Help for Arizonans in need: 5 reasons to be thankful for Season for Sharing this year

Nonprofits in Arizona Making a Difference with Support from Season for Sharing

On this Thanksgiving Day, we are grateful for the help that nonprofits provide to struggling Arizonans with support from Season for Sharing.

Since 1993, donors to The Arizona Republic’s annual campaign have given more than $73 million, 100 percent of which has gone back to communities around the state to help folks who struggle with housing, hunger, violence, education, illness, and other challenges.

Fallout from COVID-19 continues to show up in education and income gaps. Food banks report higher demand now than during the pandemic.

Rural areas of the state have their own obstacles. In western Arizona, for instance, one domestic violence shelter serves several counties. Drivers for meals programs can log hundreds of miles a day reaching older residents who can’t get out.

Five Reasons to Give to Season for Sharing

1. How we take care of military veterans matters. Nonprofits in Prescott, Phoenix, and Fountain Hills specifically help veterans either get on their feet post-service or help them as they age. U.S. Vets helps homeless and disabled vets find shelter and other services, for instance. VMLC Charities provides job training and even emergency financial assistance. All received $7,500 Season for Sharing grants last year.
2. If domestic violence is an issue, shelter should be near. A New Leaf in Mesa provides crisis intervention, safe shelter, basic needs, and support for nearly 8,000 survivors of domestic or sexual violence. It’s one of several groups providing the services in Maricopa County. It received a $25,000 Season for Sharing grant last year. In Parker, the Colorado River Regional Crisis Services received a $7,500 grant. It’s the sole shelter for survivors in La Paz County.
3. Arts and culture education is education. A $7,500 Season for Sharing grant supports Act One’s in-person and virtual arts field trips for more than 35,000 K-12 students who wouldn’t otherwise be able to attend. Similarly, a $15,000 donation to the Summer Youth Program Fund helps provide summer camps and other activities for at-risk students.
4. When a child is seriously ill, the whole family suffers. Phoenix’s Ronald McDonald House received a $10,000 grant last year to provide a place to stay for out-of-town families traveling to the Valley for lifesaving pediatric medical care. Similarly, Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels provides 200 families fighting childhood life-threatening and critical illnesses with food and emergency financial assistance. The Arizona Burn Foundation helps family members with lodging, transportation, meals and financial support while victims of any age are treated at the Arizona Burn Center.
5. Education matters. Whether it’s after-school feeding programs for elementary students, tutoring for high schoolers, or adult literacy classes, education is key to success. The Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation received $15,000 to help students stay on their education track, even if they struggle financially. The Sandra Day O’Connor Institute for Democracy provides online and in-person civics courses for middle and high schoolers and for adults through a new all-ages online course.

For these nonprofits and the 150-plus others that received a Season for Sharing grant last year, thank you for making Arizona better for all.

Ways to Give to Season for Sharing

Join us, as fellow seekers of change, on a transformative journey at https://sdgtalks.ai/welcome, where you can become a member and actively contribute to shaping a brighter future.