Tucsonans are opening their closets, pantries and wallets to help those in need. Since my first list appeared in the Star on Wednesday, here are just a few examples from my email.
Luz E. Gallego, service coordinator at B’nai B’rith Strauss Manor on Pantano, a housing project for low-income senior citizens, received several calls. “I have someone that will be bringing in pet food for our seniors’ pets.
Another person that has a quilting/sewing group will be bringing in masks for all my seniors and staff. A few others called me regarding food pantry donations. Anything helps right now. Again thank you so much, it’s greatly appreciated.”
Joni Chandler, activity director of Mountain View Retirement Village, connected with Lindsay Aguilar, TUSD Food Services Department administrative dietitian-coordinator. TUSD is loaning her 200 plastic compartment trays used for traditional school lunches to replace the of 600 disposable Styroform containers, which were used to feed Mountain View’s 200 residents three times a day.
In addition, “We received a bittersweet donation from a gentleman yesterday who lost his wife a week ago. He needed to clear his home of various items we requested that were left over after his wife’s passing. He had tears in his eyes, I informed him his wife is still giving to others through her donations.”
Jamie Roach, of Tucson Rescue Now, dedicated to getting senior dogs out of shelters and into forever homes, emailed that the rescue group had received “$175 in online donations, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but it means the world to us... It’s a difficult time for everyone. But thank you so much for putting together that column. At least people who are doing OK are aware of how they can help others who aren’t. Tucson is a great community. I’m proud to live here.”
Here are the latest community requests:
Tucson Medical Center Foundation
5301 E. Grant Road, Tucson, 85712
520-324-3116
Tucson Medical Center is Tucson’s only nonprofit community hospital, serving Tucson and Southern Arizona for over 75 years.
Need 1: Unrestricted financial support so TMC can direct funds to areas in critical need. Donations can be made to tmcaz.com/foundation/donate-now
Need 2: Personal protective equipment such as unopened boxes of shoe covers, N95 masks (construction and health grade), general purpose vinyl gloves and surgical masks as well as unopened/sealed bottles of 70%+ isopropyl alcohol or ethyl alcohol 70%+ and UV cleaning equipment (Connect with the foundation at (520) 324-3116 for information)
Need 3: Items to support the staff such as:
• Gift cards for items such as coffee/baked goods ($5 maximum)
• Food or service discounts for TMC staff during this period of time (with current TMC ID)
• Financial support to TMC’s Marks Fund, which supports the urgent or emergency financial needs of TMC Healthcare employees (full-time, part-time and per-diem employees who have completed their probationary period).
GAP Ministries
2861 N. Flowing Wells Road #121, Tucson, 85705
520-877-8077
Need 1: Technology – Money to help with the purchases we already have been required to make, or new/gently used laptops, desktop computers, tablets, cell phones.
GAP provides supervised visits between foster children and their parents.
We are upgrading our technology to be able to provide virtual visits between the kids and families so that they can still see each other’s smiling faces in this scary time, and both the kids and our workers will stay safe.
Additionally, our residential homes now have 10 children all at home trying to do online classes with only two computers at the house for them to share.
Need 2: Staffing – We are in desperate need of more family-support staff to help care for the children in our homes. Our staff has been putting in extremely long hours, and we could potentially use up to 50 new people on staff.
Teachers, childcare workers, or any others currently looking for paid work with Arizona Level 1 fingerprint clearance are encouraged to apply.
Friends of Tucson’s Birthplace
946 W. Mission Lane, Tucson, 85745
520-955-5200
A garden where people can still safely walk around, enjoy the scenery and historic gardens and volunteer. Like city and county parks, we remain open with precautions and restrictions in place.
Need 1: Funds to retain staff to maintain our 4-acre historic garden, which continues to require weeding, planting, harvesting and irrigating during a time when revenues are down drastically.
Need 2: Volunteers who want to work in a healthy outdoor setting where safety precautions are in place, and where social distance can be measured in acres rather than feet.
Need 3: Volunteers to help spread Mission Garden social media posts and to consult on setting up online sales for our shop.
More Than a Bed
3637 N. First Ave., Tucson, 85719
520-428-5280
We support foster, kinship, and adoptive families and the children in their homes by providing for practical needs.
Those practical needs range from cribs, toddler beds, twin beds, bunk beds, diapers and wipes, underwear, clothing, shoes, car seats, toys, and household goods.
We are run primarily by volunteers and operate out of a 5,000-square-foot warehouse.
Need 1: Ongoing volunteers looking to make a difference in their community, 4 to 20 hours per week.
