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Your Art Your Story is a non profit organization based in Phoenix, Arizona that supports people affected by suicide, depression and anxiety through art and community.

Kristel Nielsen is Founder of Your Art Your Story and a suicide loss survivor. After her son’s death, she saw a lack of support in the community for people affected by suicide and mental illness, so she entered a pitch completion at ASU and won start up funding for the project. She recently graduated from ASU with a Master’s in Legal Studies and has been an intellectual property paralegal and certified Arizona legal document preparer for over 10 years. Kristel helps people draft their wills and powers of attorney documents.

If you would like to donate to Your Art Your Story, please visit their Go Fund Me page.

Follow Your Art Your Story on Facebook and Instagram.

Arizona Artists Guild is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization led by volunteers dedicated to providing and promoting opportunities in the visual arts including exhibitions, education, and outreach programs. Outreach has been a cornerstone of the AAG since the 1950’s, with a robust program today serving Veterans, Survivors of Suicide, Non-English speaking adult refugees, native American elders, and partnering with Hospice of the Valley.

Membership is made up of professional as well as aspiring artists working in a variety of media.

There is an intimate quality to Tess Mosko Scherer’s work which is revealed when experienced up close. Subtle detail, texture, and often words, are found in the compositions of simplified forms and color. She works with water color, pastels, colored pencils and graphite on paper, which is often incised and torn. The torn pieces are sewn together with waxed Irish linen thread to convey complex and universal themes. Mosko Scherer visually excavates human emotions and archetypal energies in her minimalistic compositions. She explores the imbalances between the complex machinations of our inner world and the outer world in which we are seen. “My life would be meaningless if I could not create and use my gifts to benefit others’ lives. Every day I am learning, waking, opening to what is – in nature and in my studio,” she said. “I am grateful for the unexpected turns in the path of this journey called life. I see life’s imbalances as an invitation to continually transform and grow as an artist, woman, mentor and friend.”

Mosko Scherer has a diverse background in the arts. She co-founded Scherer Gallery in 1983 representing international contemporary artists specializing in glass art until 2006. Since 2012, she has served on the board of the Arizona Artists Guild currently as President. In 2016 was named one of the ‘100 Creatives’ by the Phoenix New Times, was the Artistic Director of Shemer Art Center and Museum, is a member and co-president of eye lounge collective gallery. In addition to her studio practice, Mosko Scherer has a private practice coaching and mentoring artists. Mosko Scherer is the Director of Curriculum and Facilitation, a program facilitator, and serves on the advisory board of the World Academy for the Future of Woman. She is a member of several art organizations including the Sonoran Arts League, Art Link and Art Intersection. Exhibited nationally, her work is represented in Arizona by Van Gogh’s Ear Gallery, Prescott, and has won several awards in juried shows in Arizona.

Follow Arizona Artists Guild on 

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Tempe Community Action Agency (TCAA) is fulfilling the vision of its two co-founders, Barbara Norton and Lupe Esquer, two local Tempe residents who saw the great need experienced by their Tempe neighbors in 1966 and sought to make a difference by organizing their community into action. 52 years later, they are still furthering their vision with an expanded array of basic need programs and services that promote independence and self-reliance.

They now run Tempe’s longest running and largest Food Pantry program, including a partnership with Tempe Schools, Tempe’s I-HELP shelter program (Interfaith Homeless Emergency Lodging Program) for men and women experiencing homelessness – the ONLY homeless shelter program in Tempe, their Family Economic Advancement program –helping single parent households improve their financial stability through credit repair, increased wages, microenterprise and home-ownership opportunities, a Community Action Program – providing rent and utility assistance to prevent homelessness, two community gardens (Escalante Community Garden and Clark Park Community Garden), Health Start – a pre and post-natal program for low income expectant families, three Senior Centers offering a lunch service and activities, and a Home Delivered Meals program which delivers nutritious meals and wellness checks to homebound seniors and individuals with disabilities. As you can imagine this is a huge undertaking and thankfully TCAA is supported by more than 1,000 volunteers resulting in more than 27,000 volunteer hours.

