April 18, 2016 - Today Dawn Hocking, Director of Development for The Centers for Habilitation (TCH) gave us an overview and a  tour of the TCH facilities.  Their mission is: Finding creative and innovative ways to provide hope and purpose for individuals with disabilities. TCH began in 1967 and today has 13 group homes in the Phoenix area and has about 700 clients per year. They are a non-profit contractor with the state which provides 60% of their funding. The balance of their funding comes from revenue generated by their document destruction division (ASDD) and various custodial contracts with nearby military bases.. We were all very impressed with the facilities and the organization. They are a stellar community resource.

 

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 April 13, 2016 - Kyrene Rotary members Ken, Harry, Doug, Tom, and Bill served lunch to homeless men and women at Phoenix Rescue Mission and cleaned up the serving area after.  Thanks Bill for arranging this annual service project.  Phoenix Rescue Mission provides 3 meals a day, 7 days a week, overnight shelter and many other services to homeless people.

We all enjoyed lunch and fellowship afterwards.

 

  April 11, 2016 - Kris Walters, Community Relations Coordinator for the Clothes Cabin  gave us an overview of the organization and some of its history. The basic mission is to provide free clothing to those who can't afford it. The organization began in 2001 just focusing on socks but expanded into a clothing bank in 2008. They also provide storage lockers and an address for the homeless.  In addition they have a back-to-work program. They have partnered with a few Title1 schools and have opened a resale store to help raise funds.  They serve over 6000 individuals and rely on the services of about 72 volunteers per month. Check out this organization here.

 

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  April 4, 2016 - Tamela Demik, a pilot with the Arizona National Guard, gave us a great presentation about her experience and history. She is currently a member of the Camelback Crossroads club and is a strong believer in "paying it forward". She joined the Guard right out of college and began flying C130's.  Today she flies KC 135s (refueling tankers) and is a flight instructor. She told us of some of the challenges in carrying out these refueling operations. The basic mission is to refuel bombers carrying nuclear warheads - part of a cold war deterrent.  Her presentation was followed by many questions and comments.

 

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