Every quarter, we continue to learn about charities we never knew existed before our members brought them to our attention. Aside from the funding we provide to charities, we’re also spreading awareness and educating the public on the needs these organizations have in our community. This quarter, we chose to support nonprofits who serve senior citizens, organ transplant and cancer patients, and individuals experiencing a behavioral health emergency. Thanks to our members’ giving hearts, we donated $27,100 this quarter and people’s lives are being impacted on a daily basis. To date, our chapter has donated $412,425 to local charities.
Ahwatukee donated $10,900 to Y OPAS, the YMCA’s Outreach Programs for Ahwatukee Seniors, who has been providing support services to Ahwatukee seniors since 2001. Y OPAS is a community effort offering FREE support services for the seniors of Ahwatukee and their caregivers. Services are provided by community volunteers – the generous neighbors of Ahwatukee. Their objective is to meet the needs of the growing senior population in Ahwatukee, with the goal of enabling our seniors to maintain independent living in their own homes. They serve individuals 62 years and older and who live in Ahwatukee (85044, 85045, and 85048 zip codes).
Our donations will be used to help Y OPAS continue to provide these services that help seniors stay connected and engaged in their community, and positively impacts their quality of life.
Help In Healing Home Foundation (HIHH) was the recipient of $10,150 in donations from our Scottsdale group. HIHH provides a serene, comfortable and hygienic lodging opportunity for patients recuperating from whole-organ, stem cell and bone marrow transplant surgeries, and for patients undergoing extensive cancer treatments. HIHH embraces guests who would otherwise likely spend hundreds of dollars each night for hotel accommodations or perhaps a rental property for their extended stay. The benefit to a patient and caregiver staying in an HIHH guest casita far exceeds the affordable $45.00/night charge.
In 2019, HIHH is replacing all 84 beds in their guest casitas. Because each room is cleaned extensively, their beds are moved on a regular basis, much more movement than a bed might endure in a residential lifetime. Frames are repaired as they become less stable, but it is time for major surgery versus a band-aid fix. Our donations will go towards this replacement program. The anticipated cost to replace all beds is $40,000.
Our East Valley group selected Crisis Response Network and donated $5,900. Crisis Response Network, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping individuals by Inspiring Hope and empowering transformation from HOPE to HEALTH through a continuum of crisis services.
Since 2007, CRN has been providing crisis call center services and in that short time has helped thousands of individuals and families get connected to the help they need. Additionally, in that short time frame, CRN has grown to expand services to a 24-hour peer-run Warm Line, Serious Mental Illness determinations, mobile team dispatches, crisis transportation services, emergency room-based assessments, Department of Child Services rapid response and crisis stabilization services, telephone follow-up to those who need it, tragedy support lines and other in-kind services to the community.
Our donations will be used to help support their community outreach program as it is extremely underfunded. The outreach program sends individuals to events and schools to spread the word about what they do for our community, so they are known to be a resource during a family crisis.
Please visit our Facebook page for more photos from our donation meetings. Our next quarterly giving circles are August 27th in Ahwatukee, August 28th in Scottsdale and August 29th in the East Valley.