During the first six months of this fiscal year CAHRA injected

Volume 21, Issue 3
March 2011
F e a t u r i n g i t e m s o f s p e c i a l i n t e r e s t t o o r g a n i za t i o n s a n d i n d i vi d u a l s wo r k i n g t o i m p r o ve t h e l i v e s o f
people in our County.
Published and emailed by Community Action Human Resources Agency
( C A H R A ) , wi t h s u p p o r t p r o vi d e d b y A r i zo n a D e p a r t m e n t o f E c o n o m i c Se c u r i t y D i vi s i o n o f A g i n g a n d
A d u l t S e r vi c e s a n d P i n a l G i l a C o u n c i l f o r S e n i o r C i t i ze n s .
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
CAHRA Base Funding Threatened in Federal
Budget
Information About This Newsletter
News from the Networks
CAHRA‘s March 2011 Intake Schedule
Community Calendar
Pg
1
2
3
Resource Corner
46th Annual Pinal Gila Craft & Wellness Fair
Pinal-Gila Holds 14th Annual Elder Abuse
Conference in Globe
4
Volunteers Needed To Aid In Disaster Response
5
United Way and Partners Offer Free Tax
Assistance Program
Pinal County TRIAD Schedule
6
Highlights of Governor‘s Proposed Budget Cuts
Information About This Newsletter
7
Arizona Health Cuts Hurt State‘s Children
Free Pediatric Clinic of Casa Grande
8
Qwest Communications Raises Money for United
Way
Home of Hope Schedules Annual Fundraising
Banquet
9
Queen Creek Residents Schedule Compassion
Queen Creek Event
Casa Grande Alliance 2011 Phantom Ball
United Way of Pinal County Issues Requests for
Proposals
Weatherization Applications Needed
CAHRA BASE FUNDING THREATENED
IN FEDERAL BUDGET
During the first six months of this fiscal year
CAHRA injected $3,241,980.21 into the
Pinal County economy.
President Obama‘s proposal to cut funding for Community Action Program (CAP) across the nation will jeopardize more than 30,000 men, women and children;
senior citizens; displaced workers and low-income people in Pinal County. According to recent estimates
available from the American Community Survey approximately 10.9% of households and 13.9% of individuals in Pinal County are below the Federal Poverty Level.
The President‘s budget proposal reduces Community
Service Block Grants (CSBG) nationwide by 50%, to
$450 million for the entire year. CSBG dollars pay for
Community Action Programs that are the federal government‘s only comprehensive approach to address the
needs of vulnerable citizens and help struggling Arizonans access services to achieve economic stability.
Continued page 6
10
11
12
INFORMATION ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER
The Pinal County Network News is a monthly
publication. As a general rule, we email
each issue about 1 week before the beginning of the month. We encourage you to
submit articles, letters to the editor and calendar items
for publication in the newsletter.
In an attempt to reach as many readers as possible
and assure the information reported is given in a timely
manner, an effort will be made to print the newsletter
no later than the 25th of each month. If you wish to
advertise meetings, events, items of interest, etc.,
please submit material by the 1st of the month to:
Community Action Human Resources Agency, 311
North Main Street, Eloy AZ 85131, phone 520-4661112, fax 520-466-0013, or by Email: lrushing
@cahrapinal.org.
CAHRA‘s Board President, Mary Enriquez
strongly encourages all Pinal County residents,
whether they are involved with the Community
Action Program or accessing services and programs to reach out to the Congressional delegation and to the White House to urge decision makers in Washington, D. C. to reconsider the depth
of the cuts because of the all too real impact on
human lives those cuts will cause‖.
Messages May Be Sent To:
President Barack Obama
www.whitehouse.gov/contactus
Senator John McCain
1 202 224 2235
www.mccain.senate.gov/public
Senator John Kyl
1 202 224 4521
www.kyl.senate.gov/public
Representative Paul Gosar
1 202 225 2315
www.gosar.house.gov/contactme
P I NA L C O U NT Y NE T WO R K NE WS LE T T E R
V O LU M E 2 1 , I S S U E 3
PAGE 2
CAHRA’S MARCH INTAKE SCHEDULE
Persons seeking an appointment should contact the CAHRA office on the ―call-in date‖ indicated.
Persons seeking an appointment must call promptly at 8:00 a.m. All appointments are made by
telephone – no walk-in appointments are accepted. For more information call 520-466-1112.
