2021 Annual Report
Manzanita Outreach
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communities where the basic life needs of all people are met.
Passion Empathy Servant Leadership Integrity
We fill gaps in basic needs assistance. We all sit at the same table. We plan the work and work the plan. We build to scale.
Community Food Sharing Senior Food Program MO Packs for Kids Children’s Literacy Program MO Packs for Teachers School Supplies for Teachers Neighborhood Food Project Emergency Response Program MOhelp Kids Against Hunger
Manzanita Outreach
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Our 2020 Story
2020 put us to the test. Pre-pandemic, Manzanita Outreach had been operating dozens of food sharing events across the Verde Valley in a farmer’s market style. Utilizing our refrigerated truck, this “popup” strategy allowed us to go directly into the neighborhoods with the greatest need for food-assistance. Through this work, we were able to meet many of our neighbors, and this really opened our hearts to the beautiful people and stories in our community. In February and March of 2020, as we began to hear reports of shutdowns, we knew there would be an increased demand for food assistance. In order to meet this demand and to ensure the safety of our volunteers and neighbors, we transformed our operations nearly overnight, consolidating to fewer locations and beginning a drive-thru food sharing approach. We were immediately very glad we did. At the height of the 2020 pandemic, our staff and volunteers provided food assistance to over 2,500 Verde Valley residents in just one April weekend. Only an efficient drive-through model could have made that possible. Soon after making this transition, we received a call from the American Red Cross and Yavapai County Emergency Management requesting our collaboration in getting food assistance into rural Yavapai County. When businesses began closing, many of our neighbors immediately became underemployed or unemployed. Some areas that were already food deserts were now looking for other options. We immediately began working collaboratively with several organizations, including the Salvation Army, school districts, and law enforcement, to reach rural Yavapai County with increased
food assistance. As a result of numerous partnerships, we began receiving semitruckloads of donated food, packed food bags multiple days per week, and brought this food into 12 rural communities outside of the Verde Valley. To add complexity to the situation, our volunteers, many over the age of 50, were at greater risk of getting sick. Simultaneously, we had heard of so many food-service and hospitality workers being laid off. We decided to hire and train 15 part-time employees to pack and distribute food as part of scaling up our operations. What was a simple process of hosting foodsharing events in our community became an all-out blitz to distribute as much quality food as safely as possible, county-wide. In a three-month period during 2020, we quadrupled the number of people we served. Through this process, we developed the acronym, SCRAM - scale, collaborate, respond, adapt, and mobilize. We believe that this is a synopsis of the playbook for how we can work together to develop solutions to meet the needs of our communities. As 2020 rolled along into the winter, demand for food-assistance decreased and our volunteers began to come back. In a phone call with then Yavapai County Education Service Agency Executive Director, we were told that some of this work was “bringing communities together.” This became the lens through which we began to understand what really happens through local, collaborative efforts. As we looked forward to the new year of 2021, our focus was on finding collaborations that would meet the needs of our neighbors.
Manzanita Outreach
The Community Food Sharing Program is Manzanita Outreach’s primary program activity. Through various forms of mobile food distribution, Manzanita Outreach is the fastest growing and one of the largest food assistance providers in the State of Arizona. At designated times and locations, Manzanita Outreach volunteers and staff set up mobile foodsharing events within our community.
Program Information
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At our Food Sharing Events, we share the abundance of food with our neighbors with dignity, joy, and without any judgment. We’ve changed the way we look at food security, and as a result, our community is changing. We see our neighbors transform from having their heads down in embarrassment, to looking us in the eye, and greeting us as neighbors. Where we used to provide food to those in need, we now simply share food with our neighbors.
Ben Burke 2021 Director of Operations
75 Volunteers 4,203 Volunteer Hours 64
Food Sharing Events
15,069
Total Distributions to Households
46,953
Total Distributions to Individuals
1,311,195
Yavapai County, focus on Verde Valley
Pounds of Food Distributed
$3,715,054 Economic Impact
Time, location, & stigma of food assistance
Manzanita Outreach
The Senior Food Program ensures Verde Valley seniors have access to enough fresh and nutritious food for an active and healthy life. Seniors receive food assistance in drive-thru pickups, by individuals picking up food on their behalf (a proxy), or via home delivery by a Manzanita Outreach volunteer. No matter their situation, no senior should be foodinsecure in the Verde Valley. This program assists seniors with supplemental nutrition and helps them stretch their food dollars.
