For Our City
Tempe



For Our City Tempe Launches "100 Hours in 2012"  Sign up and track your hours here.  

On January 20th, over 100 leaders of Faith, Nonprofit, Business and Government gathered to launch a new initiative of For Our City called "100 hours in 2011."  More information Here.

"We are asking you to challenge your church, mosque, synagogue or business to volunteer 100 hours of service in 2011," Mayor Hugh Hallman reported.

He went on to say, "I don't need to tell you times are tough. You hear it in the prayers of your congregations; you see it in the pleas, growing louder, for housing assistance, jobs and food donations.   It is our calling as leaders to help...a little over 2 hours a week is all we are asking."  These 100 hours of service are in preparation for celebrating Arizona's Centennial in 2012.

This is accomplished through ongoing volunteer activities such as delivering meals to the elderly, feeding the homeless, mentoring students and other essential services.   Along with furnishing volunteers to Tempe organizations, For Our City will also hold citywide service events for individuals who want to volunteer one day a month with park and neighborhood cleanup, planting community gardens, and food and water collection and distribution.

The hours are tracked within each organization and tallied by the organization or individual volunteer filling out a "Service Report" form at www.forourcity.org.
 
There were presentations from various faith, municipal and nonprofit partnerships that showed how through strategic collaboration, communities can tackle such issues as home foreclosures, service to the poor, the homeless, the elderly and the disabled, and emergency preparedness.

"Separately we can...Together we will!"      (Volunteer Here!)


For Our City is a catalyst for constructive change at community grassroots levels.  It provides a “safe place” for municipal, faith, non-profit and business leaders to dialogue for effective solutions for their community.  Since 2005, Mayor Hugh Hallman has worked with CARE INC, a civic non-profit corporation, to initiate and expand For Our City throughout Tempe.  Now, For Our City is operating in Chandler, Graham County, Page and the surrounding Native American reservations. Its purpose is to creatively and practically address local needs for emergency and disaster preparedness, collaborative volunteerism, and the implementation of community best practices. 
For more information, see www.care-inc.org or contact Jon McHatton at (480) 332-9139 or jon@care-inc.org.


 Project 85281 is an initiative of For Our City and Tempe Community Council to serve those in greatest need in Tempe through volunteerism and resourcing of best practices.  Our focus is on neighborhoods and schools of the 85281 zip code of north Tempe.  We seek to support leading organizations in this area. Contact Chris Gonzalez at 480-580-7139 or chris@missiodeicommunities.com or Ben Sanders at 480-242-2836 or bsanders@churchonmill.com
1. SERVING THE POOR AND HOMELESS


I-HELP (Interfaith Homeless Emergency Lodging Program) provides homeless people with hope and opportunity for a better future by offering shelter, meals and connections to community services. Each day at 4 p.m., 30-35 homeless people are transported from the Tempe Salvation Army to a host site, which rotates among different faith communities in Tempe.  Tempe Community Action Agency (TCAA) administers this program in partnership with over 25 local faith communities and service organizations. See www.tempeaction.org or contact Stephen Sparks at 480-350-5893 or ihelp@tempeaction.org.

 


Open Table is a faith-based movement seeking to transform poverty and homelessness into wholeness and stability, one life at a time.  People from a faith community, corporation or university serve as a team or “Table” of life specialist and advocates to establish a plan for an individual or family to achieve self-sufficiency.  The Arizona Department of Economic Security and social service agencies contribute support and expertise. Visit www.theopentable.org or contact Jon Katov at 602-793-0533 or jon.katov@theopentable.org, or Rob Rynders of the Wesley Foundation at Arizona State University at 480-967-3376 or rrynders@asu.edu.
 

Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) in Tempe supports chronically homeless individuals with disabilities by providing affordable housing and access to services that ultimately will allow them to lead stable, independent lives. The Arizona Department of Health Services, City of Tempe and Valley of the Sun United Way are partners in PSH. Another partner is Urban Outreach at the Tempe First United Methodist Church at 215 E. University Drive.  Urban Outreach provides supportive services for homeless guests with a Resource Center, Shower Program, and Faithful Friends, which connects guests with faith community members committed to assisting them in moving towards self-sufficiency and stable housing.  See www.urbanoutreachaz.org or contact Kim Van Nimwegen at 480-967-3376 or kvurbanoutreach@aol.com.


Project Homeless Connect (PHC) brings together social service providers, faith communities, businesses and community volunteers in one place for a day to meet immediate needs of homeless people.  In January 2007, Tempe became the first city in Arizona to host PHC, which now takes place regularly around the state. PHC is hosted in Tempe in January and July.  For more information, contact Theresa James, Homeless and Fair Housing Coordinator in the City of Tempe, at 480-858-2360 or theresa_james@tempe.gov or see http://www.vsuw.org/volunteer/project-homeless-connect.