Site:
Apache Junction
Casa Grande
Coolidge
Eloy
Florence
Queen Creek
Florence/Queen Creek
Kearny/Superior
Maricopa/Stanfield
Oracle
Superior
Call in Date:
Wednesday, February 23
Wednesday, March 2
Wednesday, March 9
Monday, February 28
Monday, March 7
Monday, February 14
Tuesday, February 22
Tuesday, March 1
Tuesday, March 8
Tuesday, February 22
Tuesday, March 1
Tuesday, March 8
Wednesday, February 23
Wednesday, March 2
Wednesday, March 9
Thursday, February 24
Monday, February 28
Monday, March 7
Monday, March 14
Thursday, March 3
Thursday, March 10
Thursday, March 3
Intake Date:
Wednesday, March 2
Wednesday, March 9
Wednesday, March 16
Monday, March 7
Monday, March 14
Tuesday, March 21
Tuesday, March 1
Tuesday, March 8
Tuesday, March 15
Tuesday, March 1
Tuesday, March 8
Tuesday, March 15
Thursday, March 3
Thursday, March 10
Thursday, March 17
Wednesday, March 2
Monday, March 7
Monday, March 14
Tuesday, March 21
Wednesday, March 9
Wednesday, March 16
Thursday, March 10
COMMUNITY CALENDAR - MARCH 2011
IF YOU WISH TO HAVE YOUR EVENT LISTED HERE, PLEASE EMAIL US YOUR INFORMATION
e-mail: [email protected] Office: 520-466-1112 Fax: 520-466-0013
Meeting:
Pinal County Network
Battered Immigrant Women‘s
Task Force
Pinal County Domestic
Violence Coalition Meeting
Casa Grande Alliance Drug Alliance Coalition
Community, Advocacy, Referral, Education (CARE) Network
Free Health Care Screening
The Cost of UnFair Housing
Date/Time:
Wednesday, March 2
9 am
Thursday, March 3
11 am
Thursday, March 3
12 am
Monday, March 7
1 pm - 3 pm
Wednesday, March 9
9:00am
Saturday, March 12
8:30 am
Tuesday, April 12
8am—12 noon
Location:
Coolidge Police Department Council Chambers,
911 S. Arizona Blvd., Coolidge.AZ
Contact: Reyna Villegas 520- 381-0319
Florence Senior Resource Center, 94 W. Butte,
Florence, AZ. Contact: Tammy McCarville
Florence Senior Resource Center, 94 W. Butte,
Florence, AZ Contact: Jerry Smith & Felisha Celis
Glad Tidings Church 275 W. Viola St, Casa
Grande Contact: Cindy Schaider (520) 836-5022
Pinal-Gila Council for Senior Citizens
8969 W. McCartney Rd, Casa Grande, AZ
Contact: Anne Geib 520- 466-1112
Calvary Baptist Church, 518 E. 2nd St, Casa
Grande, AZ Contact: 520-836-6335
Stanfield Medical Clinic
(all ages)
Thursday,
March 10th & 24th
5:30pm to 8:30 pm
Disability Empowerment Center, 5025 E. Washington St, Phoenix, AZ Contact: Arizona Fair Housing
602 -252-3423
First Baptist Church, 615 S. Stanfield Road,
Stanfield, AZ Contact #: 520 836-6335
Grandparents Raising
Grandchildren
Thursday, March 17
6:15 pm
Westside Community Center, 525 W. Melrose Pl.
Casa Grande, AZ Contact: 520-836-6335
Thursday, March 17
1:30 pm - 3 pm
Empowerment Systems, 2066 W. Apache Trail,
Apache Junction, AZ Contact: Russ Smith
The Network Meeting
V O LU M E 2 1 , I S S U E 3
P IN A L C O U N T Y N E TW O R K N E W S LE T T E R
PAGE 3
NEWS FROM THE NETWORKS
This section of the Pinal County Networks. Highlights information about network meetings. The agencies
in our County have been collaborating and networking for so long and so effectively that these efforts are
sometimes taken for granted. As Pinal County grows and new people come on board, it is important that
the “networking” torch be passed on and newcomers be engaged in the process. If you are part of a Network and would like to see information about your Network’s activities appear here, you may put together a
paragraph or two and forward to [email protected] by the 15th of each month.
PINAL COUNTY NETWORK MEETING
Regular Meeting Date/Time: First Wednesday of each
month @ 9:00am
Location: Coolidge Police Dept./Council Chambers,
Arizona Blvd., Coolidge.
911 South
For More Information Contact: Reyna Villegas at Sun Life
Family Health Center at 520-381-0319.
Next Meeting - March 2, 2011:
Speakers for the March meeting include:
Marcus Hoffman, CCTM-CSSM, Transit Manager, City of Coolidge, who will speak on Cotton Express
Merrill Sparks, RSVP Coordinator, who will present on RSVPPinal County
Marci Rosenberg, Senior Research Associate contracted by
Pinal Gila Community Child Services (PGCCS), will conduct a
short focus group to discuss the needs of families in Gila and
Pinal County.
Last Meeting:
Pinal County TRIAD program - Shannon Ortiz, Pinal County Attorney‘s Office - TRIAD is a three way commitment between the Pinal
County Attorney‘s Office, Pinal County Sheriff‘s Office/or local police
department and volunteers. They work together to address and reduce crime against seniors and improve the quality of life.
TRIADS are available in Oracle, Arizona City, Maricopa, San Tan
Valley and Florence. Services are also available in Casa Grande,
Apache Junction, Mammoth, San Manuel and Kearny. Services
include the home alone pendant, telephone reassurance, refrigerator medical card, 9-1-1 cell phone and information and referral.
Contact Shannon Ortiz at 520-866-6804 regarding services and/or
volunteering,
Preparing for Retirement - Richard Haupt, Financial Advisor, Pinal
County Federal Credit Union
Re-engineering Retirement - Assisting the emerging baby boomer
retirement population in the transition from accumulation to income by identifying and discussing the three levels of expenses,
the seven sources of income, and the five options to improve income.
Planning for retirement shortages and needs
Transitioning from accumulation building to retirement income
Providing illustrations and worksheets that remove the complexity
out of retirement
Designing programs for clients‘ specific needs
For additional information, contact Richard 520-381-3081.
CARE NETWORK
MEETING
Regular Meeting Date/
Time: Second Wednesday
of each month @ 9:00 am
Location: Pinal Gila Council for Senior Citizens, 8969 W. McCartney Road,
Casa Grande.
For more information contact:
Anne Geib at CAHRA at 520-4661112 or by email at
[email protected].
Next Meeting - March 9, 2011
Speakers for the March Meeting include: Carol Giddens, manager for
the First Things First Friend, Family
and Neighbors-Caregiver Outreach
Assistance Project , United Way of Pinal County. She will provide an update
on the Project.
Marci Rosenberg, Senior Research
Associate with Research Advisory Services, Inc. will facilitate a short focus
group discussion focused on current
trends and issues in Pinal County. The
information will be used by Pinal Gila
Community Child Services to increase
understanding of the needs of Head
Start families and to develop new
strategies and programming in response to those needs.