Listeners will be inspired by the stories our guests shared about the impact their programs are having on Tempe residents and the numerous opportunities for businesses and/or individuals to get involved. TCAA has ongoing volunteer orientations every month for folks to learn about TCAA and how they can volunteer in any of their programs and services. They also have the ability to facilitate corporate presentations throughout the community to increase awareness of their services and ways to get involved. This includes volunteering in their Food Pantry, serving meals in the I-HELP shelter program, conducting a variety of drives including food, laundry pod and dryer sheet drives for their new mobile laundry trailer – first of its kind in AZ, holiday gift drives, administration support, onsite volunteer opportunities at your place of work, conducting a variety of workshop or classes to seniors, volunteer work days at the Community Gardens (great for families), and helping out with any number of special events.

If you’re looking for a unique fundraiser featuring an elegant evening event that showcases Tempe’s culinary and cultural diversity, along with a fabulous silent auction, music and entertainment all under the Arizona stars, mark your calendars for VICINITY Friday, Oct. 19, 2018 at Big Surf Waterpark. All proceeds go to support TCAA’s programs.

Since 1966, Tempe Community Action Agency (TCAA) has endeavored to be the voice and catalyst of empowerment and opportunity, providing hands-on assistance to Tempe residents in need and responding promptly to emerging human services issues. What started off as a small grass-roots neighborhood self-help initiative eventually incorporated in 1971 and expanded its array of basis need programs and services for those in need.

Tempe Community Action Agency (TCAA)’s mission is to foster dignity and self- reliance for the economically vulnerable in the communities it serves. It accomplishes this mission through five focus areas: Hunger Relief, Homeless Prevention and Intervention, Senior Independence, Healthy Families, and Family Economic Advancement. Current programs include: Tempe’s largest and longest running Food Pantry program, I-HELP- the City’s only homeless shelter program for adults, a Community Action Program (providing emergency r...

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With more than 24,000 nonprofits registered in the State of Arizona, it can be difficult for nonprofit founders to rely on passion alone to have their mission attract the attention of donors and volunteers. Luckily the Sanford Institute of Philanthropy has expanded to Arizona bringing with it their mission to increase the fundraising capabilities and impact nonprofits have in their communities. Not only did we learn more about the curriculum provided by SIP to move these nonprofits forward but also the trend of giving circles, like 100+ Women Who Care Valley of the Sun.

Listen in as guests Kim Tarnopolski, co-founder of 100+ Women Who Care Valley of the Sun and Brent Boardman, Philanthropy Education Project Manager for Sanford Institute of Philanthropy discuss how their organizations are making philanthropy happen in Arizona and how you can get involved, too!

100+ Women Who Care Valley of the Sun is a local philanthropic group of women who meet quarterly, contribute locally and connect personally to benefit well deserving charities. Their members are like-minded, passionate women who nominate local nonprofits in an effort to bring awareness, education and funding to those causes. Ultimately, one charity is selected each quarter to support monetarily. The ladies are leveraging their resources so their small gifts ($100 per quarter) add up to a significant donation to a local charity ($10,000 per quarter).

The chapter has four sister groups that meet around the Valley of the Sun on a quarterly basis – Ahwatukee, Scottsdale, East Valley and West Valley. Their goal is to donate $100,000 annually to local charities in the Phoenix metro area. To them, it is not about just signing a check; it is about caring.

Kim Tarnopolski is a community steward who has made a Valley-wide impact to better the lives and opportunities for others. She is selfless in giving to the causes she believes in. She donates with her energy, her talent, her dollars and her time. Her corporate background includes roles in community building, philanthropy, business consulting and event planning. Everything she does is driven by her desire to bring communities, individuals and causes together so an impact is made, and the world is a better place because of it.

Kim is the Chief Community Builder and driving force behind 100+ Women Who Care Valley of the Sun (100+ WWC). 100+ WWC is a philanthropic group of passionate women who meet quarterly to identify local charities in need. Kim, along with Jacqueline Destremps, Stephanie Millner and Jenn Kaye, launched the organization in 2015 with a goal of donating $500,000 in five years to local nonprofits. Today, there are four sister groups who meet around the Valley with donations totaling almost $300,000.