Need 2: Host a fundraiser — birthday party, toy drive, diaper drive, etc.
Need 3: Give financially or donate gently used household items, clothing, toys and furniture. We have partnered with Amazon Smile and Fry’s — please select us as your charity before shopping.
Coyote Task Force (Cafe 54 and Our Place Clubhouse)
66 E. Pennington St. Tucson, 85701
520-622-1907 (Cafe 54) or 520-884-5553 (Our Place Clubhouse)
Coyote Task Force (CTF) provides support to adults with mental illnesses through programs Cafe 54 and Our Place Clubhouse.
We continue to provide job-seeking assistance, peer support, and food and supplies to our clients who are already isolated due to the stigma of mental illness, and many of whom have underlying health conditions or are over 65, putting them at increased risk for COVID-19.
Need 1: Donations to help us keep our doors open. Our usual revenues from Cafe 54 and ReThreads Thrift have ceased completely and we may be unable to reopen. Donate at ctftucson.org/donate
Need 2: Canned ready-to-eat meals (soup, etc.), hygiene supplies (toilet paper, etc.), and cleaning supplies to distribute safely to our isolated members.
Need 3: Help spreading the word. Email or share on social media about the work CTF does and what we need.
We’re on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @ctftucson, @cafe54bistro and @ourplaceclubhouse.
Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest
1231 N. Norris Ave., Tucson, 85719
520-748-2300
LSS-SW is providing critical services to over 1,000 isolated older adults and people with disabilities, newly arrived refugee families, and families in the foster care system. Anything that can be shared will go directly to vulnerable people in need of additional support.
Need 1: Cleaning supplies, especially disinfectant wipes and gloves
Need 2: Personal hygiene supplies, especially toilet paper and hand soap
Need 3: Nonperishable food items
Rescue Me Tucson
Rescue Me Tucson has been working for some time to open, but wanted to find permanent space and to have a year’s operational budget in the bank.
Now, due to the coronavirus, they are accelerating that opening to help rescues from PACC and other municipal shelters.
Please call Nancy Young Wright, 520-403-4632, if you own or know of a space or would like to volunteer to help raise funds or help staff the center.
El Rio Health / El Rio Foundation
520-670-3909
El Rio Health offers tele-medicine and 24/7 nurse phone triage for patients, limited COVID-19 testing for high-risk patients, dental emergency care, prenatal/pregnancy services, referrals for housing, food, shelters, and mail and home delivery of medications to patients in need.
Need 1: Donations of thermometers
Need 2: Employee child care options
Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona
3003 S. Country Club Road, Tucson, 85713
520-622-0525
Need 1: Donate money online to support the Community Food Bank. This is the best way to support us at this time. Just $1 can help provide four meals. We have shifted to drive-through distribution. Changing our method of operation and working out of our parking lot has taken a lot of resources, but it allows us to take health precautions advised by experts.
Need 2: Volunteer. Volunteers make the Food Bank run, having given nearly 200,000 hours of work in the last year alone. Many of our volunteers are retired and many have decided not to continue during this time of COVID-19. We respect that, and we want people to be careful. We are also trying to meet an increased need at this time. We are looking for healthy volunteers who have not traveled recently and can help in assembling food bags and boxes and help in distributing. Assembly-line work is a three-hour shift. We pack emergency food that goes out to people in five counties across Southern Arizona.
People helping distribute food work in five-hour shifts from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., lifting boxes, helping people with mobile check-in or getting food into vehicles. Please email volunteer@communityfoodbank.org to get started.
Therapeutic Ranch for Animals and Kids (TRAK).
3250 E. Allen Road, Tucson, 85718
520-298-9808
Need 1: Money to help us stay open so that we can continue to provide support to the community and so that we can pay our staff to help take care of our 80+ animals.
Need 2: Food donations for our animals: Hay (bermuda and alfalfa), grain (Wagon Train — found at Walmart), fruits and veggies for our small animals.
Need 3: Cleaning supplies such as Clorox wipes, paper towels, wet wipes and gloves.
Mountain View Retirement Village
7900 N. La Cañada Drive, Tucson, 85704
520-229-3350 ext 2925
Joni Chandler, activity director, says, “We feed 200 residents three times daily utilizing 600 disposable Styrofoam containers daily. Supplies are getting slim out there. We also are in need of utility serving carts to serve our residents as they are on lockdown.
“Restaurants may not be using them at this time. We also are getting the word out on the following donations needed: Adult diapers, sanitizers, disinfectant wipes and sprays, toilet paper.”
Hands of Hope Tucson
5240 E. Knight Drive
520-622-5774
Need 1: Financial donations.
