UES Awards More Than $85,000 in Grants for Education and Assistance Programs

Actualizado: 30 Nov 2023, 13:01 PM EST Publicado: 23 Nov 2016, 08:53 AM EST

TUCSON, Ariz.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–UniSource Energy Services (UES) has awarded $86,500 in grants to more
than two dozen nonprofit groups in Arizona to improve education and
provide community assistance.

UES Community Impact Grants will help provide healthy meals for
the hungry, provide emergency shelter to hundreds of families in crisis,
create thousands of new educational and enrichment opportunities for
children, and provide other critical services in communities across
Arizona.

“We’re excited about these new opportunities to create a positive impact
in the communities we serve,” said David G. Hutchens, UES’ President and
CEO. “UES is committed to improving our customers’ quality of life, and
our Impact Grants are an important part of a philanthropic
program that helps us realize that vision.”

UES Community Impact Grants significantly expand the resources
previously provided through UES’ Grants that Make a Difference program,
which awarded $47,500 last year. UES Community Impact Grants are
awarded for programs with measurable results that help vulnerable
populations in northern and southern Arizona communities where UES
provides natural gas and electric service.

The 2016 Community Impact Grants include:

Apache County

$5,000 to the Boys & Girls Club of Round Valley for its Exploring the
Past to Meet the Future program, which provides field trips and
educational materials that emphasize science, technology, engineering
and math concepts for club members.
$1,000 to Make-a-Wish Foundation of Arizona to help grant the wish of
a child in Apache County battling a life-threatening medical condition.
$4,000 to White Mountain Regional Medical Center for its free Steps to
Healthier Living Diabetes Self-Management Program for patients with
Type 2 diabetes.

Coconino County

$3,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flagstaff for its Step Up
Mentoring program. In collaboration with Coconino County Juvenile
Court, Step Up matches mentors with about 150 court-involved youth.
$5,000 to Flagstaff Shelter Services for its Rapid Rehousing program,
which arranges temporary shelter for clients in crisis and helps them
find affordable housing, employment services and referrals to
behavioral health service providers.
$3,000 to Housing Solutions of Northern Arizona’s Sharon Manor
Transitional Housing Program. Grant funds will be used to help provide
up to 12 months of safe housing, training and counseling for
approximately 100 homeless domestic violence victims and their
children living in poverty. Funds also will be used to provide two hot
meals weekly to about 50 children.
$4,000 to Special Olympics Arizona so that an estimated 340 children
in Coconino County can participate in the Healthy Lifestyle,
Education, and Practice (LEAP) and Young Athletes programs. Healthy
LEAP provides students with short, focused lessons about nutrition,
fitness and safety. Young Athletes offers inclusive sports and play
programs for young children.

Mohave County

$2,000 to Arizona Youth Partnership in Kingman for street outreach
programs that provide services to at-risk youth.
$5,000 to Cornerstone Mission in Kingman to support services at two
emergency shelters, including education, job training and life skills
classes.
$2,500 to Havasu Community Health Foundation in Lake Havasu City to
help pay for monthly health classes, equipment upgrades and other
health services for limited-income residents.
$3,500 to the Jerry Ambrose Veterans Council in Lake Havasu City, a
volunteer-run organization that helps veterans overcome mobility
issues and provides assistance with living expenses, medications and
transportation.
$2,000 to Kingman Aid to Abused People for its Sexual and Domestic
Violence Prevention Program. Grant funds will be used to pay for
awareness program training and educational materials.
$5,000 to the Kingman Academy of Learning’s First Robotics Team 60, a
community robotics club with members from several schools in the
Kingman area.
$3,000 to the Kingman Mohave Lions Club to help pay for eye exams and
eyeglasses for limited-income residents.
$3,500 to River Cities United Way for the Kids Bright and Healthy
program, which assists youth from limited-income families with vision
and dental care, participation fees, shoes and clothing, and
transportation.
$2,500 to Women with Willpower, an all-volunteer organization that
provides housing, utilities, transportation, groceries and other forms
of one-time assistance to women in Lake Havasu City.