Follow 100+ WWC on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

 

Sanford Institute of Philanthropy at Maricopa Community Colleges Mission Statement: To help nonprofits significantly increase their fundraising capabilities and the impact they have in their communities and society, through proven contemporary curriculum presented by world-class nonprofit leaders, best in class faculty and renowned philanthropists.

Brent D. Boardman has been teaching and presenting on Organizational Behavior, Leading Projects in Organizations, and Team Dynamics since 2008. He is an ASU Fellow for the Arizona Program for Policy, Ethics, and Education Leadership,

 

On this episode of 3C Amplified host Jacqueline Destremps talked about community partnership and the strategy behind the expansion of ToolBank USA from Atlanta to 7 other markets, including Phoenix. ToolBank is truly a resource amplifier and source multiplier, serving the servers by providing access to tools for organizations who are regularly charged with solving some of the most entrenched issues in the shared community and have limited resources to do so.

Phoenix ToolBank equips organizations to do more, build more, and be more!

ToolBank’s over $250,000 inventory enables multiple organizations and projects to be equipped weekly and they couldn’t have done it without the generous support of manufacturers such as Stanley Black and Decker, AMES, Little Giant Ladders, and Home Depot. Their partnership creates a more efficient resource for the community. Tune in to hear how community is the driving force behind each ToolBank location and at the heart of ToolBank USA.

Phoenix ToolBank loans tools and equipment to nonprofits, schools, neighborhood associations, government departments, and other charitable causes to equip volunteers, staff and students as they create sustainable change in their local communities. By investing in ToolBank, nonprofits are able to equip volunteers and staff to support projects without having to redirect agency funding away from their critical missions. This also allows the nonprofit to avoid having to store, clean and maintain the tools, which may only be used for a one-time project and incur additional expenses.

Phoenix Community ToolBank, an affiliate of ToolBank USA, opened locally in April of 2015 and has loaned $1,325,478.70 worth of tools to Arizona communities, equipping 47,193 volunteers on 1,293 projects to date. ToolBank tools have supported projects throughout the state including the rehab of a low- income family housing complex through Labor Community Services, beautifying schools in the west valley during the “Love our Schools” week sponsored by School Connect, assisted with a floor renovation at Chrysalis Domestic Violence Shelter, planted trees at a Tempe elementary school through Trees Matter, and much more.

ToolBank’s over $250,000 inventory enables multiple organizations and projects to be equipped weekly. The majority of the tool inventory has been donated by tool manufactures such as Stanley Black & Decker, AMES, Little Giant Ladders, and Home Depot. Currently ToolBank serves over 150 charitable and community organizations statewide with various missions ranging from supporting children/education, seniors, low-income housing, arts, homeless and more.

Jana Smith is the first Executive Director of Phoenix Community ToolBank, a local nonprofit who stewards an inventory of tools and equipment available to borrow by charitable organizations for mission related efforts. Jana, started her ToolBank journey in May of 2014, working to establish, launch and build the tool lending program in the Phoenix market, an affiliate organization of ToolBank

USA. Since opening, Jana has worked at creating innovative solutions to support local nonprofits. Jana believes nonprofits have a responsibility to create an engaging experience for their volunteers by having the “right tool for the job” and ToolBank is committed to making that happen for Arizona nonprofits. Jana attended Indiana University, completing a double major in Biology and Criminal Justice. Since leaving IU, she has found a passion within the nonprofit community, later completing a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership and Management from Arizona State University. Before Jana set out to shake up the tool world in Arizona, she worked with homeless youth for 10 years,

 

because Event Space (“because” stands for beauty and events for a cause), is a family-owned Phoenix event venue that gives back to seven local charities in a major way.

The space’s success is largely due to its generous heart. For every event booked in the Phoenix event space, 10 percent of your booking cost goes back to a charity of your choice. Patrons can choose from seven different charities – The Arizona Humane Society, Children’s Cancer Network, Owl Love Your Forever, Vet Tix, Phoenix Rescue Mission, Hustle Phoenix or Chrysalis. If a nonprofit books the space, 10 percent of their booking cost goes back to their own charity.

In addition to giving back, because is focused on enriching the space with local art from dozens of Valley artists. The walls are lined with original, colorful works that brighten the clean, stunningly decorated space.

