Family Housing Resources, Inc. (“FHR”), a support organization of the Industrial Development Authority of the County of Pima (the “Pima IDA”), is pleased to announce it has awarded two grants totaling $150,000 in an effort to support affordable housing program in Pima County and Southern Arizona.
The grantees are as follows: United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona received $100,000 and Our Family Services received $50,000. Award ceremonies were held at local offices of United Way and at the Reunion House for Our Family Services on November 3, 2017.
“We are very excited to continue to fulfill our investment in the Tucson community and Pima County and deliver on our promise to make life better for our hardest hit residents,“ said FHR’s Board President John Payne. “It is only through partnership with eminent organizations like these that we will be able to successfully assist even more families and individuals achieve their dream of homeownership and provide safe affordable housing solutions.” “This is just the beginning of FHR’s granting program, as FHR is looking to be granting additional funds to worthy housing non-profits in the near future.”
FHR is one of three Pima IDA support organizations that also include Community Investment Corporation (“CIC”) and Southern Arizona Land Trust, Inc. (“SALT”), all of which focus on improving the economic growth and general welfare of Pima County.
The largest grant, in the amount of $100,000, was awarded to United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona to be used in three ways to make a significant difference in the community:
- Collective Impact Fund at United Way, to be used to support its vision where every child receives a high quality education from cradle to career, every adult has the opportunity to thrive financially and at work, and every older person can retire and age with dignity. United’s collective work builds change in the community by convening people to work together to solve the most important problems and create the best solutions to change lives to prevent critical problems such as homelessness, behavioral health issues, and family despair.
- The Siemer Family Stability Project assists families with school-age children who are experiencing financial distress and facing imminent eviction. Our Family Services, United Way’s partner, provides financial support to the family to either keep them in their home or find suitable, affordable housing so the children can keep attending the school they had been attending.
- Operation United provides support to Tucson Veterans Serving Veterans (TVSV) organizing two major events during the year: The Veterans Resource Fair in June and the Stand Down for Homeless Veterans in January. TVSV helps hundreds of veterans through these events, from employment assistance, connection to counseling and other forms of support, to haircuts and dental care. Operation United also works with community agencies that provide permanent housing for homeless veterans and their families. Primavera Foundation is the lead agency of those agencies receiving Supportive Services for Veterans and Families, a program funded by the VA.
“We are very pleased and honored to be chosen to receive a grant for $100,000 from Family Housing Resources,” said Tony Penn, President and CEO of United Way Tucson and Southern Arizona. “United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona’s mission is to build a thriving community by uniting people, ideas, and resources. As part of our vision we work with families and adults to achieve financial stability and avoid homelessness and despair. With FHR’s generous gift, we will be able to reach more families with children who are at-risk of eviction or have difficult family situations that make them vulnerable to homelessness through the Family Stability Project.”
Another grant, in the amount of $50,000, was issued to Our Family Services to benefit the Reunion House program, a 20-bed emergency shelter offering hope and a safe temporary home for abused, neglected, runaway, and homeless teenagers in Tucson. Three quarters of the youth who stay at Reunion House have experienced violence and abuse at home. Reunion House offers them a safe place to stay and individual and group counseling so they can heal from experiences of trauma, repair damage to their self-worth and self-esteem, and prepare for adulthood without continuing the cycle of violence in their homes. Last year, 247 teens called Reunion House home.
“Receiving this incredibly generous grant from the Family Housing Resources has left us all speechless,” said CEO Beth Morrison. “We are grateful for the recognition of the important work that we do at Our Family in working with young people. By providing services to youth, we believe we are one step closer to our achieving our mission of eliminating homelessness and strengthening our community.”
About United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona
United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona is building a thriving community by uniting people, ideas and resources. We transform individual lives and bring long-lasting, systemic change to our community by focusing on the key, underlying issues. We fight for quality education, financial stability and healthy communities for every person in Tucson and southern Arizona. Our role as community convener enables us to form strategic partnerships, mobilize the best resources and be the catalyst for needed change. http://www.unitedwaytucson.org
About Our Family Services
Our Family Services is a Tucson non-profit whose roots go back to the 1950s. Our Family’s mission is to eliminate homelessness and strengthen our community. We do this by providing stability in times of crisis, fostering social connectedness, linking people to support and resources, and engaging our neighbors to tackle tough community issues. http://www.ourfamilyservices.org