Need 2: Baby wipes for clients who recently delivered a baby.
Need 3: Clorox wipes.
Youth On Their Own
1660 N. Alvernon Way
520-293-1136
Youth On Their Own continues to offer financial assistance, grocery gift cards and safety net referrals for homeless youths enrolled in the program. If you are a youth in need, please reach out to us at 520-545-0583. Community members can help our youth by making a contribution at yoto.org.
Mobile Meals of Southern Arizona
4803 E. Fifth St., Suite 209
520-622-1600
Mobile Meals of Southern Arizona prepares and delivers daily meals to low-income, homebound seniors and disabled adults. Many of our clients would not eat every day without the services of Mobile Meals. Mobile Meals needs volunteers to pick up prepared food boxes from our facilities and deliver them to our homebound clients along designated routes. Also, tax-deductible donations for meals may be made at mobilemealssoaz.org/donate
Homicide Survivors Inc.
100 N. Stone Ave., Suite 807
520-207-5012
Homicide Survivors is committed to serving family and friends of homicide victims. Our advocates continue to provide crisis intervention, court advocacy, emotional support and emergency financial assistance to families in need over the phone, by email and video chat. Community members can support our organization and families impacted by homicide by making a tax-deductible donation at azhomicidesurvivors.org/donate. Now, more than ever, those impacted by violence need our assistance and support. Your donation ensures that we can continue to serve and meet survivors’ needs during this uncertain time.
Beacon Group
308 W. Glenn St.
520-622-4874
Beacon Group continues to support people with disabilities in their work. Many of our clients are in essential service jobs. During a time when there is a significant demand on direct support services, we offer options to keep people with developmental disabilities safe. Financial support is needed to provide services as various other funding sources become unavailable and to support our heroic staff. Donate at beacongroup.org
Southern Arizona Cat Rescue
771 W Calle Ormino, Sahuarita, 85629
520-200-1643
Need 1: Powdered Kitten Replacement Milk — PetLac or KMR.
Need 2: Wet kitten and cat food (no grain-free) — Blue Buffalo, Fancy Feast, Purina.
Need 3. Dry kitten and cat food (no grain-free) — Blue Buffalo, Purina.
We are trying to pull as many kitties as we can to alleviate PACC’s stress at this time, which comes right at kitten and puppy season.
Gospel Rescue Mission
4550 S. Palo Verde Road
520-740-1501
Need 1: Hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes
Need 2: Personal hygiene products
Need 3: Canned food
Teen Challenge of Arizona
P.O. Box 5966, Tucson AZ 85703
520-292-2273
We have three locations in Tucson — a men’s facility, our adolescent girls home and our state corporate office. We offer a faith-based solution to drug and alcohol addictions and other life-controlling problems in order to help our clients become productive members of society.
Need 1: Prayer for our staff and students and all the families affected during this difficult time.
Need 2: High-demand supplies that are hard to come by, including bath tissue, paper towels, hand sanitizer, disinfection spray and soap.
Need 3: Financial donations to help supply our centers. We’ve had to cancel many of our events and fundraising activities that we normally have during this season. This has placed a financial hardship on our programs.
Tucson Rescue Now
2905 E. Skyline, #208, Tucson, 85718
520-861-5956
Tucson Rescue Now is dedicated to getting senior dogs out of shelters and into forever homes. We have a storefront in La Encantada where we bring a small number of dogs from PACC, HSSAZ and foster homes. The adoption “store” is unique in that it showcases the dogs on sofas in “play pens” so potential adopters can hang out with the dog and get to know him/her in a calm, comfortable and quiet environment. Currently the store is closed due to the virus, but we must continue to pay the rent.
We are not subsidized by any of the large shelters. We rely solely on donations to keep our doors open. With no visitors coming into the store to make donations, buy retail products or adopt dogs, our income has been reduced to almost nothing. We are hoping we can hang on until the store opens up again and we can go to work to get more senior shelter dogs adopted. In the five months Tucson Rescue Now was opened, we found homes for 112 senior dogs before closing the adoption store.
Need 1: Donations to pay rent.
Need 2: Dog food.
Need 3: New beds, leashes and toys.
Felicia’s Farm
3761 E. River Road, Tucson, 85718
520-261-4458
Need 1: Chicken feed for 700 chickens
Need 2: Straw and alfalfa.
Need 3: irrigation supplies.
We can offer vegetables and eggs to other charities that distribute to those unable to get out.
B’nai B’rith Gerd & Inge Strauss Manor on Pantano
370 N. Pantano Road, Tucson, 85710
520-722-9963
Strauss Manor offers HUD-subsidized, low-income housing for seniors. We have an emergency food and hygiene pantry that helps our seniors daily. The number of request for items will be leaving our pantries empty soon.