The space itself has so many flexible options for events, from weddings to film screenings. There is a theater, cocktail space, rooms for brides and grooms to get ready, business meeting spaces and much, much more.

because is the passion project of the Sweet family, who truly live up to their name. The family owns automätik, the award-winning, all-encompassing automotive training facility directly next door to because.

With a past life as a dancer and musician and over 15 years of customer service experience, Dominique Hypolite is a kind of because renaissance-woman performer/musician/logistics genie. Known to friends as Dee, she is as inimitable as they come! Born in Germany, and raised in Beantown, this Southie has been all over the map—Chicago, Houston, and Missoula each hold a spot in her heart, but more recently Dominique calls Phoenix home. No stranger to the spotlight, Dee is not afraid to bust a move when the mood strikes her, reliving her stint dancing with the prestigious Boston Ballet, no doubt. Whether ballet to breakdance to coordinating the fine details of an event, Dominique has got all the right moves!

Born with a servant’s heart, Dee has spent most of her life giving back, volunteering for many charities, and organizations. From balancing several events into perfect harmony, to finding the perfect florist, Dee has a lock on all things logistics. She’s here at because to help make your vision become a reality! Taking charge behind the scenes, and serving as a “human arrow” from time to time, has opened her eyes to a career that fits her creative, eclectic personality to a “T”. Through all the chaos that comes with event support, Dominique still finds time to relax and enjoy her family. With two amazing kids, plus all things because, there is never a dull moment in her life—and she wouldn’t have it any other way!

Follow because on Facebook  and Instagram.

Owl Love You Forever’s hope is to create a memorable and positive hospital experience for families that lose their baby before, during, or shortly after giving birth. We provide boxes with meaningful items for the families, including specially designed blanket sets and a soft stuffed owl. Help us fill these grieving mom’s arms by donating online today.

Shayla Van Hofwegen, along with her husband Arie, founded Owl Love You Forever to help turn tragedy into joy after saying having to say goodbye just a few hours after her twin’s birth.

Follow Owl Love You Forever on Facebook.

 

The theme of this week’s show was community partnership. Now in its 8th year of partnership, Laura Pahules from Arizonans for Children and Theresa Lyon from Enchanted Island Amusement Park shared what made for their successful partnership.

Listeners will want to tune in to hear how sometimes all it takes is simply asking a potential partner for what could benefit your organization. That’s what happened 8 years ago when Laura’s husband walked into the offices of Enchanted Island Amusement Park. Growing from that one simple ask has been years of making dreams come true for families affected by foster care.

Enchanted Island Amusement Park is an amusement park in Encanto Park with 11 rides and attractions as well as has a boat dock for Pedal Boat rentals. Enchanted Island hosts Company Picnics, Birthday Parties, Group Outings and a day “Just for Fun”! Enchanted Island Amusement Park works to assist non- profits in the Phoenix Area. Their goal is to give back to the community that they are a part of. They work diligently with Arizonans for Children to host an annual Foster Festival at Enchanted Island where we serve over 3000 foster children and their foster families.

Enchanted Island is grateful along with Arizonans for Children for our local vendors that come along side to support such a huge undertaking. One of the many goals of the Foster Festival is to provide a day of complete fun for these foster youths as well as reach new adults that help volunteer during this event to consider being mentors to one of these children in need. For additional information please contact Arizonans for Children in Phoenix.

Theresa DiNatale-Lyon has been the owner of Enchanted Island Amusement Park in Phoenix since 2005 as well as the operator of the Daisy Mountain Railroad in Anthem, AZ since 2002. Theresa is married to Kraig Lyon, the co- owner of these businesses, and the mother of 3 children, the oldest of which just graduated from Northwest Christian School and is headed to NAU for this fall. While attending college Theresa worked full time at the Target Stores and quickly was promoted to an Executive Team Member. In her early years Theresa received a Nursing Assistant Certificate.

Follow Enchanted Island on Facebook and Twitter.

Claudia Castaneda is the General Manager of Enchanted Island Amusement Park.

 

 

Arizonans for Children’s mission is to facilitate opportunities that provide effective solutions to alleviate hardships and improve the fragile lives of the abused, abandoned, neglected children in foster care.