Arlisa Crank-Townsend, Resource &
Development Coordinator with Teen
Challenge‘s Home of Hope who present on Home of Hope‘s programs.
Last Meeting:
Teresa Del Campo, Healthy Marriage
Coordinator from the Arizona Youth
Partnership presented information on
organization‘s Healthy Marriage/Strong
Family Program and described the
family strengthening tools utilized with
participating couples.
Continued on Page 10
P I NA L C O U NT Y NE T WO R K NE WS LE T T E R
V O LU M E 2 1 , I S S U E 3
RESOURCE CORNER
NEWSLETTERS,
WEBSITES, ETC
From time to time we are fortunate
to receive newsletters from other
organizations that contain very useful information. Following is a list of those sites and
newsletters you may be interested in:
Pinal County Resource Directory ~
www.pinalresources.org
Pinal Gila Council for Senior Citizens
~www.pgcsc.org
Against Abuse Inc. ~ www.againstabuse.org
Arizona Consumers Council ~ http://http://
www.azconsumer.org/
National Low Income Housing Coalition ~
http://nlhic.org
Arizona Department of Housing ~
www.housingaz.com
American Cancer Society ~
www.cancer.org
Casa de los Ninos ~ casadelosninos.org
Florence Immigration and Refugee Rights
Project ~www.firrp.org
Community Alliance Against Family Abuse
~ www.caafaaz.org/newsletters.shtml
United Food Bank Newsletter ~ to subscribe
email newsletter@united foodbank.org or
[email protected]
CommunityConnect ENewsletter ~ to subscribe sign up at the website: https://
www.azdes.gov/nmanagerpro/subscribe.asp
Southwestern Fair Housing ~ http://
www.swfhc.com
Cenpatico Behavioral Health of Arizona
free, anonymous mental health selfassessments online http://
www.mentalhealthscreening.org/screening/
login.asp?keyword=Cenpatico
Arizona Housing Alliance ~ http://
www.azhousingalliance.org/Requests can be
sent to [email protected].
Housing Arizona ~ http://
www.housingaz.com/
Arizona Collaborative for Sustainable Communities ~ http://www.azcollaborative.net/
Arizona Foreclosure Prevention Task Force
~ Http://www.azforeclosureprevention.org
ArizonaSERVES ~ www.arizonaserves.com
Arizona Self Help ~ http://
www.arizonaselfhelp.org/
PAGE 4
36TH ANNUAL SENIOR CRAFT
& WELLNESS FAIR
The event will be held Saturday,
March 26th at the Central Arizona
College, 8470 N. Overfield Road. The fair is slated to
run from 9am—2pm and will feature homemade crafts
from Arizona senior adults and winter visitors, 50 years
of age and older. Highlights include Arts and Crafts,
Health Information & Screening, Food Booths, and Raffle
Prizes.
The event is sponsored by Pinal Gila Council for Senior
Citizens, City of Casa Grande and Central Arizona College.
For more information and registration please contact the
following individuals:
Stella Garcia, Office of Community Events,
Central Arizona College, 520 494 5204
Erica Perez, City of Casa Grande/
Community Services, 520 421 8760
Marty Quintero/Debra Goodman, PGCSC
520-836-2758 or toll free at 1-800-293-9393.
14th ANNUAL PINAL-GILA ELDER
ABUSE CONFERENCE
“THE NEXT STEP”
This years' 14th Annual Pinal-Gila Elder Abuse Conference will be held on March 17, 2011, at the Apache
Gold Casino and Resort which is five miles east of
Globe, Arizona on Highway 70 in San Carlos, AZ. Registration fee of $95.00 includes training materials, 6 hours
certificate, continental breakfast, and lunch. Conference
begins at 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
This year‘s Conference Tracks include, Legal, Law Enforcement, Social Services and Fiduciary Information,
which will offer a variety of issues and solutions for combating elder abuse. Conference breakout sessions include: Mortgages and Scams, Prosecution of Elder
Cases, In-home services, Long term Care, Alzheimer's
Support, End of Life Planning, Ethics and other key and
important topics. Anyone interested in attending or
needing more information, please contact Pinal-Gila
Council for Senior Citizens at(520) 836-2758 or Wendy
Edwards, Casa Grande Police Dept (520)
421-8711 ext. 6140. The planning committee looks forward to seeing everyone at the
conference.
V O LU M E 2 1 , I S S U E 3
P I NA L C O U NT Y NE T WO R K NE WS LE T T E R
PAGE 5
UNITED WAY AND PARTNERS OFFER FREE TAX ASSISTANCE
The 2011 Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites are open throughout Pinal county and continuing throughout the tax season until April 18th VITA will provide free-of-charge assistance to moderate or low-income families, elderly, and
taxpayers with disabilities by filing basic tax returns courtesy of volunteers certified
by the IRS.
Through the filing of these returns, some families may qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), refunding taxpayers up to $5,666. The Earned Income
Tax Credit is an especially important component of federal aid to working families,
lifting almost 5 million people out of poverty each year. To qualify for VITA assistance, a family with any dependants must make $48,000 annually or less and
those without dependents, less than $25,000 annually. The taxpayer must also
have a basic tax return, typically wage income with certain deductions, child tax
credits, Earned Income Tax Credit, or education credits. Taxpayers should call
ahead to make sure they qualify.
Last year in Pinal County, 431 families and individuals filed through VITA. The program generated $83,000 in savings and $452,000 in EITC. VITA sites are located
throughout Pinal County including Apache Junction, Casa Grande, Coolidge, Eloy,
and Maricopa.
United Way would like to thank its VITA partners for helping to provide this service
to the community: Seeds of Hope, Sun Life Family Health Center, the Eloy Public
Library, the City of Coolidge, Pinal Gila Community Child Services, Empowerment
Systems, and Maricopa Lutheran Church.
