WM Phoenix Open

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https://youtu.be/eGSQL049-9I”][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1597966302871{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]In this installment of In the Community Conversations, 2021 tournament chairman Scott Jenkins held a virtual call with Kimber Lanning, President and CEO of Local First Arizona. The Thunderbirds have been long-time partners with Local First Arizona – A statewide organization dedicated to building a more diverse, inclusive and equitable Arizona economy by working with small business.

Lanning first spoke about how Local First Arizona has been affected by the pandemic.

“A quarter of our overall revenue comes from events, which are obviously cancelled now,” said Lanning. “So, we’ve been able to transition from events to what we call fee for service contract work – technical assistance and hands-on training for small business to be successful and ensure their survival.”

While there have been federal assistance programs, Lanning spoke about how not all small businesses were able to take advantage of them.

“Federal assistance did help some businesses but some could not take advantage,” said Lanning. “Many of our sole proprietors were not set up to have themselves on payroll, so we set up a small business relief fund and to date we have raised $1.3 million and distributed that around Arizona. We prioritized families with children without another source or income and in some cases, that was the difference between having food on the table and not.”

Lanning then spoke about the impact Thunderbirds Charities has had on Local First Arizona.

“The Thunderbirds have overwhelming shaped our program which helps underserved community members effectively run small businesses,” said Lanning. “We’re able to get them out of bad debt and improve their credit score. The thunderbirds have played a key role in that educational component and we now have 500 graduates who have created more than 800 jobs. That’s life changing.”

How can you get involved?

“Entrepreneurs apply though our website and we have a month of recruiting every six months,” said Lanning. “You apply online and then they’re called inf or an interview where they explain what they hope to do with their business. When they complete the program, they go through a graduation. It’s an extremely sought-after program, but the graduation is a huge celebration. It’s the most fun night ever.”

To learn more about Local First Arizona, visit their website at http://www.localfirstaz.com/

To volunteer with Local First Arizona, CLICK HERE.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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FALL FUNDING CYCLE IS NOW OPEN THROUGH TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1

Keeping with their mission to support local non-profit organizations here in the Valley, Thunderbirds Charities – the charitable giving arm of The Thunderbirds – awarded more than $3.8 million in grants to 43 Valley charities during its 2020 spring funding cycle.

Reaching and serving the community in a meaningful and impactful way, especially during these unusual and unprecedented times, is the chief concern of The Thunderbirds – hosts of the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Local organizations need support now more than ever and Thunderbirds Charities remains committed to being stewards of our communities and a much-needed source of funds and supplies to our wonderful charity partners who do incredible work for children and families in need right here in Arizona.[/vc_column_text][mk_gallery images=”30927,30925,30933″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1596580669552{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]“The impact we can make in our Arizona communities is far and away the most rewarding thing we do as hosts of the Waste Management Phoenix Open,” said Tim Woods, President of Thunderbirds Charities. “It’s an honor to be able to assist the missions of these wonderful Valley organizations and help improve the lives of our fellow Arizonans.”

The Thunderbirds raised $14 million alone from the 2020 WM Phoenix Open, and in 85 years have raised more than $160 million to benefit the local community. It’s a very proud moment each year when they gift this money to so many deserving charities, but it hit home more this year with the Covid-19 pandemic that has affected not only the state of Arizona, but the entire world.

“We understand the importance these charities serve and that was never more evident than this spring when we had to band together to battle this pandemic,” Woods said. “To see what is happening in our community and how we as an organization are able to help so many is a very proud moment.”

This $3.8 million that was awarded during the spring cycle is separate from the $1 million “Community Emergency Fund” that The Thunderbirds voted on and approved in March to help charities on the front lines with immediate needs by offering financial assistance, PPE masks and other integral supplies.

“This just goes to show the tremendous support we receive every year for the Waste Management Phoenix Open,” Woods said. “Because of this outstanding support, The Thunderbirds are able to give to so many worthy and needy charities, and we can’t thank our supporters enough for being such a valuable part of our community. Without them this would not be possible.”

While the spring funding cycle is in the books, Thunderbirds Charities 2020 fall funding cycle is now open (through September 1). Information about the fall funding cycle can be found at www.ThunderbirdsCharities.org.

NOTABLE GRANTS AWARDED DURING THE 2020 SPRING FUNDING CYCLE:

BENEVILLA VOLUNTEER HOME SERVICES FOR SENIORS – $60,000 will help provide much needed services to older adults in the West Valley challenged with the daily routine of independent living and staying safe with extra precautions during COVID-19. All services are provided free of charge by a team of Benevilla volunteers and staff and include grocery shopping, transportation to medical appointments, phone pals and more.

