The “Take Your Shot” effort will include bilingual marketing, grassroots outreach and advertisements featuring prominent local residents, including University of Arizona Women’s Basketball Coach Adia Barnes.

������Ƶ contributed $33,000 to the campaign from corporate resources that won’t be recovered through customers’ rates.

The (ACE) is leading outreach efforts, along with the and Pima County. Other funders included the United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona and the to reach a total of $100,000 that will match funds from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The group kicked off the campaign at a press conference in late May.

“There are still many residents who have questions about the vaccine,” said Wendy Erica Werden, Manager of Community Investment and Philanthropy. “These efforts are intended to build their confidence and ability to get vaccinated so that the entire community can safely move past the pandemic.”

������Ƶ joined the campaign to promote social equity and public health. The effort will reach older residents and members of Black, indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) communities.

“I think that this campaign is all about health equity and justice in our community and ensuring equitable distribution of vaccines,” said W. Mark Clark, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Pima Council on Aging. “The digital divide can certainly be an issue in terms of people’s access to information and registration for appointments.”

ACE will take the lead in contacting residents in zip codes identified by Pima County as having low numbers of vaccinations. Bilingual outreach workers will call people to answer questions and arrange for vaccinations either in their homes, or at nearby vaccination locations.

, March 11 at 5 p.m.: The high-energy, quick presentation gives nonprofit leaders the chance to share the mission, vision, promise, and model of their organizations in less than three minutes. ������Ƶ is sponsoring the Power to the People Grant Award. Participants can text to vote for their favorite nonprofit organizations. All donations will be matched up to $50,000.

March 12 at noon: As part of Women’s History Month, the event’s keynote presentation will feature a conversation about gender and racial equity by Foundation CEO Amalia Luxardo and Lauren Casteel, President and CEO of the Women’s Foundation of Colorado. The foundation also will recognize and honor women leaders in the community and hear inspiring stories from women and girls involved with the Unidas and Pathways programs.

, March 13 at 4 p.m.: This will feature a cooking demonstration with James Beard award-winning Chef Janos Wilder, online silent auction and videos about the bank’s work.

, March 20 at 6 p.m.: The fundraiser will include an interactive magic show, honorees recognition and online auction. ITK provides free support to families with children with health or special needs through a new therapy.

And ������Ƶ customers stepped up, providing more support than ever for a program that provides bill payment assistance for low-income families.

Customers are invited to round up their bill payment to the next dollar or make a fixed monthly contribution to join our Help with Emergency Energy Relief Operation – or HEERO for short.

At a time when ������Ƶ provided additional bill payment assistance and support for local nonprofits working to meet increased demand through the pandemic, thousands of our customers stepped up to help their neighbors as well.

Every month, HEERO contributions are passed along to the Salvation Army for bill assistance to ������Ƶ customers. We cover the program’s administrative costs, so 100 percent of contributions are used to help customers.

������Ƶ customers contributed more than $137,000 to the fund last year, simply by rounding up or designating a set dollar amount to help. Since 2011, our customers have contributed more than $1.6 million in all.

“People in the community know about our partnership and we get emails and calls all the time asking if there’s any assistance that might be available,” said Bill Davidson, Community Relations Manager with Salvation Army. “For us, it’s great to be able to say, ‘Yes, there is a way we can help’ and then to show them how easy it really is to go through the process.”

“It’s great to have a tool like this, and particularly in a time like this, when families have been sidelined by events outside of their control.”

Denise Richerson, ������Ƶ’s Director of Customer Service and Programs, said the HEERO program supplements other assistance ������Ƶ provided customers over the past year, including extended payment plans and additional flexibility.

“HEERO is a great way for customers to help provide hope for neighbors in need,” she said. “Small change can really add up and make a big difference in the lives of others,” she said.

For more information on how you can participate, please visit /heero/

������Ƶ is a longtime contributor to the Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona as a way to promote education and business training. In addition, we’re supporting the Girl Scouts’ expanded efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in our community.

The Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona has made it easy to purchase cookies this year with to order for shipping or delivery through Grubhub, as well as locating a booth near you. If you know a Girl Scout, ask for her online sales webpage. Girl Scouts are also dropping off cookies to your door.

New this year, you can also buy cookies to donate to first responders and military members serving overseas through the .

Most years, ������Ƶ volunteers help load up boxes during the annual cookie drop to distribute boxed treats for troops. In addition, our employees volunteer as troop leaders, serve on the board and participate in fundraisers, including the “Over the Edge” event in which they rappel down tall buildings.

������Ƶ supports the Girl Scouts’ mission to promote important life skills – money management, people skills, business ethics, decision-making and goal setting.

Learn more about our community support and donations.

Upcoming events include:

, Feb. 5 – This daylong event is a leadership training and networking event for local entrepreneurs and professional women with the theme, “We Were Made for This: Meeting the Future Courageously.” Cynthia Garcia, ������Ƶ Vice President of Energy Delivery, will welcome participants as part of the introductory video.

Our sponsorship and ongoing YWCA support is part of ������Ƶ’s dedication to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in our community.

, Feb. 19 – Greater Tucson Leadership is hosting the event to present the Man and Woman of the Year, Founders and GTL Alumni Excellence awards. ������Ƶ is a longtime supporter of Greater Tucson Leadership to encourage civic engagement, leadership and involvement in our community.

, Feb. 25 – This 16^th annual Business Leaders for Early Education Breakfast raises money for early childhood literacy and presents awards to Literacy Champions.

Joe Salkowski, Senior Director of Communications and Public Affairs, is participating in the welcome video for the event. As a title sponsor, ������Ƶ is continuing our support of education as a philanthropic focus area.

Learn more about ������Ƶ’s community support.

But with the lease ending soon at the nonprofit group’s headquarters, GAP is looking to settle into a permanent location that can better serve the community.

������Ƶ is helping GAP achieve that goal by kickstarting its capital campaign for the Campus of Hope. In October, ������Ƶ provided a $10,000 Power Challenge matching grant – encouraging other donors to contribute toward the total of $1.75 million needed for a down payment due in March.

The organization would cut its monthly payment in half – about $17,000 a month, compared to the current $36,000 lease payment – by purchasing its own property.

“This was a big boost by ������Ƶ. We’re hopeful that their support will demonstrate some of the ways businesses can help nonprofits with the work we do to serve the community,” said Tiane Kennedy, Public Relations and Development Director for GAP Ministries.

The 21-year-old organization serves the community in three main ways:

• Providing foster care for children in nine large homes as well as licensing and support services for individual foster families.
• Redistributing food and non-food items at the Community Warehouse, serving 45+ local nonprofit partners and thousands of families living in poverty.
• Preparing and serving between 1,500 and 5,000 meals per week at GAP Kitchen to services such as schools, low-income daycare centers, homeless shelters and elderly care. The kitchen also provides job training for formerly incarcerated individuals, as well as those living in poverty or who are at-risk.

Each week, the warehouse receives perishable and nonperishable foods from local stores. These donations are stored in a commercial refrigerator until they can be distributed to other agencies for use.

In addition, GAP works with, an organization that partners with large retail companies to collect overstock or slightly damaged goods to distribute to nonprofit groups. For example, GAP acquired thousands of pillows that had the wrong label.

“I feel like we’re the best kept secret in town because we are a hub and a partner for so many,” Kennedy said.

In addition to reducing the group’s long-term expenses, the new location will allow flexibility for community members to visit the warehouse, provide collaborative space and house a visitation center for parents, guardians and foster children.

“We know GAP Ministries is looking forward as they develop their plans for the Campus of Hope,” said Wendy Erica Werden, ������Ƶ Manager of Community Investment and Philanthropy. “We know that this will be a new and revolutionary place where GAP Ministries can continue their legacy and join with all of our community partners to bring together the best that GAP Ministries has to offer.”

������Ƶ has long supported GAP Ministries’ work as part of our company’s philanthropic focus area of community assistance, including grants to buy a convection oven to prepare meals for school children and purchase discounted goods for its warehouse for limited-income families.

