Step Up to Justice’s director of outreach Melissa Spiller-Shiner, left, with Anna Harper-Guerrero, Emerge’s president of organizational development.

 Scott Griessel / Creatista
  • Step Up to Justice: The free civil legal center received the Answering the Call award from Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse. The award recognizes a group that has demonstrated the courage to act and answer the call to end domestic abuse in the Tucson community. Last year, Step Up to Justice provided pro bono legal services to 1,000 low-income individuals and families in Pima County.
  • Ben Korn: The Tucson local and Safeguard distributor received the company’s President’s Award for increasing his sales volume by nearly 8 percent year over year. Safeguard specializes in marketing, promotional products and branding. Korn has received the President’s Award four years in a row.
  • Literacy Connects: The Connie Hillman Family Foundation has awarded a three-year challenge grant of $200,000 with a $50,000 bonus to Literacy Connects. The foundation will match 50 percent of every new dollar raised by Literacy Connects. The challenge grant applies only to gifts received from new donors (individuals, foundations and corporate) and increased gifts from existing donors. Additionally, if Literacy Connects raises $400,000 in response to the challenge by March 31, 2021, the Hillman Foundation will donate an additional $50,000 bonus. Seventy percent of the funds will be applied to operations, 10 percent will go toward cash reserves and 20 percent will be applied to an endowment for the organization.
  • Humberto S. Lopez: The Arizona Lodging and Tourism Association presented its Hotelier of the Year Award to HSL Properties Founder Humberto S. Lopez. Lopez started HSL Properties Inc. in 1975. HSL owns and manages eight Tucson hotels, totaling more than 1,600 guest rooms: Hampton Inn & Suites; Radisson Suites; TownePlace Suites by Marriott; The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain; El Conquistador Tucson, a Hilton Resort; DoubleTree Suites by Hilton; Best Western Plus Tucson Int’l. Airport; and La Quinta Inn & Suites Tucson — Reid Park. In addition, HSL has two Hampton Inn & Suites under construction, one in Marana, slated to open in the fall, and another in Rita Ranch, scheduled to open in the winter.
  • Catalina In-Home Services: The Better Business Bureau has selected Catalina In-Home Services to receive the 2018 Ethics Award. The locally owned and operated business got its start in 1981. Catalina In-Home Services combines caregiving, nursing oversight and concierge administrative management for a personalized and coordinated home-care experience.

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