Laura Pahules is the Executive Director of Arizonans for Children. She came to Arizonans for Children in 2016 after working with homeless families and vulnerable children in various capacities including Juvenile Court.

Arizonans for Children allows Laura the ability to make systemic changes that actually improve the lives of the vulnerable children in foster care. Laura is a wife, a grandmother and an advocate for vulnerable children.

Follow Arizonans for Children on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

 

Crystal Clear Photography was designed to provide photography services for the creative solopreneur or small business owner. In an effort to do so Crystal Clear Photography provides many options to support the business owners in achieving a look that fits their brand, personality and helps them reach their audience in a new and fun way. Crystal Clear Photography does this through lifestyle business images, headshots, workshops and styled stock photography.

Crystal Hollman is a professional, fun and real life Mom Boss. She’s raising 2 little girls, while wearing many hats including Cancer Mom. Crystal manages to do it all while running her photography business that she designed to help others like herself get the branded photos they need. As Crystal’s business has grown and changed over the years, she has found new and fun ways of getting images in the hands of the Solopreneur or Small Business Owner while educating them on how, when and where they can use them. She has gone as far as creating fun hands-on workshops, mentoring, free do-it-yourself worksheets, and writing instructional and informative blogs. Crystal dreams of her business reaching all of the creative business owners in the Phoenix community and empowering them to grow through their images.

Follow Crystal Clear Photography on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Personal fashion stylist Loren North is a former geologist who traded in her steel toed boots for high heels to pursue her passion for saving the planet by changing how we style, care and shop for our clothes.

She works with women and men who are frustrated with what’s in their closets, feel like they have nothing to wear, and usually don’t like to shop or don’t have time to go shopping.  Loren teaches her clients what works for their bodies, restyles their clothing in new ways allowing them to extract value from what they already own and shows them how to shift their shopping habits so they are more sustainable.

After working with Loren, her clients look pulled together, feel more confident and comfortable, and dress with ease. Her company is a personal styling consultancy focused on helping professional men and women show up powerfully each day looking confident and comfortable because their style and clothes work for them. Visit Loren’s website LorenENorth.com to learn more about how she can help you.

Loren’s personal journey to becoming a personal stylist started with shopping at thrift stores and consignment stores. She used to shop at typical retail stores but realized nothing in these stores was inspiring, but it was easy. She was in a style and shopping rut.

After a few years of casually shopping secondhand and increasing the amount of clothing she purchased from secondhand sources, Loren realized the huge amount of surplus clothes and accessories that are available. She also noticed that her style started to evolve and improve, as she wore the secondhand items to experiment and upgrade her style. The ah-ha moment came when she started to receive compliments on her outfits from strangers. The best part? Most of these clothes were from thrift stores.

She decided she wanted to bring that experience to her clients. She wanted them gain the confidence that comes from having the “right” outfit to wear, feel good about their bodies, and she wanted to show them how shopping at consignment stores is better for their style and the planet.

Whether you’re the parent or caregiver of a teen or a concerned community member, the mental health and safety of our middle and high schoolers is on everyone’s mind.  On this episode of 3C Amplified we interviewed two people very close to this topic; Scott Pietrzak, an Arizona law enforcement detective who founded Online Safety Specialists and Nikki Kontz, Clinical Director at Teen Lifeline. Between the two of them they have over 30 years’ experience creating safe communities for teens and their families.   Listen in as we discuss teen suicide, the potential dangers of online gaming, bullying through social media and texting and how creating an open dialogue, whether it be through Teen Lifeline’s peer-to-peer crisis hotline or Online Safety Specialist’s unique parent and teen classes, empowers youth to make healthy decisions.

Online Safety Specialists (OSS) are dedicated to educating kids (Middle School and above) and their parents on the risks of chatting online and cover a range of topics, such as: Sexting Sextortion, Cyberbullying, Child Luring, Predator Grooming Tactics, The Dark Web, and Common Chat Lingo. This is done through an interactive discussion and PowerPoint that is intended to create a dialogue between the kids and parents to discuss these important issues.

Scott Pietrzak has been with a local Arizona Police Department for over 20 years. He has been a detective for 10 years and has investigated everything from thefts to homicides. He is now a detective with the Computer Forensics Unit and also the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, investigating the crimes covered in the topics discussed in his presentations.

