causes strife in families. One issue we have seen in recent appraisals is when one family member wants this, and another wants that, but they turn their backs on each other and never speak again if they disagree. The truth of the matter is family should be more valuable than any item on any appraisal list. Recently, we were on an assignment where nieces and nephews were the beneficiaries of an estate. They were torn and battling over which one was going to receive the aunt’s vintage brooches. In their mind, the monetary value seemed to be more important than working closely as a family and civilly settling their dispute. After the appraisal was concluded, we determined that the brooches in question were valued at $7.50 up to $25 each. Is this worth tearing apart family bonds? Certain families have different ways of arriving at a happy medium when it comes to the distribution of an estate, but splitting family bonds over a couple of dollars is not how we should function. Imagine how much happier life would be if family and friends were the valuables and not what was left behind. We have come across families torn between what they consider right and wrong with older relatives who may not be able to take care of themselves. One incident occurred recently where a son wanted nothing more than the best for his dementia-stricken mother. He sat with her and discussed options for assisted living. His mother became so distraught at the son’s thought of doing such a thing that the discussion ended, and the son respected the mother’s wish and ceased future planning. The mother, however, decided to call her daughter and inform her of the son’s plan. The daughter and son have not spoken in five years! The daughter decided to “save” her mother and bought a house closer to where she lived. She then ransacked the mother’s house of all valuables, emptied the safe and took over her mother’s checking account. The courts are now involved. A business like ours is not just going through someone’s dresser drawers or counting pennies in a safety deposit box. It is much more. We examine, investigate and carefully determine in an unbiased manner all items on hand. We can unintentionally become peacekeepers in a way. We are referees in a wrestling match; the only difference is that we hope to have both sides come away as winners. The stronger family bonds we create, the better our world can become. Most of the families we work with are loving and supportive of each other during difficult times. The value of an item is not just in the money it might bring but the happiness and effect it can have in a person’s life. Family should be more important than material things Ask the Appraisers Contact Tom Helms at The123@cox.net or A-Z Appraisal & Estate Consultants; 5525 N. 12th St., Phoenix, AZ. BY TOM HELMS & JEFF PEARSON TUNE IN! Visit our podcast website: arcadiapodcast.com APPLE SPOTIFY YOUTUBE Hosted by: AWARD WINNING NEIGHBOR H O OD NE WS SINCE 1993 TUNE IN! TUNE IN! TUNE IN! TUNE IN! TUNE IN! TUNE IN! With special guest Sam Lowe Christ Lutheran School Preschool - Grade 8 • www.clsphx.org LC-MS 3901 E. Indian School Rd., Phoenix | www.cclphoenix.org | (602) 955-4830 LOVE GROW SERVE IN-PERSON WORSHIP Traditional Worship 8:00am/10:45am Contemporary Worship 8:30am/10:30am Blended Worship 9:30am ONLINE WORSHIP Sunday @ 8:am/9:30am FB Live or CHRISTCHURCHPHX.ONLINE.CHURCH

33 JULY 2021 By Mallory Gleich From 1999 to 2019, nearly 500,000 people died in the U.S. from opioid overdoses. While this statistic from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is heartbreaking, there is hope in curbing this crisis. And it begins with places like Crossroads, a substance abuse treatment center which is celebrating 10 years at its Arcadia location. Crossroads’ first Phoenix campus opened in 1960 and since then, it’s grown to eight campuses throughout the Valley, each celebrating their own triumphs and victories. “Miracles happen here every day. People get their lives back together,” Chief Operating Officer Joe Peterson, who started working at Crossroads in 2010, said. “People can find camaraderie here – the people that work here, 95 percent have been through it – so they’ll find that we’ve been through the same thing they have.” The Arcadia campus consists of fully furnished two-, three- and four-bedroom units that can house 72 men. Those who stay have a strict set of rules to help keep them on the path to recovery, including chores, meetings, drug and alcohol testing and finding a job after treatment. “This is a place that people can come to if they’re looking for help; that want help,” Peterson said. “But what Crossroads is, is the camaraderie and being held accountable at the highest level.” House member John C. said he has had a great experience at Crossroads Arcadia and that the staff welcomed him with open arms. “I have been helped with getting my medications under control, along with help with my substance abuse issues. I feel that by the time I am ready to leave here, I will have a good chance of staying sober and becoming an active member of society.” Peterson said that it’s tough to choose a favorite success story in the time that he’s worked at Crossroads. “One of the things I’m proudest of is if you were to come here on a Friday night, you would see around 150 alumni back here that have a special passion for this place,” Peterson said. “They come here to meet the new guys, attend a meeting – they give experience, strength and help to the men that are here.” He actually went through the program at Crossroads back in 2008. “I was raised well – middle-class family, had dinner at 5:30 every night, went to church, and addiction got me. I ended up homeless. And it’s hard when the men come in from off the streets, but we give them the chance to get their lives back,” Peterson said. Peterson’s opportunity to work for the nonprofit came after he was two years sober, when his boss asked him and another gentleman to open the Arcadia location. He was the first coordinator here, and moved his way up to the COO position. “I would like people to know that miracles happen. It’s a place where there’s hope – and you’re talking to a guy who went through it himself. Addiction doesn’t discriminate,” Peterson said. To commemorate the campus’s 10th anniversary, the men who are currently living at Crossroads, the staff and former members all gathered together for a Bills Soldiers meeting, which is where alumni share their stories of addiction and recovery. There was cake and celebration all around. In the future, Crossroads plans on opening a sober living home in Scottsdale. thecrossroadsinc.org Crossroads Arcadia – a decade of help and hope Peterson said that since Crossroads Arcadia has opened, they’ve helped over 10,000 men get their lives back on track. PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHELLE LOMAS Joe Peterson By Mallory Gleich Phoenix residents Paul and Kathy Donaldson made a promise to Kathy’s dying sister, Patty Neroni, that they would do one good deed a day in her memory. To fulfill that promise, they formed Arizona Helping Hands, and since 1998 the nonprofit continues to accomplish its mission. AHH is the largest provider of basic needs for the more than 14,000 children in Arizona’s foster care system. “These children are placed into care with family members or with licensed foster homes frequently not prepared for one, or often, multiple children. Where do they go for immediate help? Most times, the answer is Arizona Helping Hands,” Development Director Lori Calhoun said. In May 2021, the AHH Board of Directors appointed Jodie M. Sprayberry as interim president and CEO. “Jodie has been with AHH for over three years and has had increased leadership roles within the organization,” Calhoun said. “We are well-positioned for the future under Jodie’s leadership, and we are expanding our team to meet the demand we are receiving from foster families statewide.” Last month, Arizona Helping Hands hosted their 9th annual Back to School Drive. They expanded the one-day event into a weeklong Back to School Support Week from June 21-25. “Expanding the event provided an opportunity to enhance the experience and serve more than 1,000 children in foster care. Foster families registered online and received backpacks, school supplies, as well as additional items like clothing, shoes and more,” Calhoun said. Arizona Helping Hands also plans to hold its 23rd annual Holiday Toy Drive to provide holiday gifts to 5,000 children. Calhoun said the goal of AHH is to remain united in providing essential needs to the foster care community as a whole. “We are paying particular attention to the quality of our programs and services while enhancing some programs where clients have identified additional needs. We feel it is important that we remain adaptable and increase our communication to stakeholders,” Calhoun said. azhelpinghands.org Foster care nonprofit looks to the future Arizona Helping Hands has served over 1,700 children so far in 2021. Jodie M. Sprayberry