Hidden Gems: Meet Gervonni Sherrod Leggett of Gervonni Cares

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gervonni Sherrod Leggett.

Hi Gervonni, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m a wife and mother of 5 outstanding kids who wanted a change in the atmosphere I was currently living in, therefore I moved to Tempe, Arizona in 2016 from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 2015, my son Vonnae was killed in Milwaukee. I told my husband that I was moving to Arizona. My husband didn’t agree with me due to the sudden decision. I knew I needed to leave to protect my kids and myself. I asked a friend if I could stay with her for 30 days. She agreed and I my kids’ ages 1, 10, and 13 years old at the time, said our goodbyes to our family and friends and drove to Tempe, Arizona. My oldest son stayed back with my husband and I proceeded to handle life all over again.

When I first got here, I had several interviews aligned up. I immediately got a job as an Accounting Assistant and got the kids into school. My one-year-old needed childcare so I went to the Department of Economic Security (DES) to apply. I was informed to apply for child support, food stamps, and childcare. I completed all of them but was told there was a three-year waiting list for childcare for those who work. I was surprised because I was sure I was in a state where working was a top priority. I was told there was no waiting list for those who don’t work. So I got my thought together to process, and I called my job and asked if I could start working in two weeks due to a childcare issue. They agreed and I went back to DES. They had me take a two-week class on how to find a job (the humor in that). During this time, I spoke to a lot of women and families who came into DES. They stated they had to take off work to get assistance for their utilities, rent, etc. They stated, no one ever answers the phone and you’re on hold for over 2 to 3 hours. Some had no PTO, or vacation left due to handling school affairs or doctor appointments, so these hours missed from work were docked from their pay.

After investing these situations further I came across many working families who ran into unexpected expenses outside of their budgeted expenses. The system we were living in had the power to ruin years of stability and I could not sit back and let that happen. During my two weeks at DES, I became a liaison for many families while they stayed at work, I contacted the, IR case managers, called to get help with electricity, etc. Some were just above the poverty line and were already heading into a cycle of destitution. These issues spurred me to get to work and help others fast. I helped others in small steps in 2016. In 2020, I started Gervonni Cares, Inc and our Stuck in the Middle (SIM) program which focuses on middle America, those who are not rich enough to make ends meet and are not poor enough to receive funding from government agencies. These are hard-working, dedicated, faithful people and families who encounter an unforeseeable, unexpected financial issue and S.I.M. is here to help them remain solvent.

We help with financial assistance, financial literacy, eviction prevention, food insecurities, and vehicle repair.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has never been a smooth road. The road is still bumpy at times because we live in a world that never sits still. With processes in place from our organization and other community-based organizations (CBO), we can pave these bumpy roads out together.

We apply for funding and get denied. It’s a process, and it takes dedication and a community of volunteers, and good board members. Learning to ask for help is not always easy, but eventually, your work speaks for itself.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Gervonni Cares Inc. of Phoenix, Arizona (GCI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that serves low-income families or the “working poor” residents of Phoenix, Arizona, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin in addition to their surrounding communities. These families often struggle to support their families while trying to remain solvent. Founded in 2020, GCI‘s mission is to improve the overall quality of life for residents by providing various support services in financial assistance, food insecurities, and financial literacy programs.

GCI is unique because we ensure clients who receive our services are provided with educational resources that teach them sustainability. In 2021, GCI had our first back-to-school event which provided thirty families and over seventy school-aged kids backpacks filled with supplies. During that same year, we had our Homeless Essential Backpack event. We fed over two hundred homeless individuals a hot meal at Bonsall Park and provided each a backpack filled with essentials such as soap, body wash, toothbrush, toothpaste, face towels, socks, lotion, hand sanitizer, water, and non-perishable food. We continued our support to families when we held our Gifts through Givers holiday event. We provided one hundred kids & families with new toys for the holiday season. Each child was able to select two toys. In between all our first-year events, GCI still helped and provided thirty families with food boxes and groceries.

In 2022, we started our quarterly GCI Financial Education program, which has seen a drastic increase in registration these last few months. We had a total of thirty registrations from January 2022 to October 2022. As of now. we have over forty-five registrations, which shows a need for financial education classes in-person and online which focuses on building credit & repair, budgeting & saving, and income & debt.

Since our classes are free, we’re always seeking sponsors to cover the fee for our refurbished laptops, which we donated to individuals during class. Upon successful completion of class they’re allowed to keep laptops.

We are now partnered with AARP and OATS to provide Digital Skills Ready@ 50+ to low-income individuals over 50 who want to learn computer basics, job readiness skills, entrepreneurship, and social media platform navigation.

With our increased need, we obtained a small office to support our trainings and volunteer staff. In order to continue serving the community at our current capacity and address the rapidly growing need of financial support and literacy, we need to provide a larger space. Currently, we collaborate with other community partners to supplement our programs and its additional needs. We currently work with UniteUS which provides our tracking of the families we serve in all our programs, demographic breakdown by age and sex.

In 2023, GCI’s goal is to provide financial education services to 30% more families than in 2022, bringing the total served to ninety-three. Currently, we just obtained a five-year contract with the City of Phoenix to provide financial literacy and coaching classes. This is a brand new contract, so more details are coming forward to the communities we serve as we work with the City on our next steps.

Many who seek our services would say one of our greatest strengths is our diversity. In addition, our work touches a wide variety of needs, including financial literacy classes, homelessness, food insecurities, eviction and utility disconnection prevention, and vehicle repair services. They will state GCI’s team continues to work hard ensuring our nation’s low-income and ‘working poor’ families receive the help they need.

New in June 2023, we have our Summertime Sno Youth Program which is a FUN-raising program that our youth participate in while visiting youth events at various parks while selling snow cones. This youth program teaches financial literacy to youth hands. They learn to budget, order products, determine sales from events, and learn customer service, and entrepreneurship, and it builds self-esteem for kids ages 9 to 15 years of age.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
That I sometimes want to stop, because everyone sees me as a superwoman, but I too go through things and need someone to talk to or to help me.

I have two mentors to support me, but I don’t want to overwhelm them, so I just keep pushing. Somedays, I want to stay in and snuggle in my bed and watch TV.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.gervonnicares.org
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/GervonniCares
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/GervonniCares
• Linkedin: www.LinkedIn.com/GervonniCaresInc
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/GervonniC
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/GervonniCaresInc
• Yelp: www.yelp.com/GervonniCaresInc