He has a Bachelors of Science in Adult and Technical Education through Northern Arizona University and is also an instructor at the Police Academy. Scott was also in the Military Police and a was Paratrooper in the US Army.

Follow OSS on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Teen Lifeline is a Phoenix-based, 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to provide a safe, confidential and crucial crisis intervention service for teens throughout Arizona. Teen Lifeline strives to impact the devastating problem of teen suicide and empower youths to make healthy decisions through its peer-to-peer crisis hotline and text messaging service, Life Skills Development Training for teen volunteers, and Community Education, Prevention and Postvention services.

Established in 1986, Teen Lifeline is accredited through the American Association of Suicidology. The service operates 24/7/365 with trained, volunteer peer counselors between the ages of 15-19 answering phones from the hours of 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Calls received during other hours of the day and night are answered by Crisis Response Network. During calendar year 2017, Teen Lifeline answered more than 20,000 calls.

For more information, visit TeenLifeline.org. For help, call or text Teen Lifeline at (602) 248-TEEN (8336) or (800) 248-TEEN.

Nikki Kontz, LMSW, is the Clinical Director for Teen Lifeline, a local non-profit dedicated to providing a safe, confidential and crucial crisis service where teens help teens make healthy decisions.  She has been working in the field for the past 17 years including work on a crisis mobile team, postvention intervention and assessment for hospitalization. Nikki possesses a Master Degree in Social Work from Ariz...

On this episode of 3C Amplified we discuss the needs of foster children, their foster families and the agencies who serve them.  Did you know that each day in the State of Arizona approximately 24 children will come into foster care?  Kris Jacober, Executive Director of Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation shared this statistic as well as her agency’s mission to help bring some normalcy to the lives of children and teens in care.  Last year her nonprofit was able to grant more than $1Million so children and teens in foster care could participate in extracurricular activities, like sports and music, post-secondary education and for life’s surprises, like car maintenance. 

Tamanie Sheldon, Program Director for Arizona’s Children Association, relayed the message that there is a great need for families willing to care for teens in foster care.  Her agency is spending the month of May, also known as National Foster Care Month, recruiting new families to fill this need.

Want to get involved and help make a difference?  Listen now to hear how you as a business owner or individual can help by becoming a mentor, hosting a backpack or toy drive, offer free event space, or participate in AFFCF’s Keys to Success Program. 

The mission of the Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation is to improve the lives of children in foster care in Arizona by funding social, athletic and educational activities and items that are not paid for in any other way. AFFCF pays for athletic registration, music lessons, theme park tickets, martial arts, gymnastics, summer camp, swim lessons and more.  AFFCF also funds post-secondary scholarships for young men and women who have aged out of foster care. And, the AFFCF Keys to Success program provides one on one career development and employment services for youth in foster care and who have aged out of foster care, ages 16-21.

Kris Jacober is Executive Director of the Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation and President of the Arizona Association for Foster and Adoptive Parents.  Kris is most proud of her role as foster mom, and the care that she and her family have provided for 17 children in foster care over 15 years.

Prior to joining the Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation in 2011, Kris filled marketing, communications and fundraising positions at Arizona’s Children Association and Aid to Adoption of Special Kids.

Kris is a graduate of the University of Michigan and moved to Arizona to ‘never be cold again.’  She is also a graduate of Valley Leadership Class XVII. Kris and her husband Joe were recognized by the Children’s Action Alliance as the 2013 Phoenix “Champions for Children.”  She is also active in the ‘Recycle Your Bicycle” drive to collect and refurbish bikes for children in foster care. Kris and her husband Joe have been married for more than 33 years and have three children.

Follow AFFCF on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

Arizona’s Children Association (AzCA) is the best resource for helping children and families in the state.  Our mission is to protect children, empower youth and strengthen families. Founded in 1912, we are now one of the oldest and largest statewide child welfare and behavioral health nonprofit agencies in Arizona. Our professionally trained, caring and dedicated staff provides a broad spectrum of services that help create and sustain a healthy family environment.  We meet the needs of our local communities by providing foster care & adopti...