Program Information
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It is said that a society is measured by how it cares for its elders. Our firstever senior food sharing event was conducted in partnership with a housing development assisting low-income seniors to access affordable independent living. In the past four years, we’ve been on a mission to fill the gaps in sharing fresh and nutritious foods for seniors in our community. In return, our hearts have been opened by the wisdom and love shared back to us.
Donna Newcomb Senior Food Program Coordinator
47 Volunteers 1,008 Volunteer Hours 67
Food Sharing Events
4,203
Total Distributions to Households
6,154
Total Distributions to Individuals
154,786
Verde Valley
Pounds of Food Distributed
$438,560 Economic Impact
Convenient, healthy food assistance for seniors
Manzanita Outreach
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100 Women Who Care Sedona-Verde Valley Albertsons Companies Foundation Arizona Community Foundation of Sedona Arizona Community Foundation of Yavapai County Arizona Food Bank Network Arizona Public Service Christ Lutheran Church - Sedona City of Cottonwood Foothills Bank Health First Foundation Karuna Foundation Mental Health Coalition Verde Valley National Christian Foundation Offield Foundation OneAZ Credit Union Quintas, Inc. St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance The Church of the Red Rocks Unify Sedona United Way of Yavapai County Verde Valley Christian Church Why Not? Foundation
And the hundreds of community members that support Manzanita Outreach through their individual, charitable donations. Our community appreciates you!
Manzanita Outreach
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Our Story
In January of 2021, we were finally able to take a breath. 2020 took a lot out of us scaling our operations to distribute over 2,000,000 pounds of food into our communities. 2021 was greatly welcomed, and we took the time given to us through the slowing down of food assistance demand to survey our community and discover how we could be of the most service. What we found in our research was that children were the most vulnerable population to food insecurity - The Arizona Department of Education reports that roughly 4,300 (60%) of children attending schools in the Verde Valley qualify for the Free and Reduced Meals Program. We decided that for us, 2021 was to be The Year of The Kid. In March, we launched MO Packs for Kids, a food-assistance program aimed at sharing nutritious, kid-friendly food to children through their parents and guardians. Since then, we have reached over 1,400 of our community’s youth living within over 600 local families. At every food sharing event, each child receives healthy and nutritious food. As part of our Children’s Literacy Program, each child also receives an ageappropriate book. In July, we polled our community to answer the question, “How else can we reach children?” The answer was clear: through teachers and schools. We discovered that teachers can spend over $1,000 per year of their own money on their classroom, with about half of that money spent on food. We heard stories about students coming to school without snacks or without enough food to eat, and about teachers’ frustrations with lack of nutrition playing a role in the students’ ability to concentrate in class.
In September, we began to pilot a new program called MO Packs for Teachers with nine schools in the Verde Valley. Each teacher at the nine schools receives a box of over 100 snack items to give to hungry kids in their classroom. We have committed to replenishing the supply of snack boxes at each school on a monthly basis through the 2021/22 school year. As of this writing, we are now serving 12 schools with snack boxes in the Verde Valley. As we began learning more about what teachers need, we couldn’t help but recognize that supplies for their classrooms were in glaring demand. In addition to hearing stories about snacks, we heard stories about a lack of school supplies. While we know that schools do their absolute best to support their teachers, we saw another gap in basic educational needs. So, in October, we began working with seven Verde Valley schools to provide school supplies as part of a School Supplies for Teachers program. These schools received a stocked school supply cabinet with over 100 different types of school supplies. As with the snack boxes, we have committed to restocking these cabinets – at no cost to the schools or teachers – on a monthly basis through the 2021/22 school year. Our goal is to supply every school in the Verde Valley with both school supplies and snack boxes by the end of 2022. When we reach this goal, we will have shared hundreds of thousands of snacks to the children who need them most, made available tens of thousands of dollars worth of school supplies to our community’s teachers, and will have made the teachers’ role as educators a little bit easier. Ultimately, these programs improve students’ educational experiences and better prepare them to be our future leaders.