For more information contact Frances Ortega, VITA Program Assistant,
([email protected]) or call United Way of Pinal County at 520-836-0736
Ext. 20. Information is also online at www.unitedwayofpc.org/vita.
Site Locations:
Empowerment Systems, 2066 W. Apache Trail, Suite 116, Apache JunctionThursdays
Coolidge Teen Center, 660 S. Main Street, Coolidge- Mondays 4pm –
6:00pm
Maricopa Lutheran Church, 16540 N. Porter Rd., Maricopa- Saturdays
11am-3pm
Eloy Public Library, 100 E. 7th St., Eloy- Wednesdays 4pm - 6:30pm,
Seeds of Hope Neighborhood Center, 525 W. Melrose St., Casa GrandeTuesdays and Wednesdays 6pm - 8pm
Sun Life Family Health Center, 865 N. Arizola Rd., Casa Grande- Saturdays
Mar. 12th, Mar 26th, Apr. 2nd, Apr. 9th, 8:00am-11:30am
Service may be available in other areas in Pinal County on an appointment
basis. Please call to set up appointment.
GIVE. ADVOCATE. VOLUNTEER. LIVE UNITED. ™
PINAL
COUNTY TRIAD
SCHEDULE
Arizona City
1st Friday of each
month 9:30 a.m. Arizona City Fire Department 14022 S.
Sunland Gin Road
Arizona City, AZ
85223- Jim Young
520-466-7849
Oracle
1st Wednesday of
each month 3 p.m.
Oracle Fire Department 1475 W.
American Avenue
Oracle, AZ 85623 Karen Lombardi,
Pinal-Gila Council
for Senior Citizens,
520-896-9470
San Tan Valley
2nd Tuesday of each
month 2 p.m. 28479
N. Main Street San
Tan Valley, AZ
85143 Bob Dailey
866-372-6435
Maricopa
This group has been
meeting every other
month. Contact
Therese Starkey to
inquire about the
next meeting.
10:00 a.m. The Villages 20991 N.
Butterfield Parkway
Maricopa, AZ 85138Therese Starkey
520-568-8945
V O LU M E 2 1 , I S S U E 3
VOLUNTEERS
NEEDED TO AID IN
DISASTER RESPONSE
FLORENCE — Providing
much-needed help to families or individuals in crisis is one of the
most generous, selfless gestures you can
offer to people in your community. In
2010, volunteers from the Grand Canyon
Chapter of the American Red Cross responded to 47 emergencies in Pinal
County, ranging from flooding and storm
damage to multi-family house fires.
―Our volunteers are on the front lines of
disasters making sure victims have a safe
place to stay, food and emotional support,‖
said Judy Walp, Pinal County volunteer
member for the Grand Canyon Chapter.
Volunteers are the lifeblood of American
Red Cross, making up 96 percent of the
work force. Pinal County‘s Emergency
Management Director Lou Miranda considers the Red Cross an integral partner in
emergency response and recovery.
―If we need to set up a cooling center to
shelter people after a severe summer
storm, the Red Cross helps with setup and
staffing,‖ Miranda said. ―Their volunteers
are vital to our ability to assist the public
during emergencies.‖
―We presently have about 20 active Red
Cross volunteers in Pinal County, most of
whom are from Casa Grande,‖ said
Tracey Kiest, communications manager
for the Grand Canyon Chapter of the
American Red Cross. ―If we can recruit
more volunteers from some of the other
communities including eastern Pinal
County, San Tan Valley, Coolidge, Florence and Eloy, we will increase response
time and efficiency.‖
Volunteers are needed in every community in Pinal County, and Red Cross training is free. To learn more about the Grand
Canyon Chapter of the American Red
Cross, visit www.arizonaredcross.org or
call 1-800-842-7349.
Reprinted with permission by Tri Valley
Dispatch
P I NA L C O U NT Y NE T WO R K NE WS LE T T E R
PAGE 6
Continued from page 1, CAHRA Base Funding Threatened in
Federal Budget Cuts
CAP agencies are locally-managed agencies governed by
boards of directors with equal representation from the private
sector, low-income individuals and elected officials. Community
Action Human Resources Agency (CAHRA) is a non-profit organization with 501 c 3 status that has provided services for thirty
years in Pinal County. ‗Our Board of Directors includes representatives from a major utility company, the Pinal County Sheriff‘s Office, the Arizona Department of Public Safety, local
schools, behavioral health and a retired CAP Agency staff member,‖ according to Mary Enriquez, Board President.
During the last fiscal year from July 2009 to June 2010, 2,461
households including 8,854 duplicated individuals received services and support through Community Action Programs offered
by CAHRA. Statewide during Fiscal Year 2010, 156,327 unduplicated individuals (53,900) families were served across Arizona.
Nationwide, 1065 CAP agencies provided critical support for employment, education and housing to nearly 21 million Americans.
Fiscal Year 2010, 156,327 unduplicated individuals (53,900)
families were served across Arizona. Nationwide, 1065 CAP
agencies provided critical support for employment, education and
housing to nearly 21 million Americans.
During the last fiscal year, residents were assisted with
$1,405,373.15 to prevent homelessness, moving families from
the street to affordable housing, preventing loss of utilities and
meeting non-financial needs for car repairs, vehicle licensing,
registration and insurance to help households improve their selfsufficiency.
152 households received weatherization and home repair services valued at $556,946.40 while 218 households were enrolled
in the Home Alone Safe Alone and received an Emergency Alert
Pendent.
367 Pinal County households received foreclosure mitigation
counseling services.
CAHRA provides urgently needed basic services along with effective, managed programs for individuals and families to gain
economic stability, said Enriquez. ―CSBG funds in Pinal County
have allowed us to identify and implement effective local solutions to complex needs, create jobs and raise significant additional non-federal resources that have made a tremendous difference in our County. Every CSBG dollar invested in Arizona has
been used to leverage more than $16.50 in other resources.
