Southern Arizona charities have received nearly $500,000 so far from pandemic relief funds our company has supported.
Tucson Electric Power and UniSource Energy Services donated $500,000 of the more than $1.5 million raised by relief funds administered by the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona (CFSA). More than $110,000 from UniSource was forwarded to assist Northern Arizona nonprofits.
Our contribution to the COVID-19 Community Support Fund helps charities meet increased service demands from vulnerable populations during this public health crisis. Susan Gray serves on the CFSA committee that awards grants from the funds, with support from Community Investment Manager Wendy Erica Werden.
Senior Program Manager Nikole White from UniSource is working with the Arizona Community Foundation in Flagstaff to make the first selections for northern service areas this week.
“Our company is synonymous with reliability, but we are also known for our compassion and our commitment to community, so we are proud to help support the nonprofit community in this time of extraordinary need,” Susan said.
In the latest round of funding, grants were allocated to organizations providing childcare for frontline healthcare workers, emergency diaper distribution, meals for youth and families, safe housing for homeless women, rental assistance and resources for distance learning.
As one example, the funding ensures that El Rio Community Health’s employees have childcare support while they care for patients at a time when school and daycare closures have limited childcare options.
Earlier funding rounds included assistance to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson, Catholic Community Services of Southern Arizona and Primavera Foundation, among others, to provide food boxes to families, home-delivered food for seniors and ongoing support for parents.
“This gift is emblematic of TEP’s and UniSource’s long-term understanding that we can only address our communities’ needs by working together across sectors in true collaboration and partnership,” said J. Clinton Mabie, the Foundation’s President and CEO.
TEP and UniSource also donated a combined $500,000 to Wildfire, an Arizona nonprofit group that helps low-income families pay their energy bills.
Fundraising continues for the COVID-19 Response Funds, with more than $2.6 million in unmet funding requests from local nonprofits in the system.