“In the world of COVID-19, the Benevilla Home Services program has become a lifeline for many in our community who wish to remain safe at home,” said Joanne Thomson, Benevilla President and CEO. “With the support of Thunderbirds Charities, we are able to support our neighbors who may otherwise be alone, have nowhere else to turn and are without these everyday resources.”

FLORENCE CRITTENTON SERVICES OF ARIZONA – $75,000 will go toward its Girls Living Well Program to provide yearly on-site preventive, primary and behavioral healthcare services that are gender-specific, culturally competent and trauma-informed for 200 clients at FloCrit’s Therapeutic Group Home (TGH), a 40-bed residential treatment facility. The Girls Living Well program prioritizes and fosters the development of positive life-long wellness practices including healthy eating, active lifestyles, and trusting relationships between clients and healthcare professionals.

“Our medical team brings a tremendous amount of support to our youth daily. Our nurses are available via TeleMed and in person to assist with any medical concerns the staff/youth may have,” said Deana Morgan, LPC, Director of Clinical and Residential Operations. “Several of our youth have not maintained their physical health or understood the importance of maintaining their physical health prior to coming to our facility. Our medical team provides youth with an opportunity to gain knowledge and understanding of the importance of taking care of both mental and physical heath.”

HOMELESS I.D. PROJECT – $100,000 will aid in their efforts to help individuals and families end their homelessness and rebuild their lives by providing the critical first step of identification replacement services. While it is not something many people think about, it is not possible to get a job, gain housing, apply for healthcare, or enroll kids in school without current and valid identifying documents. Homeless I.D. Project helped to issue nearly 8,000 documents in 2019 alone, and plans for growth to serve all those in need in order to eliminate barriers to obtaining identification documents across America.

“Our mission is to help people end their homelessness by providing access to replacement documents,” said Executive Director Rick Mitchell. While it is not something many of us think about, it is not possible to get a job, to gain housing, to apply for healthcare, or enroll kids in school without current and valid identifying documents. Support from Thunderbirds Charities will help us provide the critical first step of replacing lost of stolen identification documents necessary for so many individuals and families seeking to end their homelessness.”

MILITARY ASSISTANCE MISSION (MAM) – $100,000 will help the organization provide financial and moral aid to Arizona’s active-duty military, their families, and post 9/11 Purple Heart Recipients. Through its financial assistance program, MAM meets the needs of the lowest ranking service members by helping pay for basic necessities such as housing, utilities, groceries, car payments, and insurance.

“Receiving this grant from Thunderbird Charities is a game changer for MAM,” said Trey Vineyard, MAM Board President. “I am excited to see how this funding will help us respond even more effectively to the needs of military families. This support will most certainly change the trajectory of their lives and we are humbled by the opportunity to offer programs to those who have given and continue to sacrifice so much for the American way of life we all cherish.”

TREASURES 4 TEACHERS (T4T) – $40,000 will help hundreds of teachers and students from Title 1 schools in metro Phoenix to benefit from a delivery of school supplies from T4T on Wheels. This year, truckloads of free school supplies will be delivered directly to Title 1 schools, serving an average of 50 teachers and 1,500 students in one trip. Most students in Title 1 designated schools live in low-income households and are less likely to be adequately equipped with the supplies they need to learn. The T4T on Wheels mobile program provides a solution to this problem while also alleviating the financial pressure many teachers feel when having to purchase student supplies with their own money.

“Teaching is the one profession that teaches all others,” said Barbara Blalock, Executive Director of Treasures 4 Teachers. “Where would we be if we didn’t have a teacher to educate and inspire us?”

GRANTS AWARDED DURING THE 2020 SPRING FUNDING CYCLE:

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As part of The Thunderbirds In the Community Conversations, Tournament Chairman Scott Jenkins recently held a digital chat with President of Junior Achievement of Arizona, Katherine Cecala. The two leaders discussed the current challenges surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and identify how the community can continue to support local non-profits throughout our communities.

“Our mission at Junior Achievement is to prepare students to succeed in work and life,” Cecala said. “We serve about 86,000 primarily low-income kids with the help of 9,000 volunteers. We are in 400 schools and we’re teaching money management and career readiness types of skills to help prepare these kids to succeed in the future.”

Cecala talked about how Junior Achievement has had to change and mobilize differently due to the impact of the coronavirus.

“Because our programs are in the schools, we actually have had more than three months of classes canceled,” said Cecala. “What we’re doing about it is we are greatly expanding our digital offerings. So this was an opportunity to focus more on something we were already doing so that we can have great programs that we can take to kids in their homes.”

