The Community Foundation for Southern Arizona is pleased to announce that the South32 Hermosa Community Fund has awarded $65,650 to eight local nonprofits through its Fall 2020 grant round.
The South32 Hermosa Community Fund, held at CFSA and its geographic affiliate, the Santa Cruz Community Foundation, supports nonprofit organizations based in Santa Cruz County. Supported areas include arts, culture and history, environment, health and welfare, recreation, and civic enhancement.
Fall 2020 South32 Hermosa Community Fund Recipients:
- Arizona Trail Association
- Boy and Girls Club Santa Cruz County
- Family Health Care Amigos
- Friends of Patagonia Pool
- Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona (Nogales)
- Patagonia Creative Arts Association
- Rich River Athletic Club
- Sky Islands Tourism Association
The Arizona Trail Association serves to protect, maintain, enhance, promote, and sustain the Arizona Trail as a unique encounter with the land.
Zach MacDonald, Executive Director of the Arizona Trail Association, shared, “The Arizona Trail Association is grateful for support for our Temporal Gulch reroute project. This is our most ambitious trail construction effort in over a decade and will remove the Arizona National Scenic Trail from paved and dirt roads near Patagonia by constructing 32 miles of scenic and sustainable non-motorized trail. The benefits to those building the trail, the Town of Patagonia, and everyone who spends time on the Arizona Trail are profound.”
Family Health Care Amigos is committed to serving Santa Cruz County by providing health-related education and training. Their focus includes service and support for elders and others in need of healthcare assistance. They also sponsor The Lending Shed, which provides durable medical equipment and adult incontinent supplies free of charge to clients in their service area.
Linda Huffstetler-Dearing, President of Family Health Care Amigos, shared, “South32 Hermosa Fund is assisting us in creating a pathway towards self-sustainability for our non-profit in rural Arizona.”
Sky Islands Tourism Association (SITA) works to grow regional tourism, thereby enhancing business and employment opportunities within the Sky Island communities of Elgin, Sonoita and Patagonia Arizona. Linda Shore, President of the SITA board, shared that the funds will be utilized to keep their Regional Visitor Center and website open to visitors.
Shore further emphasized, “Speaking on behalf of the 100+ regional businesses, 4000+ tourists that use the services of the information center, and the 1200+ visitors to our website, the board of the tourism association is grateful for the support.”
The Boys & Girls Club of Santa Cruz County works to inspire and enable all young people to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, healthy, and caring citizens. Vicki Barden, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Cruz County, discussed the impact of these funds to continue their VIP Job Training program. This program allows for on-the-job training and support to help youth prepare for their future.
Barden further shared, “The VIP Job Training program, now in its 26th year, has been the first job for hundreds of Santa Cruz County youth who are now successful adults giving back to their communities. This program wouldn’t be possible without community partners like South 32 Hermosa! Thank you!”
The Friends of Patagonia Pool (FOPP) supports the Patagonia Pool for the benefit of the Town of Patagonia and Patagonia School Districts. Karen Riggs, President of FOPP, relayed that the organization is helping the Patagonia Pool owners to make informed decisions, and will soon have the pool professionally cleaned alongside a facility audit from a national leader in aquatics.
Riggs further shared, “The result of these two items will allow the owners to assess the sustainability of the pool and estimated cost to continue to provide an important community and regional asset.”
Rich River Athletics Club promotes and encourages running and walking, provides healthy and educational activities, supports the efforts of club members who qualify for competitions, and celebrates fitness.
Stephen Schadler, President of Rich River Athletics Club, shared, “We are extremely grateful to receive these funds as this will allow us to provide running and track and field activities for Santa Cruz County youth at a whole new level. By traveling with athletes to Phoenix and Flagstaff for competitions, we will be introducing many young people to parts of the state they may have never seen while also confirming for them that they can compete and succeed outside of their local comfort zone.”
About South32
South32 is a globally diversified mining and metals company. They produce bauxite, alumina, aluminium, energy and metallurgical coal, manganese, nickel, silver, lead and zinc at their operations in Australia, Southern Africa and South America. They are also the owner of the Hermosa Project, a high-grade zinc, lead and silver development option, and have several partnerships with junior explorers with a focus on base metals. The company’s purpose is to make a difference by developing natural resources, improving people’s lives now and for generations to come. To learn more about the South32 Hermosa Community Fund, visit www.cfsaz.org/south32. To view the most current annual report of giving from the fund, visit www.south32.net/hermosa/documents.