Enriquez said that the $2,427,823 CAHRA for Pinal County received last year produced an additional $1,304,820 from other
non-federal sources including from the private sector.
―CSBG funding also led to the creation of 5 jobs within our
Agency that may be lost if funding is cut to the degree that has
been proposed‖ Enriquez said.
Continued on Page 10
V O LU M E 2 1 , I S S U E 3
P I NA L C O U NT Y NE T WO R K NE WS LE T T E R
HIGHLIGHTS OF
GOVERNOR’S PROPOSED
BUDGET CUTS FOR
HEALTH AND HUMAN
SERVICES - 2012
AHCCCS (Health care)
Eliminate up to 280,000 more people from coverage – the so-called 204 population which is
voter mandated population from the November
2000 election including all adults without minor
children at home. All these individuals must be
below 100% of the poverty level and not have
any substantial assets making them unable to
obtain health care coverage in the open market.
12,000 children would be impacted by this proposal. They most likely will go without coverage
and go to emergency rooms when very ill and in
need of care.
These cuts could eliminate up to 42,000 thousand jobs according to the Arizona Hospital and
Health Care Association study. There could be
significant health care system impacts with loss
of health care capacity.
KidsCare - Continued cuts from the last two
years include elimination 9,000 parents and
30,000 children from KidsCare because of the
continuing enrollment freeze.
Continued provider cuts of 10% with another
proposed provider cut of 5% which actually begins April 1, 2011.
Department of Health Services (DHS)
(Behavioral Health and public health services)
5,200 individuals with serious mental illness are
in jeopardy of losing their health care along with
29,000 more people in the general mental
health and substance abuse categories.
Continued cuts include elimination of all services but medication for 14,000 individuals from
July 2010.
Continued cuts include elimination of all state
funding for community health centers used to
support sliding fee schedule services for low
income families without or with limited health
care coverage eliminating services for up to
5,000 families.
Continued cuts include co-payments imposed
on many groups of individuals receiving mental
health services, severely curtailing and limiting
services to thousands more people.
Continued cuts include elimination of state support of adult vaccinations.
Elimination of Children Rehabilitation Services
to 2,700 enrolled children eligible for state only
services.
Continued reductions in the Senior Food Program – eliminating food boxes for thousands of
seniors.
PAGE 7
Department of Economic Security (DES) (Health,
human, and social services)
The Governor‘s budget reduces DES by another $91
million continuing many prior cuts. The Department
has indicated to stakeholders that no further services
reductions will be necessary.
However, severe budget reductions for the past two
years will continue including:
47% reduction in TANF cash recipients based on
eligibility limitations, loss of 10,000 to 12,000 families and 20,000 children for Arizona‘s poorest families. This includes a 20% reduction in cash payments to families. There is a documented increase
in family homelessness recently most likely in part
as result of these changes.
Continuation of not investigating 100% of Child Protective and Adult Protective Services referrals leaving many children and adults at risk of abuse or neglect.
In-home family services were eliminated for 4,000
families needing child protective and family support
services.
Continuation of reductions in substance abuse
treatment to 1,400 individuals in the CPS system
resulting in longer stays in foster care and longer
permanency planning.
Continuation of reductions in foster care parents
support payments by 20%.
Continuation of reductions in independent living
payments to former foster children limiting their ability to be launched into self-reliance and independence.
Continuation of reduction of 18,000 children receiving child care support putting children at risk and
stopping their parents from working.
Continuation of the elimination of General Assistance, a bridge to SSI/SSDI, for 1,500 people with
disabilities resulting in more homelessness and
general dependency.
Continuation of the waiting list for vocational rehabilitation services for 1,100 individuals hoping to
become independent and self-reliant.
DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC SECURITY reductions
in the past two years - continued
Continuation of reduction of $1.3 dollars in domestic
violence shelter services resulting in turning away
women seeking safety from violence over 1,600
women could be turned away from shelters.
Continuation of reductions in homeless shelter emergency services for 1,100 individuals.
Continuation of the 10% reduction in
provider rates for programs for children
and adults with developmental disabilities with new imposition of copayments for low income families severely limiting access to services.
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ARIZONA HEALTH CUTS HURT STATE’S
CHILDREN, REPORT SAYS
by Mary K. Reinhart - Feb. 2, 2011 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic
While the rest of the country has
maintained or increased health programs for children, Arizona has become an outlier.
To help close multibillion-dollar deficits in the past three budget years,
Gov. Jan Brewer and state lawmakers have frozen the
health-insurance program for children of the working
poor, eliminated coverage for their parents, wiped out
early-intervention programs for families at risk and cut
services for children with developmental delays.
Arizona's perennially poor showing in state surveys on
child well-being, including a Commonwealth Fund report released today, reflect budget cuts that health
experts warn can have lifelong health consequences
for children and pose potential public-health threats.
"Cutting off children - that's a trend in the wrong direction," said Cathy Schoen, co-author of the report and a
senior vice president with the Commonwealth Fund, a
nonpartisan foundation focused on health-care improvement, based in New York City.
Arizona scored 49th in the report, which compared 20
indicators of health-system performance in 50 states
and the District of Columbia.
The state was behind Mississippi, Texas, Florida and
Nevada in the percentage of uninsured children, at 15
percent, but the rankings were based on 2009 data,
before the state implemented some of the significant
cuts.
Enrollment in KidsCare, the federal children's healthinsurance program, has plummeted by more than 50
percent since Brewer and lawmakers capped it at the
end of 2009 to help balance a midyear budget deficit.
