Weekly e-Newsletter | July 26th, 2023

Thunderbirds Charities Grant

Supports Critical Client Services

Thunderbirds Charities has awarded Human Services Campus (HSC, Inc.) a $300,000 grant to support, enhance and expand critical client services designed to assist individuals experiencing homelessness to move from street to home. Funding will be used for programs including street outreach, intake and assessment, housing and behavioral health navigation, housing referral, post office services, reunification with family/friends, and more.

“Our team cannot do the important work they do every day without the incredibly generous support of Thunderbirds Charities,” said HSC CEO Amy Schwabenlender. “We are extremely grateful that Thunderbirds Charities continues to be one of our most consistent community partners.”

In Fiscal Year 2023, nearly 14,000 unduplicated individuals visited the Human Services Campus. During that period, over 9,000 individuals completed assessments to determine their needs. 830 people were reunified with friends and family, quickly and affordably moving from street to home. Over 2,000 people were ultimately connected to permanent housing.

“HSC is doing invaluable work in our community,” said Pat Williams, President of Thunderbirds Charities. “As we watch the significant growth in our unsheltered population, we are immensely grateful that we have organizations like HSC providing important support and truly making a difference in the lives of this vulnerable population.”

Big Thanks to Thunderbirds Charities!

Birthday Party Benefits HSC

An HSC supporter recently found a creative way to raise money to help people experiencing homelessness. Taylor Carr, an ASU Associate Teaching Professor, shares his story:

"In late June I threw myself a big 65^th birthday party at the Hotel Valley Ho. Had 35 guests from out of town and about another 60 local friends. Before the party, a friend (Bill Holgate) suggested that instead of gifts for me, we encourage everyone to consider a donation to the Human Services Campus. I loved the idea. Bill coordinated with HSC and created handouts and a poster with a QR code that linked to the HSC donation site. 

I made a little speech noting the Valley's homeless problem and asking people to consider a donation. The response was fantastic. 35 people donated and we raised over $6,000. 

What a great experience. Human Services Campus did all the work, and I just provided the occasion and a connection to caring, generous people. It was the best birthday gift ever."

Thank you Taylor! Your idea has already inspired others to consider doing something similar!

Want to learn more about how we can work together to help our community's most vulnerable people? Contact us at [email protected].

Looking for a Volunteer Opportunity?

Next Bottled Water Donation Drop-off is Saturday, August 5th | 9:00 am to Noon

Yesterday marked 26 consecutive days in Phoenix with a temperature over 110 degrees. Providing bottled water for our clients is literally a life-saving gift. Please join us for our next bottled water drop-off event. We make it easy: You pull up at 15th Avenue & Harrison Street, and our staff will remove the donations from your vehicle. We also welcome travel-sized toiletries, summer clothing, shoes, new men's/women's underwear, hats, sunscreen and lip balm. For more information or to schedule a drop-off on a different day, please email [email protected] or call us at 602-282-0849. 

Special thanks to Campus partner Circle the City who is co-hosting the August 5th event with HSC. Collaboration in action!

Episode 10 Now Streaming on the McQuaid Mission

Season 2, Episode 10 of "It Happens at STN"

In the July episode of the McQuaid Mission, UMOM’s Chief Program Officer Mila Valle and Workforce Development Manager Fernandez Bjork join co-producer Amy Schwabenlender to talk about how workforce development goes beyond job training and why it is critical for prospective employers to participate in the process. Watch it here.

Click Here to View All Episodes.