Season for Sharing: 5 reasons to be thankful for Arizona nonprofits

Arizona Republic’s Season for Sharing campaign gave grants to HTML164 Arizona non-profits in the last year to assist struggling families and children, boost education, and help older adults. Many of our neighbors were able to get the assistance they needed.

The Arizona Food Bank Network ($40,000) and St. Mary’s Food Bank (30,000), which both had to respond to COVID-19 hunger crises, received the largest grants.

Nonprofits in Arizona often fill in the gaps between what is required of government services and what it takes to live in an area with high inflation and rising housing costs. They are a blessing and we should all be thankful for them.

Season for Sharing has given away nearly $72 million since 1993 to make Arizona a better state. Here are five reasons you should give again:

1. A child with a serious illness can have a devastating effect on the entire family. The Ronald McDonald House in Phoenix received a $15,000 grant to help provide a safe place for families who are traveling from out of town to receive life-saving pediatric medical treatment. Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels also provides food and financial support to 200 families battling childhood life-threatening or critical illnesses. Arizona Burn Foundation provides financial support, lodging, and transportation for family members. All victims are treated at the Arizona Burn Center, Phoenix, and Tucson Medical Center.
2. Education gaps exist. Academic studies and the Republic’s reporting agree that home classes during COVID-19 lockdowns help many children and teens get back to their studies. Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale and Boys and Girls Clubs of the Valley and Boys Hope Girls Hope of Arizona make use of their Season for Sharing grant to help with homework, tutoring, academic support, and even snacks so that they can keep their students on track. The programs at the Children’s Museum of Phoenix and Arizona Science Center, as well as Phoenix Public Library, help to improve science literacy skills.
3. Services can be scarce in non-metropolitan areas of Arizona. Services can be scarce if you are outside of Tucson or Phoenix. Drivers who deliver meals on wheels travel hundreds of miles to provide food for older people. Time Out and Colorado River Regional Crisis Services are the only shelters that can provide domestic violence protection for hundreds of miles in Parker and Payson. Flagstaff’s Family Food Center provides 13 hunger relief programs for the vast northern Arizona region.
4. Education includes arts and culture education. Low-income students and their families often face barriers to accessing arts education because of the high cost of entry. Act One is supported by a Season for Sharing grant that provides in-person and virtual field trips for over 25,000 children to various arts venues throughout the Valley. The Heard Museum grant funds educational tours and resources for students on American Indian culture, art, and history. Through a weekend of literacy through the arts, the Black Theatre Troupe helps students feel confident and proud to be Black.
5. Everyone wants to be independent for as long as possible. Age can make it difficult to drive, maintain your home, or even cook a simple meal. Benevilla applied for a Season for Sharing grant and helped more than 300 West Valley seniors and people with disabilities to get essential services such as grocery shopping and minor repairs. The YWCA Metropolitan Phoenix in Glendale delivers over 120,000 meals a calendar year and supports 1000 seniors and disabled adults. The Community Action Agency in Tempe serves thousands of meals through delivery programs and senior centers.

Thank you @azcentral for including our learning programs as a key component of getting our Arizona students back on track in the classroom 📚 Season for Sharing: 5 reasons to be thankful for Arizona nonprofits https://t.co/JD3McZXToZ via @azcentral

— Arizona Science Center (@azsciencecenter) November 30, 2022