On Tuesday, I included a note on the Tucson Giving page asking nonprofits what they needed in this time of crisis. The first organization I heard from was the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona.
Norma Cable, who does marketing and public relations for the food bank, asks that the community not donate food, in order to ensure food safety.
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.
