Esperanza: Serving Veterans in Need Since 1989

Esperanza receives funding from several sources:

For 35 years, Esperanza has been a beacon of hope for heroes who've fallen on hard times. Founded in 1989 by a dedicated group of community leaders, including our first Executive Director Betty Slaybaugh and members of the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 106, our organization emerged from a shared commitment to support veterans experiencing homelessness in Tucson.
Operating on a sprawling 19-acre campus, Esperanza provides comprehensive support services designed to help veterans rebuild their lives with dignity and purpose. These patriots, who've given so much to defend our nation's freedoms, deserve the same loyalty and commitment they've shown us. Our integrated approach includes:

• Stable, supportive housing
• Comprehensive social services
• Targeted transition programs
• Reliable transportation assistance
• Case management services

This year alone, we've helped 71 veterans – men, women, and families – transition from homelessness into homes of their own. Through our holistic support system, we help veterans navigate their transition back into civilian life, transforming exhaustion and desperation into self-reliance and pride. When veterans arrive at our campus, they find more than immediate relief; they discover a path back to the American Dream they so courageously protected.
Through our comprehensive programs and dedication to our mission, we continue to honor our veterans' service while providing the tools and resources they need to thrive in civilian life. Each success story represents a hero reclaiming their dignity and independence, returning home after an honest day's work with renewed purpose and hope for the future.

United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) The VA serves as Esperanza's primary funding partner through its Grant and Per Diem Program. This vital support provides daily stipends for veterans participating in our Transitional Housing Program. During Fiscal Year 2024, this partnership has been instrumental in our mission, covering 70.5% of Esperanza's annual operating expenses.

The Empower Coalition As Esperanza's second-largest funding partner, The Empower Coalition demonstrates their commitment to veteran support through their generous $70,000 contribution in Fiscal Year 2024. This significant investment represents 5% of our annual operating budget, enabling us to enhance our services and expand our impact in the veteran community.

​Our Collective Impact Through these organizations, community foundations, veteran service organizations, corporate giving programs like Southwest Gas, private individuals, and the dedicated work of Esperanza's board and staff, we are able to address the complex challenges facing homeless veterans. Together, we alleviate the many stresses contributing to homelessness and guide our nation's heroes toward the stable, dignified life they deserve—honoring the sacrifices they have made for our country.

​Please consider supporting our mission

Our Preamble

​With reverence for God and country, and being ever mindful of the traditions of the United States military, we, the members of Esperanza , do band together to aid, assist, promote, and act for the benefit of Esperanza, its veterans and veterans’ families.

​Out of our interest in the welfare of persons who have served and are serving in the United States military, our devotion to our fellow veterans in fortune or distress, and our reverence for the memory of our departed veterans, we unite to further the aims and objectives of this organization.