Desert Mission Annual Report

Desert Mission’s legacy of services spanning generations continues to thrive through the integration of programs that address the growing and historic needs of our Sunnyslope neighbors. In 2024, we continued to weave together our services—Lincoln Learning Center, Adult Day Health Care, Living Well, and the Food Bank—to ensure that families and individuals of all ages experienced greater access, education, and empowerment. 

As we engage in thoughtful strategic planning, our focus remains on nourishing well-being and strengthening communities—providing food, education, care and support for every stage of life. This year brought an unprecedented increase in requests for services, underscoring the critical need for Desert Mission’s presence in the community. 

Together with our dedicated colleagues, volunteers, board members, and community partners, we continue to refresh and expand our efforts to remove barriers to self-sufficiency and promote health and resiliency for all. Through collaboration and innovation, we remain committed to enriching lives and nurturing community connections.  

To all who have contributed time, resources, donations, and care—we thank you. Your generosity fuels our mission and makes this work possible. We invite you to review highlights from 2024 and celebrate what we’ve accomplished together. Most importantly, we welcome your continued partnership as we look ahead with hope and determination. 

With deep appreciation, 

Haeli J. Miceli

Executive Director, Desert Mission and Community Services

2024 Snapshot

Volunteers

• Total volunteer hours: 26,407 
• Dedicated core volunteers: 115
  • Adult Day Health Care: 5 
  • Lincoln Learning Center: 2 
  • Food Bank: 108
    
    

Desert Mission’s Adult Day Health Care creates a safe and enriching environment for seniors, offering specialized, community-focused programs that promote an active and independent lifestyle. We provide dynamic social, cognitive, and recreational activities to enhance well-being, while also supporting caregivers through respite care, resource navigation, and caregiver support groups. Our comprehensive approach helps both members and their care partners thrive. 

To further enrich the experiences of our members and foster meaningful community connections, we have expanded our offerings through exciting new partnerships. In 2024, we created a partnership with the Phoenix Herberger Theatre for Lunchtime Theater Outings for members and with the Phoenix Art Museum for on-site Art Docent Discussions.  

• Total members served: 63 (an increase of 12.5% since 2023!)
• The average length of membership is 3.08 years
• Members with Alzheimer’s and other types of Dementia: 95%
• Members receiving financial assistance: Approximately 60% 
• Ages
  • Youngest: 55
  • Oldest: 102
• Veterans: 20% 

Food Bank

Desert Mission Food Bank is committed to addressing the growing needs of our community by providing nutritious food to individuals of all ages. We offer support through both direct services at our front door and innovative programs that expand food access across the Sunnyslope community and beyond, throughout the entire HonorHealth network. With strong collaborations with local schools, medical clinics, housing communities, and more, we ensure that essential support and food access continue to reach those who need it most. 

In 2024, we refreshed our space to create a more inviting and connected environment, including a vibrant mural, raised garden beds, and an updated lobby, fostering community spirit. To accommodate the significant increase in guests since 2023, we made several process improvements to enhance our operational efficiency, including a reorganized warehouse and an updated front counter service to streamline visitors’ experience.  
  

Onsite at food bank 

• Total households served onsite: 57,626
• Total individuals served onsite: 111,127 (a 65% increase from 2023) 
• Total pounds distributed onsite: 3,045,848 (a 24% increase from 2023) 
• Households that visited one time: 45% 
  
  

Offsite nutrition programs

• School pantries: 
  • Number of school pantry distributions: 11
  • Number of households served: 1,600 
  • Pounds of food distributed: 32,971
• Snack Packs: 
  • Washington Elementary School District: 20 schools
  • 7,445 snack packs distributed  

• Farm stand events: 4 
• Number of gardens: 5 
• Clinic food boxes: 74 
• Produce bags: 279 

Lincoln Learning Center

Lincoln Learning Center is a diverse early childhood care and education facility, serving children from a wide range of cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. Accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and recognized as a five-star provider of the First Things First Quality First program, we are dedicated to ensuring that high-quality early care and educational opportunities are accessible to every child, regardless of their family’s income. We collaborate closely with families of children who require extra support, creating tailored learning plans for their success. Desert Mission’s programs allow us to provide additional wraparound services to further support the needs of students and their families. 

In 2024, we proudly expanded our family engagement activities beyond the classroom, increasing our NAEYC family engagement score by 7%. Our director continues to work with other organizations to advocate for equitable early care and education for all families. This includes collaboration with NAEYC, First Things First, and Child Care Aware to help drive local and national policy changes that improve access and support for early education. 

• Total number of children served: 274 
• % of pre-K Graduates assessed as Kindergarten-Ready: 98% 
• We are seeing an increase in children that benefit from individualized education and family support plans and continue work hand in hand with school districts to make sure they are kindergarten-ready. 
• 5 Star First Things First Quality First rating 
  Recognized for this high achievement by significantly exceeding quality standards and high-quality practices.  
• Receiving financial assistance: 31%
• % of children assessed with learning delays: 23% 

Living Well

While our Food Bank’s role is to “feed the line,” Living Well’s role is to “shorten the line.” Our work addresses the root causes of food insecurity, providing resources and basic financial coaching based on our guest’s unique needs. We provide direct connections to resources, such as public benefits, emergency rent, utility, and transportation assistance. We also connect HonorHealth patients to resources through our Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) initiative. 

• 874 community members received successful resource navigation and individualized support services in 2024 

Additional Programs & Events

• Heart of Sunnyslope:
  Over 500 attendees explored 40 vendors for free local health and wellbeing resources 

• Back to School:
  Distributed 1,020 backpacks and 300 zippered binders 

• Turkey Distribution:
  1,972 households were served in four hours 

• Holiday Adopt a Family:
  185 families were adopted by 125 donors