Au�us� August 2018
www.MoonValleyTattler.com
VOL 38 No.8
Giving Back with Back to school and BTC B Y J A S O N D AT TA
The last week of July, I was given an opportunity to volunteer with Back to School, a nonprofit organization that provides needed essentials and services to kids from families with financial hardships. New clothes, shoes, a backpack , school supplies, new books with colorful, artistic handmade bookmarks, a dental screen, teeth cleaning instruction, and a healthy mini meal were provided at no cost to the children. Additionally, some of the selected students receive computer training and are taught onsite how to build their own computer. This allows them to participate more fully in the STEM programs at their respective schools. The four day long scheduled distribution of supplies is held in the Grand Canyon University (GCU)basketball arena and serves an average of 5000 kids each year. More than nine months of planning under the leadership of Karl Gentles, along with the dedication of hundreds of volunteers, and crucial commitments from several key businesses in the Phoenix area are necessary to come together to make this week happen. In addition to the several hundred long term volunteers, 1000 extra volunteer hours are needed once the supplies are ready to be delivered and dispensed onsite at GCU. These additional 1000 hours are needed to unpack the trucks, organize and sort supplies, assist the children in selecting appropriate sizes of clothes and shoes, and to ensure each child receives all the support and education that is being offered. My experience with Back to School was remarkable. In addition to the heartwarming pleasure of seeing the kids arrive with so much energy and sharing their excitement as they selected new items getting them prepared for school, I was granted a behind the
scenes tour of the GCU arena. For nearly an hour Robert Smith, a volunteer who once served our country in the Navy and who is now actively serving his seventh year within this organization, walked me through the stations, introduced me to the lead volunteers of each collaborating organization, shared with me the history and growth of Back to School, and helped me begin to understand the magnitude of planning, preparing and executing a project of this size. As he spoke, I could hear how proud he was to be a part of something this special and how dedicated he and other volunteers like him are. My tour ended with a gracious, unscheduled, 30 minute interview with Karl Gentles, the executive director of the program. He shared additional details of the operation really emphasizing how much the program’s success depends on so many different people and organizations working together synchronizing all the moving parts into action. I was definitely impacted trying to conceptualize 9 months of work, planning and coordinating a project of this size all in an effort, as stated by Mr. Gentles, to appear as a simple project to serve the children. This is my second year as a member of Boys Team Charity, a volunteer service organization that works to encourage active participation in philanthropic projects. I have volunteered with several different types of organizations, as recommended by the group, to explore where I am best fit to serve and to see what I most enjoy. Honestly, I have enjoyed it all. From delivering meals to homebound people, playing kickball with disabled adults in the park, tending a garden to donate to the food bank, assisting with a talent show at a transitional living facility, offering homework assistance, to this last experience with Back to School, I have found I enjoy experiencing situations outside of my normal routine while interacting and learning from people who have generously devoted their lives to serving others.
Meet Henry! AHS Adoption Spotlight Found wandering in the heat of Phoenix with a wound on his face, adorable Henry was in need of medical attention when he was brought to the Arizona Humane Society. After some medications and cleaning of his wound, Henry is now back to the healthy pup he is meant to be. The two-year-old sharpei mix is as sweet as they come, with puppy eyes that melt your heart. Although his history is a big of a mystery, it is clear that Henry is quite a curious fellow. He loves to go on long walks where he can sniff and explore his surroundings but would take an old fashion petting over pretty much anything. Meet Henry at the Arizona Humane Society’s Sunnyslope Campus located at 9226 N. 13th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85021. His adoption fee includes his neuter surgery, vaccines, microchip and a free follow-up vet exam with VCA Animal Hospitals. For those interested in learning more about Henry, please call 602-997-7585 and ask for animal number 584925. If he has already been adopted, please visit azhumane.org to see our photo gallery of adoptable pets waiting for their forever home.