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PUBLISHED ON DECEMBER 25, 2008:

Local Heroes

People whose good deeds make Tucson a better place

By WEEKLY STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS email the Weekly
Local Heroes
Naomi and Elizabeth Caraballo

Naomi and Elizabeth Caraballo
After a horrible tragedy, these two sisters decided to assist moms in need

At From One Mother to Another's headquarters, piles of toys and clothing line the walls, and spill out onto the tile. Naomi Caraballo ignores the upheaval; she's adjusted to living in a house that doubles as a charity.

For co-founders (and sisters) Naomi and Elizabeth Caraballo, the dream of gathering starter items like cribs, clothing and diapers to donate to needy families began six months ago. As the economy took a plunge early this fall, the number of families needing assistance skyrocketed.

"In the beginning, my sister and I had two or three families, and every other day, we would go and drop off donations," Elizabeth said. "Now, with over 300 families, we hardly see each other."

With financial woes looming, time constraints are the least of Elizabeth's worries. According to the duo, at a fashion-show fundraiser the agency held last month, From One Mother to Another actually lost money.

"For this particular event, we had an unexpected bill which put us $1,400 in the hole," Elizabeth said. "This was supposed to be our seed money, so that we could finish our 501(c)(3) (tax-exempt) status and become recognized as a nonprofit agency by the government and apply for grants."

Elizabeth tears up as she talks about her agencies' recent disappointments. It wasn't long ago that she was a single parent herself, pregnant with a child whose father had been murdered. With the help of friends and family, Elizabeth was able to take two weeks off of work after the birth of her now-2-year-old daughter.

"I started to search for single-mother help, or starting-family help, just to see what's out there," Elizabeth recalls. "Outside of AHCCCS and DES (the state Department of Economic Security), there really wasn't much."

After being laid off by a health-insurance/cost-containment company, Elizabeth decided it was her turn to spread generosity, like her friends and family had shown her. Elizabeth's first effort--a low-profile MySpace charity page--had little impact, because few friends showed interest in sponsoring one family a month.

Now Elizabeth and her daughter, Naomi (named after her aunt), live with Elizabeth's parents, a sacrifice Elizabeth made as From One Mother to Another continued to grow.

"What we have done is, basically, we've created our inventory through donations, but everything outside of that--from the storage space, to the gas it takes, to the man hours--has all been on our backs," Elizabeth said.

That's why From One Mother to Another, in collaboration with Park Place Mall's The Body Shop and Little Gym at 7225 E. Broadway Blvd., is asking people to offer a $3 dollar donation to help fund the processing fees associated with applying for 501(c)(3) status. The Body Shop is also hosting a giving tree for the agency.

"We've been in purgatory for six months, because we just can't afford to get through the next step," Elizabeth said. "I want so much better for what we are doing--and I see something terrific; I see something that's needed."

Elizabeth begins to tear up again, but this time, her sister intercedes with a childhood song that "drives Elizabeth nuts." Within moments, a smile spreads across Elizabeth's face--she's acknowledging her organization's accomplishments.

"I just focus on the fact that today, I gave somebody a bed who has never had one--and he's 4 years old," Elizabeth said.

To donate items to From One Mother to Another, call 904-4555, or e-mail. For more information, visit the Web site.

Megan Neighbor