Manzanita Outreach
T h e M O P a c k s Fo r Ki d s Pr og r am i s M a n z a n i ta Ou tr e ac h’s f ree f o o d - s h a r i n g pr o gr am f or a ll V e r d e V a l le y ch ild r e n u nde r 19 y e a r s o l d . T hrou gh c om m un ity p a r t n e r s h i p s, M a nza ni t a O u t r e a c h c oo rdi nat e s eff e cti ve fresh a nd h ea lt h y f ood d i s t r i b u t i o n to our c om m un i t y’ s c h i l d r e n a n d w ork i ng f am i lies.
Program Information
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As a mother, I understand the importance of nutrition. When I go to the grocery store, I experience firsthand the difficult choices parents make in providing adequate nutrition for their children. It truly does take a village to raise a child, and who are we as a community if we are not doing everything we can to support our youth? In less than one year, Manzanita Outreach’s MO Packs for Kids program has consistently served fresh and healthy foods to over 1,400 children in the Verde Valley. This is our staff and volunteer’s small contribution to the future of our community – our children.
Bailey Chavez Secretary, Board of Directors
63 Volunteers
1,115 Volunteer Hours 33 6,867
Food Sharing Events Total Distributions
Verde Valley
102,815 Pounds of Food Distributed $291,309 Economic Impact
Convenience, consistency and nutrition of children’s food assistance
Manzanita Outreach
Youth from middle-income homes have on average 13 books per child. There is an average of one book for every 30 children in lowincome neighborhoods. Manzanita Outreach’s Children’s Literacy program provides ageand gender-appropriate books to the youth throughout the Verde Valley. This program distributes over 600 books per month.
Program Information
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The kids we see through our work here at Manzanita Outreach have had an extremely tough two years, with their parents dealing with more stress than ever. Schooling has been disrupted, and most have fallen behind academically. We all know that these early years are critical to their futures, and serious setbacks now can have lasting, negative impacts. By providing children with their own books, we are trying to mitigate the pandemic’s effect upon the youth of the Verde Valley. They deserve our best efforts in helping them have a better chance at success.
Don Smith Officer, Board of Directors
17 Volunteers
313 Volunteer Hours 39 7,976
Book Sharing Events
Verde Valley
Total Books Distributed
$51,503 Economic Impact
Children’s consistent access to age-appropriate literature
Manzanita Outreach
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MO Packs for Teachers School Supplies for Teachers Each of us has a story of a teacher who has changed our life for the better. Not just through the curriculum upon which they instructed, but in the way that they demonstrated a characteristic that was worthy of emulation. One of my early insights comes from my first-grade teacher, Mrs. Mary Hummels, who compelled me to believe in my dreams. Mrs. Hummels encouraged me to think extraordinarily big about my life. She assured me that no person whom we revere as a great historical leader ever put a cap on their imagination. My first-grade teacher gave me the permission slip to trust myself that I still carry to this day. At Manzanita Outreach, we believe that a career in education, perhaps more than any other profession, bears the greatest responsibility in shaping our society’s future. We deeply appreciate our educators’ commitment to inspiring subsequent generations of citizens and leaders. And we recognize the necessity upon our community to support our teachers as they support our students. I have two children: a six-year-old daughter and a four-year-old son. In many ways, I feel that the world that we have co-created for them especially in the last few years - does not aim to serve their best interests. However, I am overly optimistic that when we come together in the realization that children are the seeds of our future, we will continue to work together to nurture these most valued treasures.
Manzanita Outreach
Dr. Matthew Schumacher Principal Cottonwood Community School
The partnership with Manzanita Outreach has been nothing short of a game-changer for Cottonwood Community School. When Mike and Ben initially approached us with the offer to provide snacks for our students, I could not have imagined we’d be where we are today. Not only do they ensure our students are fed, they keep our classrooms well supplied, including taking direct orders from teachers to fund higher-cost custom classroom supports they could not otherwise afford. While that has been hugely impactful in addressing the fundamental practice of teaching and learning, what is less tangible, but arguably more meaningful, is the impact those supports have on teacher morale and student pride. When they know someone truly cares about their success in every facet, it begets a priceless sense of appreciation and confidence; and that's what this relationship is really all about.
