With a mission to promote population health and community wellness, the Legacy Foundation of Southeast Arizona is off to a healthy start! During calendar year 2015 the Foundation gifted ten community nonprofit organizations including schools, gardens, a homeless shelter, and an advocacy center. The gifts supported services to children and youth, disabled persons, victims of abuse, low/no income, persons suffering from behavioral/mental health issues amongst others.
Gifts were granted across the county from Douglas to Willcox, Bisbee to Sierra Vista, Hereford to Naco. Listed below are the gifts and the projects currently in-progress or complete.
The gift to Cochise Family Advocacy Center was a start-up grant in the amount of $70,000.00. This innovative grant will be used toward the salary of the executive director, office equipment and other start-up technical equipment and supplies.
Good Neighbor Alliance Homeless Shelter received a grant of $35,000.00. The grant funded the newly created Program Manager position. This position was created to take the burden of overseeing daily activities of the shelter and the PATH Shower Program and Outreach Team off the shoulders of the Executive Director. In addition, this position helped streamline workflow, allowing more time for homeless client development and success.
The Sierra Vista Unified School District received $6,000 to supply emergency medical kits to local schools (6 elementary schools, one middle school and one high school). SVUSD maintains a district wide emergency preparedness/safety plan in addition to site specific plans at our school and district offices. The plans were recently reviewed by safety experts (fire and police) and it was recommended we supplement existing medical kits in our nurses’ offices with the Mass Casualty Medic Units. These safety/emergency kits will be strategically placed at school and district sites for use in the event of an emergency.
The Salvation Army received a grant of $300,000.00 to build a new community center. This grant will help increase the size of their community center from 1600 sq. ft. to over 10,000 sq. ft. This is much needed space considering they serve over 300 meals a week out of a 67 sq. ft. kitchen into a dining hall the size of a small living room. In addition to much needed space, the Salvation Army will improve current programs and start new programs.
