Page 22 December 2014 Serving the Arcadia area since 1958          Find us on Facebook! Member Since 1959      •  •    •    •    •         www.ingleside.com • 602-840-3446 PAMPER YOUR PET WITH OUR PREMIUM GROOMING SERVICES. Call us today for an appointment. 602-952-1754 BRIAN A. SERBIN, DVM • RACHEL BART, DVM KATHERINE HEWITT, DVM • KATIE CHILES, DVM Scholarship delivers hope and support to single moms By Michelle Donati-Grayman Seven years ago, Rachael Thomas moved from Tennessee to Arizona with her 1-year-old son to escape an abusive relationship. She enrolled at Glendale Community College and began a work study program. It was there she learned about a scholarship that would change her life forever. Founded in 2001, Helping Hands for Single Moms is a community-based nonprofit that assists single mothers who are working, raising a family and pursuing a college education. It started with Chris Coffman, a minister who was in search of something with which his congregation could help. A fateful encounter with a young child and his mother narrowed his focus. “He said it hit him like a ton of bricks,” says Joanne Grady, program director for Helping Hands for Single Moms. “Single Your Mortgage Partner. © 2014 Bank of Arizona, a division of BOKF, NA. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender Carolyn A Briestensky Senior Mortgage Banker NMLS# 211357 602.508.3602 carolynb@bankofarizona.com 3001 E Camelback Rd #150 moms need help – an education would change their lives.” The organization currently assists about 90 single mothers a year. Some receive partial scholarships, while others receive a scholarship plus, which includes an unrestricted monthly stipend to assist with living expenses. Recipients are required to attend regular support and educational meetings. They also receive assistance from more than 60 community partners, which help with needs ranging from a AAA membership to dental care. “Being a single parent can be isolating,” Grady says. “Many of these women have no family or support here locally. At our meetings, they are surrounded by other single moms who are also college students. It really changes them.” Thomas received the scholarship and monthly stipend, which she used for childcare and food costs. Through the program, she learned how to clean up her credit which enabled her to buy a home and a car. The organization’s annual Holiday Happiness event generally provided the only Christmas gifts her son received while she was in school. Grady says that when a single mom completes the program – by either earning an associate or bachelor’s degree – her confidence and self-esteem skyrockets. “When we go to graduation and we know what it took to get there, it’s just amazing,” Grady says. “We see women transform.” Thomas is one of the transformation stories Grady has experienced. She earned an associate degree in general studies at Glendale Community College and recently graduated from Northern Arizona University with a bachelor’s degree in public administration. She is currently employed with the Maricopa County Superior Court and is in the process of applying to law school and master’s programs to pursue a career in criminal justice. She now serves on the organization’s alumni group and spends time trying to give back to the organization by volunteering with her son. “I’m forever indebted to them,” Thomas says. “They were the reason for my success in school. I can never repay them for what they did.” Helping Hands for Single Moms’ annual Holiday Happiness event will be held on December 13. Gift donors sign up to provide holiday gifts for the children of low-income single mom college students. Donors shop from the kids’ wish lists, then meet with the mom whose children they shopped for and wrap the gifts for her children together. For more information, visit regonline.com. Monetary donations to Helping Hands for Single Moms qualify for the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit. To donate, visit helpinghandsforsinglemoms.org. Gift donors wrap gifts at the annual Holiday Happiness event.

Page 23 December 2014 Rescue Mission feeds Phoenix with seasonal campaign By Mallory Gleich Ah, the holidays. A time of thanks, caring and giving. A time to look back on the previous year and celebrate good things to come in the new year. Many organizations are gearing up for their holiday meal drives and donation campaigns. For one such organization, the campaign has already begun. “Feeding Phoenix: More than a Meal” is the Phoenix Rescue Mission’s campaign to help the hungry and less fortunate people around the Phoenix area. The campaign started on October 31 and runs until New Year’s Eve. The focus of the campaign is aimed at collecting several different items for homeless persons, such as food, water, toiletries and blankets. The campaign featured several different events during the holiday season. On November 9, there was an event called the “Frozen Turkey Open House,” where people could drop off a frozen turkey and tour the mission’s facilities. The event took place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and a lunch was provided for those who donated. On the November 22, the mission held an event called “Fill-a-Box, Feed a Family,” in which people could come to the mission’s shelter and build a Thanksgiving dinner box and deliver it to a family in need. The latest event, which will happen on December 20, is called “Winter Wonderland.” This event is held at the mission’s shelter and is geared towards less fortunate families. Sponsors are able to choose a family and donate items off of that family’s wish list, which they can drop off at the shelter from 9 a.m. to noon that day. Phoenix Rescue Mission’s shelter is located at 1801 S. 35th Ave. in Phoenix. The mission is also looking for volunteers to help put together sack lunches for their community kitchen on Christmas Eve. “Assembly Elves” should arrive at the shelter before 9:30 a.m. The event will end at 1 p.m. and families are more than welcome to join! Along with volunteers, the mission is also accepting donations for their “Winter Hopi Elementary... Over 50 years of excellence. Preparing today’s students for tomorrow’s future. Please join us for an informative evening and see all that Hopi offers. • Meet our highly qualified Kindergarten teachers • Visit the Kindergarten classrooms • Hear how Hopi supports ALL students • Learn about our welcoming community • Discover Hopi’s innovative approach to technology Can’t make the Kindergarten Round Up? No problem! Call 480-484-2000 to schedule a tour. Kindergarten enrollment begins January 7, 2015 for in-boundary students. Open enrollment is November 1 - December 15, 2014. Hopi Elementary is hosting its Kindergarten Round Up Wednesday, January 14, 2015 from 6 - 7:30 p.m. In the Hopi Cafeteria, 5110 E. Lafayette Blvd. Phoenix, AZ 85018 5110 E. LAFAYETTE BLVD. | PHOENIX, AZ 85018 5110 E. LAFAYETTE BLVD. | PHOENIX, AZ 85018 Hopi Elementary... Please join us for an informative evening and see all that Hopi offers. • Meet our highly qualified Kindergarten teachers • Visit the Kindergarten classrooms • Hear how Hopi supports ALL students • Learn about our welcoming community • Discover Hopi’s innovative approach to Hopi is rated “A” by the Arizona Department of Education Free, Full Day Kindergarten Specials – Art, Band, Music and PE Lower Class Sizes Wonderland” event. The campaign is asking for 1,000 new, unwrapped toys for children up to 12 years old. Along with gifts for children, the campaign is also asking for gifts for parents, such as towels, pillows, perfume, toiletries and jewelry. Clothing and toiletry items are also being accepted and will be distributed to the homeless living on the streets during the holiday season. To learn more about the “Feeding Phoenix” campaign, to volunteer or donate for the upcoming holiday, visit phoenixrescuemission.org or call the volunteer hotline at 602-346-3363. • Certifi cate in Travel Health Medicine • Recognized as one of Conde Traveler Magazine’s Top U.S. Travel Health Specialists Medical Director: David Francyk, D.O. Eileen Klecka, R.N. Flu Shots without preservatives available now! Family Practice Specialists 4350 E. Camelback Rd., Suite F-100 Phoenix, AZ 85018 Phone: 602-955-8700 Website: www.travelshots.net Email: travelshots@cox.net