Having this generous supply of snacks on hand is so important for our students. I have spent so much of my own money over the years making sure snacks are in my classroom. Now, your snack boxes provide this. Your system is easy and efficient and it reaches our students directly every day. The supply cabinet is also a blessing. I think your supply inventory has been great. You have found a way to support the frontlines during these difficult times. Thanks for your support.
Naya Persaud Principal Oak Creek School
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Teacher Dr. Daniel Bright School
I have no words to express how thankful we are for the donations Manzanita Outreach has made to our school. From snacks for the students to supplies for our teachers, and now even carts for our recess equipment and additional recess equipment. The kindness of all the members of this organization is changing lives. Our students are able to focus better with a full belly; our teachers have the resources they need to keep teaching without worrying about paying for supplies out of their own pockets and our recess equipment will be safe and accounted for. Your support for education in the Verde Valley area has been amazing and does not go unnoticed. We are thankful beyond words.
You have recently brought in much needed supplies and snacks for our students and teachers. I cannot even begin to tell you how grateful the students are for the snacks you have provided. It is difficult to learn when you are hungry, and for many of our students this is their reality. A granola bar helps them get back on track and ready to learn. The additional supplies you are providing removes a financial burden for many teachers. I am currently working on my masters degree in school counseling. I will be
Teacher
working on my practicum and internship next year. The supplies needed to set up a counseling office can be a financially daunting task. I was overwhelmed by your generosity when I heard about your offer to fund additional supplies for our staff. I
Cottonwood Community School
know I’m not alone when I tell you how very much this means to all of us. Our community is a better place when people care. The spirit of service that Manzanita Outreach embodies unites our community and brings people together. Thank you.
Manzanita Outreach
The MO Packs for Teachers Program provides teachers with a restockable box of snacks for their classrooms. A MO Pack for Teachers is a box containing a variety of snack items. Manzanita Outreach is piloting this program at a small number of schools in the Verde Valley.
Program Information
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As an educator for over three decades, I know first-hand that when children come to school without enough food to eat, it directly affects their ability to learn. Research indicates, and I have personally observed, students can be too distracted to learn when they are hungry. By providing snacks to teachers across our region, we believe we are simply doing our part so our teachers can distribute nourishment to our students during the day.
Connie Harris Ed. D. Chair, Board of Directors
45 Volunteers 219 Volunteer Hours 81
School Visits
12
Schools Participating
Verde Valley
278 Unique Teachers Served 2,810
Unique Students Served
$60,708 Economic Impact
Healthy, in-classroom snacks for hungry students
Manzanita Outreach
Manzanita Outreach’s School Supplies For Teachers Program provides teachers with school supplies to reduce the amount of money that teachers spend on their students and classroom. School supply cabinets are filled with school supplies, delivered to the schools, and replenished monthly. Manzanita Outreach is currently piloting this program with eight schools in the Verde Valley.
Program Information 26 Volunteers
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I have spent my entire educational career in the Verde Valley, teaching in Special Education for over 30 years while setting up and maintaining a classroom or program each year. I know firsthand one of the greatest challenges facing teachers is acquiring the resources that we need to be the most effective. Any seasoned teacher has developed a sixth sense for finding ‘good deals’ on school supplies that do not fit into our department’s budget; and each of us knows that this takes a lot of time, money, and effort. Through our School Supplies for Teachers program, we are changing the game. It’s our vision that our community comes together to support teachers with the resources they need to steward the youth of our community.
Mary Sanders School Programs Support
138 Volunteer Hours 28 7
School Visits Schools Participating
Verde Valley
197 Unique Teachers Served 3,235
Unique Students Served
$83,271 Economic Impact
Affordability of school and classroom supplies for teachers
Manzanita Outreach
The Verde Valley Neighborhood Food Project is an innovative, new way to fight hunger in our community. Every two months, on the second Saturday of every even month, our Neighborhood Coordinators pick up bags of healthy nonperishable food that neighbors have left outside their front doors. They leave empty green bags for next time, and take all the food to local food pantries.