Navajo County

$2,500 to the American Red Cross for free installation of smoke alarms
in the homes of seniors and limited-income households.
$1,250 to Make-A-Wish Arizona to help grant the wish of a child in
Navajo County battling a life-threatening medical condition.
$1,250 to Special Olympics Arizona for Young Athletes and Healthy LEAP
programs.

Santa Cruz County

$2,000 to Arizona Theater Company for its Theatre on the Go Literacy
Initiative so that more than 300 high school students can learn the
works of Shakespeare through interactive classes that emphasize
reading fluency, writing skills, comprehension, vocabulary, cultural
literacy, self-esteem and team work.
$2,500 to the Community Food Bank to help pay for high-protein foods
like beans and canned vegetables that are added to emergency food
boxes, which provide a three- to four-day supply of food.
$1,000 to Make-A-Wish Arizona to help grant the wish of a child in
Santa Cruz County battling a life-threatening medical condition.
$1,750 to Nogales Community Development for the Volunteer Income Tax
Assistance (VITA) program, which provides free tax preparation
services and advice for elderly, disabled and limited-income residents.
$1,000 to Rich River Athletics Club to help pay for cross country
running and track events for hundreds of elementary school age
children.
$1,750 to Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona for its Imagine STEM!
Program, which will engage 150 girls ages 5-17 in science, technology,
engineering and math activities that develop concepts participants can
apply in school.
$2,500 to Santa Cruz Training Programs, Inc., which provides training
and educational opportunities to people with special needs. Funds will
be used for the purchase and installation of security cameras at
organization facilities.

Yavapai County

$2,500 to Arizona’s Children Association for its Parents as Teachers
Family Literacy Program, which provides families with enhanced reading
opportunities including a traveling library, home visits and quarterly
interactive literacy workshops.
$1,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Arizona for books, educational
games and other supplies for use during after-school activities.
$2,000 to Catholic Charities Community Services for its Loft Drop In
Center for the Homeless in Cottonwood, which provides individuals and
families a place to cook meals, wash clothes, shower, apply for work
and maintain social connections.
$2,500 to Old Town Mission for the purchase of a walk-in refrigerator
and refrigerated truck to increase donations of healthy foods like
fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and dairy products.
$2,000 to the Society of St. Vincent De Paul, which helps families in
need to pay for outstanding mortgage and rental bills.
$3,000 to Verde Valley Habitat for Humanity for its Critical Home
Repair Program, which primarily provides wheelchair ramps and exterior
property repair and cleaning services for limited-income, elderly and
disabled homeowners.
$2,000 to the West Yavapai Guidance Clinic Foundation for its Starting
the Year Off with Success program. Funds will be used to pay for
summer camps, equine activities, dance, karate and other
extracurricular activities of more than 40 children from
limited-income families.

UES employee volunteers and other stakeholders selected this year’s Community
Impact Grant recipients through a competitive process that attracted
nearly 100 applications. Winners were chosen based on program
effectiveness and sustainability, applicants’ organizational
capabilities and other criteria.

UES Community Impact Grants are available to organizations in
UES’ service territories. UES Community Impact Grants,
like other community investments, are funded from corporate resources,
not customers’ rates. The grants are just part of the company’s
award-winning community service efforts, which include direct
contributions, in-kind services, and volunteer support for local
nonprofit groups.

UES delivers natural gas to approximately 150,000 customers in northern
and southern Arizona. It also provides electric service to approximately
93,000 customers. To learn more, visit uesaz.com.
UES sister company Tucson Electric Power and their parent company, UNS
Energy, are subsidiaries of Fortis Inc., which owns utilities that serve
more than 3 million customers across Canada and in the United States and
the Caribbean. To learn more, visit fortisinc.com.

Contacts

UniSource Energy Services
Joseph Barrios, 520-884-3725
jbarrios@uesaz.com