Cecala then spoke about some of the specific digital programs offered by Junior Achievement.

“We are doing a variety of online programming and through our website, JAAZ.org, you can reference all of these resources and they’re divided by grade level,” said Cecala. “They teach money management and about career readiness and entrepreneurship and all sorts of things. We’re doing Instagram live and live Zoom lessons by grade so families can tap into those lessons and parents can go on or students can go online, find those resources and do those lessons.”

On the subject of staffing and volunteers, Cecala offered hopeful stories about staff morale.

“We’re all working remotely,” said Cecala. “Like everyone else, we’re doing an awful lot of Teams and Zoom meetings and I think staff morale is out there because they can see that we are doing something to try to help families during this time. We had a volunteer with a bank [who] loved [our program] so much she switched her career and went into teaching.”

The direct, practical application of Junior Achievement services is evident, even through online lessons.

“We’ve heard from some of our students they were able to take lessons they learned in the classroom from Junior Achievement about budgeting and they are using it with their family,” said Cecala. “We had one student who wrote us and said ‘I was able to take the budget you gave me and work with my parents to set up a budget to figure out how we could make it through this time.’”

Here’s how you can help Junior Achievement Arizona right now.

“Obviously, just like every other nonprofit, we certainly need resources to fund the development of the digital programming,” said Cecala. “We have a Speaker Series and there are business people out there who have stories that we can use in our lessons. So there’s a spot on our website where you can volunteer to submit videos that we can use in our lessons, certainly sharing the website with people.”

Website Link for Updated Information | Website Link for Donation Information

Phone Number for Physical Donations: 480-377-8500

Address for Physical Donations: 636 W. Southern Avenue, Tempe, AZ 85282

Key Info: During this difficult time, JA has begun developing several new and innovative digital programs. These digital programs are allowing us to bring our critical education into the homes of our students through our FREE online resources and live learning. The link to this digital education can be found here:

https://www.jaaz.org/programs/parent-student-resources/

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As part of their “In the Community Conversations,” Waste Management Phoenix Open 2021 Tournament Chairman Scott Jenkins caught up with Bert Castro, Executive Director of The Phoenix Zoo, to discuss current challenges and how the community can help.

“Obviously, with the zoo being closed for business, it’s been a really tough time,” Castro said. “I know we’re not the only ones that have gone through this. We have about 3,000 animals we have to take care of and we make about 5,000 meals a day for those animals. It’s a very, very large infrastructure and facility, so it takes a whole lot to keep the zoo going.”

With the park closed, The Phoenix Zoo has incorporated digital and virtual tools to bring the animals and learning environment to children and parents who want to learn.

“We’re currently doing a Digital Safari at the zoo,” said Castro. “We do a live safari and we take people [virtually] to areas of the zoo they may not normally ever get an opportunity to go. There’s also a lot of activities for kids on our website, educational activities, you can keep your kids busy with and so it’s just a great way to keep in touch with the zoo.”

Castro touched on the incredible learning aspect provided by The Phoenix Zoo and how their community outreach has touched so many young learners in Arizona.

“We actually go to kids [who can’t come to the zoo],” said Castro. “We have a Zoo Mobile, several vans that go throughout the state of Arizona and visit schools – mostly in rural Arizona. And we bring our science programs to kids there. So, we have a very large reach here at The Phoenix Zoo and we try to reach every corner of the state through that program.”

How you can help The Phoenix Zoo right now:

“We have an animal relief fund where people can go to our website and donate to the zoo,” said Castro. “We’ve also got adopt an animal programs where people can adopt an animal for a year and help feed that animal for a year. Becoming a volunteer at The Phoenix Zoo is also something that would be really cool. There’s quite a bit that people can do to hep out the zoo.” Visit The Phoenix Zoo’s website | Donate to The Phoenix Zoo

Wildlife Champions program – The Zoo’s adopt/sponsor an animal program is a great way to support the Zoo during this time. Choosing from a wide variety of animals to support such as lion and eagle to elephant and stingray, Wildlife Champion packages vary in price from $25 to $1,000 with specific offerings as well. Adopt/Sponsor an Animal

Tune in to the Zoo’s Digital Safari! We are committed to upholding our mission of providing experiences that inspire and motivate people to care for the natural world. In order to do this, stay close to our website and social channels for updates about our status as well as LIVE educational programming, virtual safaris and an abundance of cute photos and videos of animals, behind-the-scenes caretaking by our keepers, and in-depth stories of the Zoo and our amazing residents![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]