The Hellene Henrikson Fund of the Lutheran Church of the Foothills, a donor advised fund held at CFSA, awarded $90,000 to six local nonprofits to help combat food insecurity.
Kristen Birner, Fund Board Chair, shared, “Lutheran Church of the Foothills was blessed by the generosity of a member of our congregation who left a sizable gift to be used to assist organizations that help individuals in need. We are honored to be the steward of this generous gift and have elected to distribute it over the next several years by providing grants to organizations that respond to solicitations each year addressing different areas of focus need. We are pleased to partner with CFSA to carry out the wishes of our fellow servant.”
Fall 2021 Grantees:
- Patagonia Youth Enrichment Center
- Santa Cruz Council on Aging
- Sunnyside Unified School District Foundation
- The Inn of Southern Arizona
- Tucson Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network (TIHAN)
- Youth on Their Own
Grantee Highlights:
The Inn of Southern Arizona receives families who have gone through U.S. Customs and Border Protection (C.B.P.), or I.C.E., and are released to continue the immigration process. Their volunteers provide temporary shelter, hospitality, food, clothing, showers, and compassion for these vulnerable families, giving them a safe place to stay while they transition to the next part of their journey.
Diane Everhart, President of The Inn of Southern Arizona, shared, “This grant will enable The Inn of Southern Arizona to provide 2,727 guests three meals a day for a day’s stay at The Inn of Southern Arizona as they travel through Tucson on the way to their future homes in the U.S. Most migrants, including the children, come with little more than the clothing they are wearing and have had little food to eat. We are deeply grateful.”
Patagonia Youth Enrichment Center’s “Setting Roots for Life” project allows youth at the center to create their own garden, which then brings fresh fruits and vegetables to the youth center’s cooking program.
Anna Coleman, Director of Patagonia Youth Enrichment Center, shared, “This garden project will give the youth the knowledge of producing their own food and allow them to cultivate life skills that will help them be successful in the future. We appreciate the generosity of the Hellene Henrikson Fund of the Lutheran Church of the Foothills and CFSA.”
Tucson Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network (TIHAN) provides community resources and caring support so that people with HIV can live well. Through education, they work to encourage everyone to get tested, get involved, and reduce the stigma of HIV.
Scott Blades, Executive Director for TIHAN, said, “Our CarePartners (clients living with HIV) are primarily people on fixed income living in poverty, with high levels of food insecurity. Just as we began seeking funding for food support, this grant showed up, and we are so grateful to the fund, the church, and CFSA for providing funding for three months of food support for people living with HIV.”
Youth On Their Own (YOTO) is a dropout prevention program that supports the high school graduation and continued success of youth experiencing homelessness in Pima County. They provide basic needs to help keep students on track to graduate.
Elizabeth Slater, CEO of Youth on Their Own, shared, “Funding from the Hellene Henrikson Fund is crucial for ensuring that Youth On Their Own can meet all of the basic needs of teens, including access to food and hygiene supplies, experiencing homelessness in Pima County. We are so grateful for this generous support – it will impact hundreds of housing-insecure youth in 2022!”
The Santa Cruz Council on Aging (SCCOA) provides healthy nutritional meals, wellness and maintenance of optimal health through education, prevention, and knowledge of seniors’ rights.
Arnoldo Montiel, Volunteer President of the SCCOA Board of Directors, shared, “This grant will be of great help to our program in regards to our meal expenses, as disposable take-out food commodity prices have gone up. We provide around 100 meals a day to our seniors here at Santa Cruz Council on Aging. We are very grateful for this opportunity that was granted to us by this award.”