About 22,000 children remain on KidsCare, compared
with 43,460 when the program was capped, and
nearly 66,000 in June 2008. Another 85,000 kids are
on a waiting list, but it's not clear how many of them
would qualify.
Even as the recession strafed states' revenue, 35
states expanded coverage for children, and the rest
maintained their insurance programs for kids.
"It really puts kids and families behind, and it puts our
economy behind," said Dana Naimark, president and
CEO of the Children's Action Alliance. "When we
stand out like this, businesses notice."
PAGE 8
7
Monica Coury, spokeswoman for the Arizona
Health Care Cost Containment System, Arizona's Medicaid program, said children and
families enrolled in AHCCCS fare better than
the national average.
"We don't want this report to reflect on the
health care that Arizona children are getting,"
Coury said. "In a world of finite resources,
AHCCCS continues to perform above most
other states' Medicaid . . . programs."
Local pediatricians say they've lost patients in
the past year who have fallen off KidsCare or
private health insurance.
Those children are more likely to suffer from
worsening chronic conditions, such as asthma
and diabetes, and missed diagnoses for autism
and developmental delays, doctors say.
"I see people skipping their well checks," said
Dr. Amy Shoptaugh, a Tempe pediatrician. "If
they're not coming in for well visits, they're not
coming in for vaccines. And that's a risk to the
community."
Doctors say they also miss opportunities to educate parents about keeping kids healthy, from
nutrition to risky teen behaviors.
In the past decade, Arizona had become a national model for its health-care programs for
families and children, said Jocelyn Guyer, coexecutive director of the Center for Children and
Families at Georgetown University's Health Policy Institute.
"It's really just in the past couple of years that
Arizona has jumped off the path and become an
outlier," Guyer said. "That's part of what's particularly distressing."
FREE PEDIATRIC
CLINIC OF CASA GRANDE
Dr. Robert J. Kull, D.O., FAAP
St. Vincent De Paul Society Plaza
405 E. 2nd Street, Casa Grande, AZ
Wednesday, March 2nd & 16th
3 pm - 6 pm
*Infants through age 21 accepted*
No insurance or income info necessary*
V O LU M E 2 1 , I S S U E 3
P I NA L C O U NT Y NE T WO R K NE WS LE T T E R
QWEST COMMUNICATIONS
RAISES MORE THAN $11,000
FOR UNITED WAY
CASA GRANDE, AZ, February 15, 2011 - Qwest Foundation and
Qwest employees have raised more than $11,200 to benefit United
Way of Pinal County. This marks the 7th year that Qwest employees
have run campaigns to support the great work of the United Way.
―Qwest is proud to partner with the United Way to provide needed assistance throughout Arizona,‖ said Jim Campbell, Qwest president for
Arizona. ―Our employees and our company remain committed to the
state of Arizona and its future. We will continue to give our time and
talent, as represented by the thousands of hours our employees have
invested in various communities across Arizona.‖
In addition to pledging payroll deductions, Qwest employees held various special events including basket raffles, hamburger sales, breakfast
burrito offers and United Way lunches to rally United Way donations.
―We are grateful to Qwest employees for their leadership and commitment to our community,‖ said Beverly J. Prueter, Executive Director,
United Way of Pinal County. ―The Qwest Foundation corporate commitment, this year at its highest at $10,000, is a significant gain for the
campaign. Qwest Communications and its employees are greatly appreciated for their support of critical human needs in our county.‖ A
variety of services will be available to residents of Pinal County because of the generosity of others, including home delivered meals for
senior citizens, domestic violence shelter and counseling, and youth
programming that support a good self esteem. Additional programs
include early children and adult literacy services, basic needs such as
food, shelter, and utility assistance, support for grandparents raising
grandchildren, hot lunch services, and other programs.
About Qwest Foundation
The Qwest Foundation awards grants to community-based programs
that generate high-impact and measurable results, focusing on pre-K
through 12th grade education.
About United Way
United Way of Pinal County works throughout the county in three primary priority areas: Education, Income and Health. Through thirteen
partner agencies, United Way internal services and collaborative partnerships, services provided have objectives that will insure children are
prepared for Kindergarten and that children will succeed in school and
life; help families achieve financial stability and improve people‘s health
and independence. Services funded meet the mission: United Way of
Pinal County matches generosity with community needs to promote
lasting change in people‘s lives. In 2009, over 125,000 people in Pinal
County were served by United Way and its partners, which include
Community Action Human Resource Agency (CAHRA), Salvation
Army, American Red Cross, Against Abuse, Boys and Girls Club of the
East Valley in Apache Junction, the Tri Community Food Bank in Mammoth, Coolidge Youth Coalition, F.A.I.T.H. Ministries, Seeds of Hope,
Catholic Community Services of Southern Arizona, Community Alliance
Against Family Abuse, East Valley Senior Services, Pinal Gila Council
for Senior Citizens, and ACE/Maricopa Partnership for Education.
PAGE 9
HOME OF HOPE - ANNUAL
FUNDRAISING BANQUET
The event
is scheduled to
take place
at The
Property
Conference Center in Casa Grande
on March 25 and 26.
Home of Hope, a program of Teen
Challenge of Arizona, is a faithbased recovery program for women
and women with small children located in Casa Grande. Each year
they return approximately 80
women and 160 children back into
society drug and alcohol free; mentally, physically and spiritually well
and personally empowered
to live a healthy life while in control
of life-altering circumstances, according to Arlisa Crank-Townsend,
Resource & Development Coordinator. Teen Challenge‘s success
rate of 86% has proven to be Arizona‘s answer to drug and alcohol
addiction in our communities.
― We would like to extend a personal invitation to you, your family
and friends to attend and support
our efforts of reclaiming our community through saving the life of
women and children,‖ Arlisa said.
Individual tickets are $25.00 and a
table of eight is $200.00.