Need 1: Hygiene paper goods: Toilet paper, tissues, wipes.
Need 2: Food items: Canned soups, crackers, oatmeal, cereal, milk.
Need 3: Pet food for pets: (cats, dogs, birds).
TMM Family Services
1550 N. Country Club Road, Tucson, 85716
520-322-9557
TMM Family Services is local leader in affordable housing. We offer education, case management and home-renovation programs. In addition, TMM offers supportive services to help seniors, veterans and families to become self-sufficient. During the last three weeks we have had a number of residents on our campus whose work hours have been reduced, creating hardship for their families.
Need 1: Hygiene kits (toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo, conditioner, soap, shaving cream etc.)
Need 2: Toilet paper.
Need 3: Nonperishable food items.
Answers for Life Pregnancy Center
627 N. Swan Road, Tucson, 85711
520-308-8990
We are a local pregnancy center that offers the following free services: pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, educational classes, prenatal care and material assistance (diapers, wipes, formula, and baby clothes). We are remaining open to continue to provide these services to our patients. As you can imagine, our budget is being stretched to provide these free services at this time when giving is down.
Currently, our three greatest needs are:
1. Baby wipes.
2. Diapers (especially sizes 4, 5, 6).
3. Formula.
Interfaith Community Services
2820 W. Ina Road, Tucson, 85741
520-297-6049
Food bank, mobile meals, transportation, emergency financial assistance.
Need 1: Donate online at icstucson.org
Need 2: Food donations.
Our Family Services
2590 N. Alvernon Way, Tucson, 85712
520-323-1708
Our Family Services provides housing assistance and eviction prevention for families and youth ages 18-24. Our 2-1-1 Information and Referral hotline and website is free to use and links individuals and families to vital community services. Community members can help the youth and staff at our Reunion House Teen Shelter by donating hand sanitizer, liquid hand soap, lotion, sanitizing wipes, rubbing alcohol, aloe vera gel, liquid laundry detergent, isopropyl alcohol, trail mix, juice or by making a contribution at ourfamilyservices.org
Arizona’s Children Association
3716 E. Columbia St., Tucson, 85714
520-622-7611
Arizona’s Children Association continues to meet the needs of children and families in our community. Our doors are still open, providing a variety of behavioral health and child welfare services (Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Our staff are working with our families to provide support and help them find the necessary resources to remain stable. Immediate needs include emergency funds to aid our foster youth and families. These funds will allow us to make sure they are current on their utility bills and rent, as well as that they have gas money to get to work and food in their pantries. Donate online at ArizonasChildren.org
Children’s Clinics
2600 N. Wyatt Drive, Tucson, 85712
520-324-5437
Children’s Clinics offers urgent telehealth and sick visits for patients, Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. Immediate needs include hand sanitizer, surgical masks, gift cards to local restaurants or grocery stores for families, bottled water, Clorox wipes, infrared thermometers, laptops and tablets. Donate at childrensclinics.org
Community Home Repair
6046 E. 30th St., Tucson, 85711
520-745-2055
Community Home Repair provides emergency home repair to low-income homeowners. Currently, we are only doing work that addresses critical needs such as water supply, functional drains, fall hazards and electrical hazards. In the coming weeks, we will provide emergency service and repair to evaporative coolers. We are stocking supplies for evaporative coolers: pumps, motors, pads, etc. and are gladly accepting donations of cash or new coolers or cooler hardware. Donate at chrpaz.org
Tucson Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network
2660 N. First Ave., Tucson, 85719
520-299-6647
The Tucson Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network provides an array of support services to people living with HIV and their loved ones. Our programs and services are designed to provide support to help people live well. Our immediate needs are liquid hand soap, disinfecting wipes, facial tissue, and hand sanitizer.
TIHAN has added these items to our usual list of items we include in care packages that we distribute year-round – including soap, shampoo, toilet tissue, cleaning supplies, toothpaste, deodorant, shaving cream, disposable razors, lotion, conditioner, paper towels, laundry detergent, dish detergent, as well as feminine hygiene products for the more than 20% of our HIV-positive clients who are women.
The vast majority of TIHAN’s CarePartners (clients living with HIV) are living below 150% of the federal poverty level, and these items cannot be purchased with SNAP benefits. In addition to having HIV, 65% of the people we support are age 55 or over, which is an additional risk factor for serious implications if coronavirus is contracted. Drop and go donations can be made curbside at the TIHAN office, 2660 N. First Ave., between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
