Trico Electric Co-op: Trico Electric Cooperative has awarded a total of $35,000 to nine nonprofit organizations providing critical services in Southern Arizona. The grants are part of Tricoโs POWER Grants program and are awarded twice a year. Receiving a grant of $5,200 was Arivaca Coordinating Council-Arivaca Human Resource Group, Inc. Receiving grants of $5,000 each were Arivaca Fire District Auxiliary; Ayuda Smiles, Inc. doing business as Smiles for Veterans; Sister Jose Womenโs Center; and Marana Unified School District Food and Clothing Bank. Angel Heart Pajama Project received a $3,000 grant. Receiving grants of $2,500 each were Friends in Deed, Inc.; and Youth On Their Own. Receiving a grant of $1,800 was the Mt. Lemmon Firefighters Foundation. Bayer Marana Greenhouse also partnered with Trico. Bayer donated $500 to the Trico Electric Foundation, requesting that the money be given to the MUSD Food and Clothing Bank.
TJ Vandiver, left, and Francis Howe turned scrap aluminum into nearly $600 to donate to Valle Verde Rotary Club for student projects.ย
TJ Vandiver Construction and Francis Howe: After a major hail storm pummeled Green Valley in mid-July, the owner of TJ Vandiver Construction was busy replacing damaged skylight domes. He called in his buddy, Green Valley resident Francis Howe, to help him cut down skylights too big to fit in the replacement area. Vandiver noticed Howe, 87, was collecting the aluminum shavings. He learned Howe was selling the leftover aluminum to a scrapyard and giving the money to the Valle Verde Rotary Club to donate to local schools and childrenโs projects around town. Vandiver offered all of the leftover frames from the replacements to do the same. Howe ended up with 130 frames, which translated to nearly $600 to benefit area youngsters. Vandiver said he now plans on donating the aluminum regularly.