 

Salvation Army Tempe Corps provides direct assistance for food, rent, and utilities as well as case management to homeless and impoverished individuals and families at 714 S. Myrtle Avenue in downtown Tempe (on University Drive, one block east of Mill Avenue).  Contact George Eastlick at 480-967-8649 or george.eastlick@usw.salvationarmy.org, or go to www.tempearmy.com


Tumbleweed Tempe Youth Resource Center (TYRC) at 17 E. 7th St. in downtown Tempe serves homeless youth and young adults under the age of 21.  TYRC provides basic supportive service such as food, hygiene and clothing in addition to intensive case management. Contact Jana Smith at 480-966-2036 or jsmith@tumbleweed.org or visit http://www.tumbleweed.org/tempe_youth_resource_center.php


2. SERVING THE ELDERLY AND DISABLED


Tempe Community Action Agency (TCAA) provides over 58,000 home delivered meals annually to homebound seniors and disabled adults in Tempe and Scottsdale.  Volunteers are needed to deliver the 230+ meals each day, Monday – Friday.  Drivers volunteer from 9:00 a.m. to Noon and are trained for a particular route so they can get to know their clients.  Because the homebound clients may have no other visitors that day, the drivers provide a wellness check as well as a nutritious meal.  Please contact Kathy Flores at 480-858-6511 or visit www.tempeaction.org
 

Tempe Neighbors Helping Neighbors (TNHN) provides assistance to low-income and frail Tempe residents who could not maintain or stay in their own homes without help. TNHN seeks to provide such residents with volunteers who will assist with yard and landscape maintenance, minor home repair and modifications.  By providing assistance, volunteers will help residents maintain their home’s appearance, safety, accessibility and quality of life.  Go to www.tempeneighbors.org or contact 480-858-2309 or tempeneighbors@yahoo.com.


3. SERVING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

Children First Academy (CFA) of Tempe is an elementary (grades K-7) charter school located at 1938 E. Apache Boulevard that serves homeless and underprivileged children.  Through community support, CFA provides students and their families with clothing, food, medical care, counseling, transportation and social services.  Their volunteer and mentoring program is A.L.I.V.E. -- Active Learning Ignited through Volunteer Enrichment.  Volunteers assist teachers in the classroom, work with students one on one, help in the office, the clothing room and food pantry, and assist with the after-school program.  A mentor is assigned a child for the entire year, and dedicates two or more hours per month tutoring, playing games, reading or just talking.  See www.cfatempe.org or contact Diane Fernichio at 480-557-6211 or dianef@edkey.org


Communities in Schools of Tempe and Kyrene.  Faith communities can assist children in need by hosting clothing and shoe drives.  Underwear and socks (all sizes and both sexes) are in very high need. Sites are: Connecting with Kids (Tempe Elementary School District), 3205 S. Rural, Tempe, contact Jacki Favaro at jfavaro@tempeschools.org or 480-921-9003, ext. 6428; Kyrene Family Resource Center (Kyrene District), 1330 E. Dava Dr., Tempe, contact Khalid Jenkins at kjenkins@kyrene.org or 480-783-3172; Teen Resource Center (for middle school and high school students), 4525 S. College, Tempe, contact: Lynette Stonefeld at 480-858-2316 or lynette_stonefeld@tempe.gov.  Also, please go to http://www.tempe.gov/tcc/CIS/default.htm.

Experience Corps engages adults ages 50+ to provide one-on-one early literacy tutoring to struggling students in kindergarten through third grade at Tempe Elementary School District sites in classroom and after-school programs. Volunteer tutors work individually with students the entire school year for two mornings or afternoons each week (six hours per week).  Excellent training and support provided.  Contact Peggy Goldberg at 480-858-2465 or peggy_goldberg@tempe.gov or see http://www.experiencecorps.org/cities/tempe/index.cfm

Laird School and Thew Elementary School in the Tempe Elementary School District are Title I schools serving children predominately from low-income families. School-day and after-school volunteers are needed for academic support as well as other classroom and school-wide tasks and activities.  Assistance is also needed to support families through parenting classes, community referrals, and financial and legal counsel.  Donations of school-age clothing, books, backpacks, and school supplies are always welcome. 



Tempe Salvation Army Family Center is located at 1619 S. Hardy and hosts summer and after-school programs for children from Holdeman School, while providing other services for families in the neighborhood.  Volunteers and supplies are needed.  Contact Captains Robyn and Stephanie Bridgeo at 480-967-8649 or robyn.bridgeo@usw.salvationarmy.org or stephanie.bridgeo@usw.salvationarmy.org.




 

 
Content copyright . For Our City. All rights reserved.