―We would be honored to have you
join us for an evening of fun, good
food, good music by the Teen Challenge of Arizona Chorus, and testimonies of true-life changing moments of people right here in our
own city and state,‖ she added. Pinal County Sherriff Paul Babeau
and other city and government officials will be in attendance to meet
and greet you.
To learn more about the Banquets,
please contact Arlisa or Muvi at
Home of Hope 520-836-5030
ext.119/104.
V O LU M E 2 1 , I S S U E 3
P I NA L C O U NT Y NE T WO R K NE WS LE T T E R
Continued from Page 7, Highlights of Governor‘s Proposed Budget
Continuation of the elimination of state only
supports services for children and adults with
developmental disabilities throwing 300 children and 400 adults off services.
Continuation of the elimination of independent
living supports for 450 older Arizonans leaving these elders at risk of institutionalization,
hospitalization or other similar bad consequences.
Continuation of the elimination of lifespan respite care funding which eliminates services for
130 caregivers annually.
Continuation of the elimination of the $75
monthly grandparent kinship care stipend for
100 grandparents caring for grandchildren.
Department of Housing The Department of
Housing has been reduced to a pass through
agency for federal funds. Over $52 million dollars have been ―swept‖ to fund general government leaving eviction prevention and homeless
and low income programs scrambling for funding. FOR
Details of the proposed GOVERNOR‘S Budget
Reductions: go to: http://www.ospb.state.az.us/
Budbooks.asp
FOR DETAILS on the past two years of budget
cuts go to: http://www.pafcoalition.org/budget/
For more details on proposed reductions to children and family services from Children‘s Action
Alliance go to: http://www.azchildren.org/
MyFiles/11leg/gov_budget_fy12.pdf
Its ABOUT REVENUES, NOT JUST EXPENDITURES – There are alternatives to deep
budget cuts and service reductions. All the
proposed new budget and any new tax cuts will
further devastate the state‘s economy. Alternatives exist, including a new proposal for raising
revenue through a hospital bed tax and health
care premium tax. Other alternatives include
raising the beer and liquor tax to national average or eliminating tax exemptions and taxing
various services. Some responsible legislators,
both Republicans and Democrats, proposed a
five year plan for solving the state budget crisis
last year.
FOR DETAILS ABOUT POTENTIAL REVENUE
SOLUTIONS GO TO: (http://www.azleg.gov/
jlbc/5yearplan.pdf). ASU economist says revenues increases have better impact than tax
cuts. http://asunews.asu.edu/20110127 business budget deficit
PAGE 10
What can citizens do? Contact the Governor and your
legislators and let them know that you want budget and
services reductions stopped. There are many viable
alternatives. Stop the bleeding and harm to children,
families and vulnerable adults and health and human
services. Citizens must hold legislators accountable too
during the next election in 2012. Go to
www.pafcoalition.org for more ideas and resources
and join PAFCO‘s email list. Also join PAFCO‘s Facebook page for daily and regular updates.
Legislators representing Pinal County and their email
addresses are:
Senator Steve Smith - [email protected]
Representative Frank Pratt [email protected]
Representative John Fillmore- [email protected]
As part of the 2011 Season of
Service local churches, social
service agencies and area
businesses have put their collaborative efforts together to
bring Compassion Queen
Creek to the San Tan Valley
area. The event is scheduled
to take place
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Walker Butte School
29697 N. Desert Willow Blvd.
San Tan Valley, AZ
8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
This FREE event will offer basic medical exams, dental
cleanings/emergency treatment/fillings and extractions, Vision screenings/
prescriptions, chiropractic care, haircuts, social/job services and community resources.
For more information Linda Japenga, Social Service
Fair coordinator, (520) 866-6743 (daytime) or (480)
254-3281 (evenings and weekends).
Volunteer opportunities: medical, dental, hospitality,
children, interpreters, facilities, transportation, parking/
security follow-up, flow, public relations and prayer.
P I NA L C O U NT Y NE T WO R K NE WS LE T T E R
V O LU M E 2 1 , I S S U E 3
CASA GRANDE
ALLIANCE 2011
PHANTOM BALL
Spring is a busy season
in Southern Arizona.
Nearly every weekend
between January and May includes a celebration
or charity event! It is not unusual for civic-minded
individuals to play in a golf tournament on Saturday morning, a bar-b-que at noon, and a charity
dinner that night. Each event requires time away
from our families and our homes. In response to
these demands for your attention, the Casa
Grande Alliance invites you to NOT attend the
NON-event!
The 2011 Phantom Ball will not be held on April
1, 2011.
No need to buy a new outfit, go out to dinner, or
even wash the car! This event requires you to
stay home and do whatever you want – instead
of attending our event. Then on April 1st, at the
time of the non-event, you can upload photos of
what you did instead of coming to the Phantom
Ball!
How this works:
1. By March 31st, purchase your 100% tax deductible ‗tickets‘ online at
www.casagrandealliance.org Tickets for nonattendance are $25. Every ticket purchaser is
entered into a drawing for exciting prizes!
2. Special Non-event T-shirts can be purchased
online for $20 (shipping included). Each black
T-shirt will have the Phantom Ball logo
(above) and will be shipped directly to you
(hopefully in time for your photos of not attending the non-event).
3. At the time of your purchase you will receive a
special code. Between 6pm and 9pm on April
1st, use that code to upload photos onto our
website of what you were doing instead of
attending the Phantom Ball! (we will of course
be monitoring that site to avoid inappropriate
photos)
So, don‘t get a haircut, don‘t
rent a limo …don‘t even
shave those legs! Just stay
at home in your jammies (or
our fashionable T-shirt)
and…Please do not attend
our non-event!
All proceeds go to CGA, Inc., the non-profit organization of the Casa Grande Alliance. We help
keep kids off drugs.
