This year Esperanza en Escalante will hold its first Veterans Resource Fair. The event is open to all veterans, their families, and community members. It will take place on Oct. 9 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Esperanza en Escalante, 3700 S Calle Polar.
The Veterans Resource Fair will have about 20 vendors offering employment opportunities, housing and legal assistance, and behavioral health services. Haircuts and clothing will also be provided at the event.
There will be food and drinks at the event, and entertainment from the Billy Shaw Jr Band. Frank Powers of the Lifestyle Tucson with Frank Powers show will be the host of the Veterans Resource Fair.
Since 1989, a local nonprofit organization named Esperanza en Escalante has been dedicated to serving Tucson veterans with transitional housing and providing new beginnings to unhoused veterans. With an increasing number of homeless veterans in the last few decades, Esperanza en Escalante works to decrease the amount by assisting veterans into permanent housing.
Suzanne Bond, CEO of Esperanza en Escalante, said this year 78 veterans moved into their own housing with the help of the nonprofit, which is a trend they have seen over the past 35 years. Allison Stoner, Clinical Director of Esperanza en Escalante, said they try to be a strength based program in which they identify veterans’ skills and help guide them towards overcoming barriers of homelessness they face.
Suzanne Bond MBA, CEO
Suzanne Bond joined Esperanza as CEO in March 2023, bringing over 25 years of leadership experience in nonprofits serving homeless and extremely low-income individuals. Her diverse background includes 17 years in various leadership roles at So Others Might Eat (SOME) in Washington, DC, where she most recently served as Chief Administrative Officer, and two years as Executive Director at Catholic Community Services in Tucson, Arizona.
At Esperanza, Suzanne is focused on growing service lines to include veteran suicide prevention, support services for veterans’ dependents, and continued case management for veterans who have transitioned to long-term housing. Under her guidance, Esperanza maintains an impressive track record, with over 96% of referred veterans successfully moving into permanent housing. Suzanne is passionate about creating opportunities for veterans to thrive. As she often says, “Our veterans deserve to thrive, they are ready, and all they need is a little help from us.” Her vision for Esperanza includes increasing housing opportunities and developing innovative programs to support veterans at every stage of their journey.
Allison Stoner BSW, Clinical Director
Allison joined Esperanza in April of 2023, she has brought with her 20+ years of leadership experience and a want to help those less fortunate. She is passionate about her service with veterans being from a veteran family and being married to an active military member. She is currently finishing her MSW at Grand Canyon University and plans to help Esperanza to continue to grow and thrive so they can continue to support the veteran community.