The expansive starry night sky becomes a backdrop of memories as Hospice of the Valley invites families and individuals to gather as a community at its annual Light Up a Life on Nov. 24 to celebrate loved ones who have passed away. At the Steele Indian School Park in Phoenix, a large-scale, open-air photo montage is played out to music while people view from blankets spread out … [More]
Arizona Transplant House
Arizona Transplant House serves transplant patients — donors as well as recipients — with a full range of medical needs. Length of stay varies from a few weeks to several months. Someone waiting for a liver transplant, for instance, must live there while waiting for an organ to become available, Executive Director Tom Davie explains, adding that one patient was recently … [More]
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Determination and focus powered cystic fibrosis-stricken families to achieve what “Big Pharma” didn’t: Since the inception of the national Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in 1955, research it has funded has resulted in stretching the average life span of individuals suffering from CF from five years to 37. Some live even into their 70s. “It’s an exciting time to be part of the … [More]
Red Cross Grand Canyon Chapter — Maintaining On-Call Readiness
Tragedies and disasters like the summer’s devastating Yarnell Hill Fire tend to put the American Red Cross right up front in people’s awareness, but how is the organization able to be Johnny-on-the-spot like that? “The only way we can respond that quickly is to have resources ready to go at a moment’s notice,” says Juliet Martin, corporate relations manager. And the best way … [More]
Valley of the Sun United Way
With a couple of name changes since its founding, the community organization has been serving Phoenix since 1925. In the ’80s, the then-Phoenix/Scottsdale United Way was joined by other Valley United Ways to form the Valley of the Sun United Way. The organization’s goals now, as then, are to ensure children and youth succeed in school, to end hunger and homelessness, and to … [More]
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
One of few voluntary health organizations that still provide direct financial support to the people it serves, according to Executive Director Jim Brewer, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society helps cancer patients pay for their drugs and also advocates for issues that include addressing the high cost of cancer drugs. “Some drugs can cost as much as $3,500 per month, out of … [More]
United Food Bank
Incorporated in 1985 as United Food Bank, the food distribution center had begun two years earlier as United Food Distribution Center to support the many food pantries on the Valley’s East Side. “It was a combination of various [municipal] United Ways that existed back then and civic leaders who came together when folks in the East Valley decided we needed some help out here,” … [More]
Valley of the Sun YMCA: Broad Reach with Diverse Programs
Established in 1892, the Valley of the Sun YMCA is the oldest human services nonprofit in Arizona, and George Scobas, president and CEO, notes it is also the largest provider and offers the most diverse services. “There are three pillars we work with,” Scobas says. Youth development programs help children and teens realize their full potential through value-based programs … [More]
UMOM: Housing Interventions Aim to Prevent Homelessness
Housing is a big part of UMOM’s focus, as the organization operates nine different housing interventions to serve the homeless and victims of domestic violence. Its shelters are among the small percentage able to accommodate two-parent families and single men, with no restrictions on the age of boys in the facility. And one of its dedicated programs provides aid to U.S. … [More]
Piper Trust: Community Benefit Continues Legacy of Founder
The impact of the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust on Maricopa County nonprofits goes beyond the $21–$22 million it grants every year. “We have tried not only to recognize the importance of the financial awards, but be partners [to nonprofits in the community],” says Judy Mohraz, president and CEO of the Trust. The Trust was established in 1995, when Virginia Galvin Piper, … [More]
Arizona Community Foundation: Helping Families Create a Legacy
Arizona Community Foundation President and CEO Steven Seleznow credits “the generosity of the people of this community and their thoughtfulness about what they want to give.” Empowering its donors’ philanthropic legacies, the foundation has more than $550 million in charitable assets under its management and expects to give $42 million in grants this year. Many grants are … [More]
American Cancer Society: Grassroots Effort Making a Difference
The American Cancer Society will once again welcome guests to enjoy an evening of Arizona’s glorious spring weather as it hosts Picnic Under the Stars at the Phoenix Country Club on May 4. The outdoor picnic vibe will be French, though, with the French theme carried through food, music and a backdrop of Paris’s night sky setting off the stage for the event’s … [More]
Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS: Holistic Approach Promotes Life
The 18th annual Night for Life Gala, which will be held May 11 at the Montelucia Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, is the Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS’s biggest fundraiser of the year. The organization’s other two signature events carry a similar theme — Tour for Life, for which owners of many of the Valley’s most prestigious homes open their homes, and Dining Out for Life, a … [More]
National Kidney Foundation of Arizona: Founded on Patient Aid
National Kidney Foundation of Arizona anticipates more than 1,000 walkers and community supporters will participate in the upcoming third annual Charity 5K Walk on April 7 at Chase Field Ballpark. Last year’s 1,000 walkers was well up from 600 its first year — “far surpassing expected attendance,” says CEO Jeffrey Neff. “The Walks are extremely important to our Arizona … [More]
STARS: Helping the Intellectually Disabled toward Independence
Scottsdale Training and Rehabilitation Services’ annual Fiesta de las Madrinas fundraiser gets a change-up this year as the organization celebrates its 40th year. Recalling STARS’s beginnings in 1973, this year’s Throwback Fiesta offers a ’70s theme from its entertainment to its food and drinks, which will include the era’s ubiquitous “Shake ’n Bake” Chicken, salmon croquettes … [More]
A New Leaf
Live-auction bidding on the opportunity to donate equipment needed by a designated New Leaf program has become a hallmark — and highlight — of the organization’s Camaraderie Gala fundraiser, this year being held March 2 at the Arizona Grand Hotel. “It’s the most exciting part [of the gala]. We auction off items people can’t take home, like buying beds for the program and the … [More]
Paws Can Heal
To support the animal-assisted therapy program for its pediatric patients (newly rebranded as PetSmart Paws Can Heal), Phoenix Children’s Hospital presents its sixth annual Dine with Your Dog fundraiser on Saturday afternoon, 4 – 7 p.m., on April 13 at the PERA Club in Tempe. The event showcases how integral animals are in the healing process, explains Denise Wittstock, manager … [More]
Fresh Start Women’s Foundation: High Fashion for Self-sufficiency
Fresh Start Women’s Foundation brings Phoenix some of the glamour and excitement of New York’s Fashion Week with its annual Fashion Gala fundraiser, this year’s event on February 2 at the Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa with Pamella Roland the featured designer. Roland will premiere her spring collection that she’ll be showing in New York. The gala’s attendees “see designers … [More]
