about The Giving Tree is not what it appears

2009-08-15 register \| login Username: Password:
Relates to: Giving Tree's hearing delayed (starnet-local) The Giving Tree is not what it appears The information that Libby Wright uses for the promotion of her organization is completely FALSE. I'm a former employee who left as part of a mass exodus with half a dozen other employees within the same week over a year ago because it came to our attention that Libby had conned the Tucson public into donating monetarily to Giving Tree programs that were not even in existence. It is a well known fact that in addition to her overwhelming donations from the public, she also can find it in her conscience to charge the homeless individuals and families she “serves” $8.50 per person, per night, for shelter and a shower and the failure or inability to pay will quickly get a homeless individual and their family (including children) thrown out on the streets. I have many, many examples of ethical and moral improprieties with Libby's organization and during my employment, I saw dozens of examples of outright dishonesty and deception that played on public sympathy to gain donations from individuals and church congregations. I watched as thousands of dollars and mountains of food flowed through Libby's hands each day during the holidays (most of which had to be stored in various restaurant freezers around Tucson - and was never picked up). I watched as bicycles were donated for the homeless children, none of whom received a single bike because they were all sold at auction. Same with donated cars, trucks, etc. There were countless reports from the shelter residents of regular drug dealing in the bathroom of the Compassion Hope Center taking place right in front of the children. All of this is in addition to the inexcusable requirement of the residents (old, sick, women with children) to designate Libby as "executor" of their governmental monthly income in return for a bed to sleep in so that Libby received their checks each month in her own personal mailbox and distributed to her residents their monthly social security or child support income- but only if they were in good standing and had paid up all of their "shelter fees". Libby's entire program revolves around creating a perpetual needniness and dependence on her that ensures a regular income from those she says she "helps". Please do not believe Libby's claims that CPS and governmental agencies actually drop off children to her; CPS will not even return her phone calls and have refused to work with her any longer because of her Libby's refusal to follow protocol. As well, the police and EMS are called out to her shelters so frequently that it now takes over an hour to get responses to emergency calls from The Compassion Hope Center. The Compassion Hope Center is NO CHURCH. The "sermons" that take place are given by anyone who cares to step up to the microphone. This is NOT a “Christian” organization as has been stated by Libby repeatedly. There is nothing Christian about Libby Wright. Those of us who know the unethical inner workings of her operation and the many ways Tucson has been deceived by her know that The Giving Tree organization is just a money-making web of deception. The investigation into The Giving Tree shouldn't be limited to just the Compassion Hope Center; in my opinion this individual is nothing short of a criminal and should be locked up.

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2009-11-13 Correction to previous posting http://www.divineministriesoftucson.com

In my former post I made mention of Pastor Frank I was referring to Pastor Tom --guest

2009-11-06 The Giving Tree is awesome! http://www.divineministriesoftucson.com

Dear Libby,
Try not to be overcome by the media and people who have no clue of what truth is. They have hate and anger at there own situations which sometimes we ourselves can’t seem to help. I know the truth and how your only desire is to help those in need, nobody should assume that just because a certain child is asked to give up a toy due to the fact he had already received one of the same items already, was always the child’s choice anyways.”Sorry I know this from experience in the Grace Home Two Years people”, We still love you, and always will!
And to all those haters GET A LIFE. Libby has only given you motivation to get on with your life and helped you to stay focused. She has done so much with so little that no one will ever forget what she has truly done for them.

Buy the way you'll knew about the fees when you entered the shelters why now are you saying you didn't? its part of the program getting people motivated to work. And everyone one knows you can work a hour in exchange for the days stay at the shelter. Come on people.  If you find bad food in the fridge its not because they served it to you that way its because your to lazy to have threw it away.  I have witnessed Libby many times buying food with her own credit cards when all else failed. And having a supervisor show up to check dates and refresh the fridges do you think the logs we kept were just through always.   My only question is why weren't the parents supplying there own meals with food stamps. They get McKinney Vento Status the same day they enter the program and can apply for government assistance and within 5 days be receiving benefits. And I'm pretty sure that if you receive benefits from a shelter then your food stamps would be cut a little to make up the difference correct the only problem is nobody tells Libby that instead of using your own money to buy food you use food-stamps to buy chips soda and all other kinds of junk food. "Not saying that all the parents did that but I know when I was the House Manager this was always the way it went down.

Every time I came home even the items that I placed in the house with my own money with my name on them were used in place of your own food stamps.  Because people traded there food stamps for drugs, movies, cigarettes, ect.

And then to say that Libby allows drug addicts to manage her homes, shelters, store, shut up. Period  That's the biggest lie I've ever heard. Carter or I would have offered to take them to Compass and given then a six day suspension. Sometimes then watching children for parents until they got out.  And if even the talk of drugs got out we would drop all involved. And all this was done as part of your agreement to stay at the shelter.

Buy the way Pastor Frank the turkeys that were stored at the pantry were donated the same day we asked for them. Many were given away to the homeless and families in the 29th street apartments by the way I still talk to those residents on a ongoing basis and they still receive help from Libby and me.. As I was the one who handed them out with your help, and if you remember we served 10 per day on the lot.  And we even shredded them to make sandwiches for the homeless.  All this makes me sick to think that even after working along side of Libby for years people could try to name the best as the worst.

And if anyone thinks they can do better then good luck. Try it.

Tucson wake up if you can’t help others then don’t knock those who do.

For more information or questions please feel free to email me at;
divinepromises@yahoo.com

Pastor Arthur Reid
Former Houseparent & Supervisor of the Grace Home & The Giving Tree Outreach --guest

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The Giving Tree is not what it appears

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