Program Information 80
1,746 18
Volunteer Neighborhood Coordinators
Volunteer Hours
Food Collection Events
853
Neighborhood Food Donors
5,753
Total Green Bags Collected
9 78,537
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The Verde Valley Neighborhood Food Project is best known by Verde Valley residents as the Green Bag Project. Its mission is to build community by supporting those who feed the hungry in the Verde Valley, one green bag at a time. I am so proud of our volunteers and donors who have collected well over 1,200,000 meals since 2013 with an operating cost of less than 5 cents per meal. The Project, entirely volunteer run, enriches the lives of all involved. It’s a great feeling knowing that we help our neighbors in need.
Nicole Davis | VVNFP Administrator
Being a part of the Verde Valley Neighborhood Food Project has been a deeply transformative experience for me. I am continually inspired not only by the volunteers who give their time and energy, but by the generosity and heart of our community. Every other month we help to fill nine food pantries across the Verde Valley, gathering on average over 13,000 pounds of food at each collection. With nearly 900 food donors and about 80 Neighborhood Coordinators and volunteers, it is clear that the Verde Valley cares about the people in our community. The experience has made me a kinder, more appreciative person and I am forever grateful that I am a part of this work.
Chélee Skinner | VVNFP Administrator
Local Food Pantry Recipients
Pounds of Food Collected & Distrubuted
Verde Valley
Manzanita Outreach
Manzanita Outreach primarily serves the Verde Valley. In response to the 2020 COVID19 pandemic, food sharing operations were expanded to include our rural neighbors across Yavapai County. This program represents Manzanita Outreach’s readiness to meet the emergency needs of our extended Yavapai County community.
MOhelp. org is a Manzanita Outreach managed community resource to discover where and when food is shared throughout Yavapai County. It is a living, interactive, and client-centric database of the most accurate information of all foodassistance in Yavapai County.
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After the 2020 year that tested our ability to scale, in 2021, we established the unique Emergency Response Program. We've never lived in such uncertain times, and this program represents our willingness and ability to expand to meet the basic-needs demands of our Yavapai County community if and when we are called upon. As a member of this community, I’m comforted to know that there are organizations ready to respond and adapt to the ever changing world in which we live.
Carol Bottjer Treasurer, Board of Directors
Arriving in the Verde Valley almost three years ago, I immediately became involved with Manzanita Outreach. One of the reasons I agreed to join the Board is the way this organization lives out the belief that ‘Communities are stronger when they collaborate.’ Since launching MOHelp.org in 2019, we’ve seen the fruits of increased connectivity be passed along to our neighbors. “The power of the future lies not in the hands of those who believe in scarcity but of those who trust God’s abundance.” – It’s a perspective that is deeply meaningful to us. And, as evidenced by this program, has a positive effect on our collective work in community foodassistance.
Rev. Dr. Dave Stabenfeldt Vice-Chair, Board of Directors
Manzanita Outreach
In response to the 2010 earthquake that devastated our Hatian neighbors to the south, Manzanita Outreach began hosting meal packing events, supported by hundreds of volunteers, in an effort to support poverty-stricken families in Haiti. This program continues with 1-2 large meal-packing events per year. Our NGO partners in Haiti along with the National Guard ensure that our protein-rich meals are shipped and delivered to our sister city of Jubilee, Haiti, where hundreds of children and their families have the nourishment that they need in order to sustain life.
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I have had the privilege of taking yearly trips to Haiti since 2010, which has allowed me to witness and validate the effectiveness and need of this program, as seen in both the health and welfare of the individual children and their families. The food that this program provides offers hope, stability, and support to the recipients and provides the opportunity to escape the ravaging effects of both illness and hunger.
