Valle Verde Rotary Club: Nineteen Valle Verde Rotarians and spouses and eight Interact members hosted 17 students from Sopori Elementary School for a shopping trip at Walmart as part of its Dress For Success effort.
The students shopped for clothes for the new school year, and nearly every child chose a new pair of shoes. After shopping, the group went to Triple Play, where Valle Verde Rotary hosted lunch for the students, their chaperones, and Interact members. Triple Play treated the children to games in the arcade area. Interact clubs bring together young people ages 12-18 to develop leadership skills while discovering the power of service above self.
South32 Hermosa Community Fund: The South32 Hermosa Community Fund has awarded $112,000 to 16 nonprofit organizations in Santa Cruz County. The fund is held at Community Foundation for Southern Arizona and its affiliate, the Santa Cruz Community Foundation. It supports nonprofit organizations based in Santa Cruz County.
Focus areas include arts, culture and history, environment, health and welfare, recreation, and civic enhancement.
Organizations awarded include: Boys & Girls Club of Santa Cruz County; Cultural Arts Committee of Nogales, Arizona; Valley Assistance Services; Las Lagunas de Anza; Mariposa Community Health Center; Patagonia Volunteer Fire & Rescue; Rebuilding Together Santa Cruz County; Rio Rico Community Center; Rio Rico Historical Society; Rio Rico Rotary Foundation (Rio Rico Rotary Club); Santa Cruz Council on Aging; Santa Cruz Training Programs; Society for Bevel Intentions (Mat Bevel Company); St. Therese of Lisieux Parish; and United Way of Santa Cruz County.
Darden Restaurants: Darden Restaurants is helping Feeding America provide 10 member food banks, including the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona in Tucson, with a 26-foot refrigerated truck, which can transport up to 12,000 pounds of food at a time. The trucks are made possible through a $2 million grant from the Darden Restaurants, Inc. Foundation and support from partners Penske Truck Leasing and the Lineage Foundation.
The trucks will become part of the mobile food pantry program. Since January 2021, Darden and its partners have helped add 35 trucks, along with money for operating expenses, for 35 food banks in 18 states. Darden’s family of restaurants include Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Yard House, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, The Capital Grille, Seasons 52, Eddie V’s and Bahama Breeze.