PAGE 11
Continued from page 3, CARE Network
The Arizona Youth Partnership works with communities to create healthy foundations for youth and promotes strong families.
The Health Marriage/Strong Family Program is a five
year Federal grant project administered through the US
Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families and the Office of Family
Assistance. The Program delivers comprehensive,
research-based interactive and fun, health relationship
building throughout Arizona. The goal of the program
is to increase the value of marriage, improve the quality and strength of marriages and relationships, creating and maintaining safe and stable families for the
wellbeing of children and adults.
Kathy Davis RN, BSN provided information about the
Newborn Intensive Care Program Community Health
Nurse Services. This program delivers a coordinated
system of specialized nursing consultation to medically
at risk infants and their families. A pediatric nurse provides information and support to families during the
transition from hospital to home, conducts developmental, physical and environmental assessments and
makes referrals to other community services as
needed. The program provides follow up for infants up
to age 5. Services are provided at no cost to the family.
Continued from Page 6, CAHRA Faces Budget Cuts
―We recognize that cuts are necessary across the
board, but there must be level of reason and consideration for how these incredibly severe cuts will take
their toll on individuals and families who can least afford another challenge or crisis in their lives,‖ Enriquez
pointed out that of the 2,461 households assisted
county-wide, 1,193 households are either working or
searching for employment while relying on unemployment benefits to sustain their household. She also
stressed that 1,832 households have incomes below
the 100% of poverty level.
Enriquez pointed out that of all the households CAHRA
worked with, only 178 households or about 7% were
receiving welfare. Enriquez said that these numbers
dispel the old stereotype of welfare mothers and show
that people are trying to work and make ends meet, but
it‘s just not possible in the current economy. Also hard
hit, she pointed out, are our senior citizens and persons with disabilities who are forced to rely on a fixed
income to meet their needs.
V O LU M E 2 1 , I S S U E 3
P I NA L C O U NT Y NE T WO R K NE WS LE T T E R
UNITED WAY OF
PINAL COUNTY
ISSUES
REQUEST FOR
PROPOSALS TO
COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS FOR
FUND DISTRIBUTION IN 2011
United Way of Pinal County has issued a request
for proposals (RFP) to community-based, nonprofit organizations.
United Way wishes to fund proposals that focus
on ―the building blocks for a good life‖ and that
propose programming in the areas of Education,
Income, and Health.
Non-profit organizations recognized by the I.R.S.
as a tax-exempt 501c3, and which serve residents of Pinal County, are encouraged and welcome to apply.
Organizations wanting to apply for United Way
funding must attend one of the following training
sessions:
March 8th, Tuesday, 9:00-11:00 a.m.
March 10th, Thursday, 9:00-11:00 a.m.
All training sessions will be at the Central Arizona
College Corporate Center, 540 N. Camino
Mercado, Suite 1, Casa Grande, AZ 85122 (in the
Mall behind Cracker Barrel Restaurant). Please
contact the United Way office at 520.836.0736 to
verify attendance at one of the training sessions.
United Way requests that the individual attending
the training be the actual writer of the agency‘s
application. United Way will not consider for
funding organizations that do not attend a training
session.
Prior to attending a training session, communitybased organizations that have not applied for
United Way funding before must email the executive director, Beverly Prueter, [email protected], to discuss their
funding proposal(s) and ascertain the expectations for United Way applicants.
United Way of Pinal County convenes and works
side-by-side with individuals, nonprofits, government, and businesses, faith-based and other partners to address community needs and promote
lasting changes in people‘s lives.
For more information, please visit our website at
www.unitedwayofpc.org
PAGE 12
WEATHERIZATION APPLICATIONS
NEEDED
Community Action Human Resources
Agency (CAHRA) has funding to assist eligible low-income homeowners with Weatherization and
home repairs, according to Mary Lou Rosales, Executive Director. Homeowners from Eloy, Stanfield, Maricopa, Superior, Kearny, Oracle, San Manuel and Mammoth are encouraged to apply. ―We strive to reach all
communities in Pinal County, our service area,‖ Rosales
added. ―Currently we do not have applications from
homeowners living in these communities,‖ she said.
Under the Weatherization program, improvements are
made by CAHRA staff to help reduce energy consumption and energy costs, Rosales said. A thorough assessment of the eligible home is performed including
diagnostic and blower door testing to determine how
weather-tight the home is and what improvements need
to be made. A test to determine carbon monoxide leakage in the home is also done. Weatherization repairs
may include repair or replacement of cooling and heating systems. Repair or replacement of refrigerators,
stoves, water heaters, doors and windows will also be
considered.
Homes needing larger repairs such as roofing, plumbing, electrical or major rehabilitation may not be eligible
for the program. ―After staff conducts the inspection,
they will let the homeowner know if the home is eligible
for the improvements. If not, they will provide referrals
to other potential assistance in your area, if any sources
exist,‖ Rosales added.
The Department of Energy and Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program through the Arizona Department of Commerce, Arizona Energy Office, Salt River
Project, Southwest Gas Corporation and Arizona Public
Service provide funding for the Weatherization program.
Funding for home repairs is provided by the Pinal Gila
Council for Senior Citizens under the Older Americans
Act Title III, and Utility, Repair, Replacement and Deposit funds through Arizona Community Action Agency
Home Energy Assistance Fund Board.
Eligibility includes: 1) household must be low income, 2)
the home must be owned by the applicant or be in process of purchasing, 3) household must have lived in the
home for least 12 months. An application must be completed and verification of income and home ownership
must be provided. Other documents may be needed,
depending on the source of funding to be used.
For an application or for information call the CAHRA
office at 520-466-1112 or toll free 1-877-472-2472 (from
long distance areas only) or write to 311 North Main St.,
Eloy AZ, 85131.