Karen Freeman
Lifetime Program Information
International Outreach Coordinator
2,000+ Volunteers 24,000+ Volunteer Hours 30+
Food Packing Events
Jubilee, Haiti 10+
Trips To Haiti
2,300,000+ Pounds of Food Distributed
Direct, continuous foodassistance to Haiti
Manzanita Outreach
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Cummulative Pounds of Food Distributed 6,000,000
5,335,368
3,719,693
4,000,000
2,000,000
1,509,469 448,685
0
41,107
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
Cummulative Distributions 250,000
222,073
200,000 150,000 100,000
80,488
50,000 0 2017
2018 Households
2019
2020
Individuals
2021
Manzanita Outreach
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A Message From Board Chair
Dear Community, Mike Newcomb has led Manzanita Outreach for nearly five years as our esteemed Executive Director. Beginning in 2022, Mike began to focus his attention on the future of Manzanita Outreach, which includes community collaborations and one-on-one client support. In his new role as Community Resource Director, Mike will lead collaborative efforts to ensure that all of our neighbors have access to their basic life needs. Meanwhile, our Board of Directors has unanimously recommended Ben Burke for the position of Executive Director of Manzanita Outreach. Ben, who began his journey with Manzanita Outreach as a client in 2018, and served as the Director of Operations for over a year, has played a critical role in shaping the organization as it is today. He has assumed the role of Executive Director and is working in tandem with Mike, our Board, and our team in this role to continue the mission of Manzanita Outreach. We are confident in our ability to continue to work collaboratively to support our community to be a healthy, happy place to live.
Manzanita Outreach
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Ben Burke, Executive Director Mike Newcomb, Community Resource Director John Mattison, Food Sharing Coordinator Donna Newcomb, Senior Program Coordinator Karen Freeman, International Outreach Coordinator Susan Mattison, Food Sharing Support Jeannine Cheek, Senior Home Delivery Coordinator Mary Sanders, School Programs Support Nicole Davis, VVNFP Administrator Chélee Skinner, VVNFP Administrator Board of Directors Dr. Connie Harris, Chair Rev. Dr. Dave Stabenfeldt, Vice-Chair Carol Bottjer, Treasurer Bailey Chavez, Secretary
Plus hundreds of our Verde Valley neighbors that are volunteers in service to our community!
Amy Brown, Finance Committee Chair Don Smith, Officer
We also want to thank the following individuals for having served on our Board of Directors in recent years: Shelly Estabo, Karen Freeman, Kim Gould, Dave Myers, Mike Newcomb, Paul Peterson, Bob Shimko, and Darrell Yoakum.
Donate Your Tax Credit
Program-Specific Gift
Manzanita Outreach is an Arizona State Tax Credit Qualifying Charitable Organization. The maximum credit allowed is $800 for those married, filing jointly and $400 for single, heads of household, and those married, filing separately.
Are you passionate about a cause? Select from one of our gap-filling programs serving our neighbors and provide a program-specific donation.
Direct a Qualified Charitable Distribution
In the uncertain world we live in, access to healthy food is critical. Our mobile outreach strategy has proven to effectively fill gaps in the food assistance supply chain, and to serve our neighbors where and when it is more appropriate. Supporting our general operations provides the most basic needs to our community.
If you are 70-1/2 or older, a direct distribution from your IRA or Roth IRA may be made to Manzanita Outreach. The distribution will satisfy the required minimum distribution (RMD).
Name Manzanita Outreach as Beneficiary Manzanita Outreach may be named as beneficiary on all taxable and non-taxable investment and bank accounts, life insurance and annuities.
Gift Investment, Estate, or Other Assets Manzanita Outreach accepts gifts of all types, including securities, insurance and benefits, real property, and tangible personal property.
Volunteer Your Time Manzanita Outreach offers volunteer opportunities every Friday and Saturday. Volunteers serve our community by packing food, distributing food, organizing school supplies, generating awareness of our services in the community, and conducting home deliveries to our homebound neighbors.
General Operations Gift
www.manzanitaoutreach.org/donate School Sponsorship Gift Verde Valley Teachers spend hundreds of dollars of their own money on their classrooms. Through the expansion of our School Programs, we envision every school and teacher in the Verde Valley receiving support in the form of classroom snacks and school supplies. In order to realize this goal, you may sponsor a local school with either snacks, school supplies, or both.
Gifts may be made directly to Manzanita Outreach or to our endowment - The Manzanita Outreach Children’s Fund through the Arizona Community Foundation. The Manzanita Outreach Children’s Fund provides steady and predictable financial stability to Manzanita Outreach programs that positively impact children in our community, ensuring that they have access to the basic needs of healthy food, educational school and classroom supplies, literacy at home, and more. For school sponsorships and legacy gifts, please contact Amy Brown, Finance Committee Chair: endowment@manzanitaoutreach.org 928-649-7424
EIN: 27-4446453 | QCO Code: 20701