This story is part of our ongoing series highlighting ������Ƶ’s philanthropic focus areas. ������Ƶ works with nonprofit partners to develop invitation-based donation requests for community assistance efforts. Funds come from corporate resources, not customers’ rates. Learn more about donations.

������Ƶ is donating $5,000 for the Pueblo Gardens Neighborhood Association Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast, which will include speakers and presentations online.

The video will be available for streaming at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 16 the .

Now in its 31^st year, the breakfast has raised thousands of dollars for educational scholarships, school supplies, textbooks and computers for students in the Pueblo Gardens and surrounding neighborhoods. Pueblo Gardens is the sole Tucson neighborhood to host an annual event to honor the work and legacy of Dr. King.

For more information, check the .

During the shift change at 6:30 a.m. that morning, all Banner employees were invited to pick up a free 4-pack of LED light bulbs and enjoy a 10 percent discount off their purchases from ������Ƶ’s new online . The kits were set on tables located outside employee entrances for workers to take as they left the hospital for contact-free distribution.

Randomly hidden inside five of the boxes of LED bulbs were Gold Tickets, good for a $200 shopping spree to be redeemed on the Marketplace.

The event at Banner was the first of several events planned for other area hospitals over the next several months to show our corporate support for healthcare workers for keeping serving our community during the pandemic.

“COVID-19 has significantly impacted all of our lives, but especially those working in the heathcare industry,” said Alyssa Moore, Energy Program Coordinator, who led the small planning team. “They are working tirelessly to care for those affected despite the health risks. We wanted to show our company’s appreciation for their commitment and efforts.”

While the garden canceled Holiday Nights for safety reasons this year, Tohono Chul is continuing to spread holiday cheer remotely. Residents can purchase pre-recorded, customized video options or a live Zoom meeting with Santa.

Customers can enter to win a regular interactive Zoom session with Santa. With ������Ƶ’s sponsorship, 50 sessions are available in the contest.

On site, Tohono Chul is providing customers with blank postcards to Santa in the Retail Greenhouse, along with an elf ear craft. The completed postcards can be dropped off in the mailbox back at the Retail Greenhouse until Dec. 24.

������Ƶ is continuing its longstanding tradition of supporting children during the holidays with drive-through events at all six club locations. Club staff members will share holiday dinners provided by GAP Ministries Kitchen and gift cards with members and their families.

Most years, ������Ƶ volunteers treat 120 club members with an early-morning shopping spree for new shoes, clothes and necessities at Kohls. This year’s spree has been transformed because of safeguards to protect against the spread of COVID-19, as well as to fill pressing basic needs for club members whose families are facing even greater financial strains this year.

“During this holiday season, we really wanted to spread some joy and help the Boys & Girls Clubs members and their families, while making sure everyone is safe,” said Susan Gray, ������Ƶ President and Chief Operating Officer, who serves on the organization’s Board of Directors. “We know that so many families are struggling this year, so this is a way we can help make a difference in their lives.”

A small number of ������Ƶ volunteers will safely help share the meals and gift cards at clubhouse drive-through events. In addition, some ������Ƶ employees also wrote inspirational cards to share with each family.

While ������Ƶ usually provides funds for clothing, this year’s donation will also include grocery cards because so many families are reporting food insecurity due to the pandemic.

“We cannot thank ������Ƶ employees enough for the positive difference they make in the lives of our youth and so many in our community,” said Debbie Wagner, Chief Executive Officer of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson.

In addition to the shopping spree, ������Ƶ has supported Boys & Girls Clubs in other ways, including volunteering at the BGCT Girl Power Day at the University of Arizona in fall 2019 and contributing to a COVID-relief grant through the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona.

This story is part of our ongoing series highlighting one of ������Ƶ’s philanthropic focus areas – community assistance. ������Ƶ works with nonprofit partners to develop invitation-based donation requests for community assistance efforts. Funds come from corporate resources, not customers’ rates. Learn more about donations.

(Photo: In 2019, a ������Ƶ volunteer, right, helps a Boys & Girls Clubs member find a shirt during the shopping spree.)