Neighbors
www.SanTanSun.com
August 16 - September 5, 2014
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Neighbors Child-abuse coalition achieves nonprofit status BY TRACY HOUSE
The Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Coalition is striving to educate the public about the importance of reporting child abuse. Now it can get a little help. Founded shortly after the Aug. 31, 2009, murder of 3-year-old Schala Vera, the organization has achieved nonprofit status allowing it to receive donations. “We’ll be able to grow the organization,” explains Kendra Davis, the coalition’s public relations/social media officer. “It’s going to allow us to grow, continue to advertise, create pamphlets, and sometimes videos, that we pass on to the public so they know how to report. They know the signs that they need to look for when reporting.” Davis is a school counselor at Chandler Unified School District’s Navarrete Elementary School. Initially, she was a coalition counselor, but now she sits on its board. Other members of the coalition include representatives from the Chandler Police Department, Chandler Fire Health and Medical and the FBI. “Basically, we try to educate the community,” Davis says. “We speak at events about the importance of reporting—anything suspicious at all. We’re trying to raise awareness, not just of our mandatory reporters in the schools and the medical profession reporting, but also the public.” The coalition was founded by the Chandler Police Department, but Davis says, the organization has grown to include agencies Valleywide. By attending events such as Phoenix Suns games, the coalition is publicly trying to raise the importance of reporting child abuse. “It’s hard to measure exactly what our impact has been, but we do know that reports are up a lot higher than they were in 2009,” she adds. Child Protective Services is taking reporting more seriously than in recent years, Davis stresses. “They’re also trying to increase services that can be given to the families.” The more than 30 member organizations work together in reporting. The coalition reaches across Maricopa County and rural communities, with professionals from the fields of health care, school districts, law enforcement, social services, emergency services, domestic violence advocates, media, county and U.S. attorneys, community members, nonprofit groups, faith-based groups, victim services and child advocacy groups. SEE CHILD-ABUSE
COALITION
Center for Living Well offers teacher training next month
Literacy program begins at EVJCC
Neighbors PGE 45
Neighbors PGE 61
Where to Eat PAGES 68-70
Rockin’ Taco Street Fest returns to Chandler BY MEGHAN MCCOY
Beach sand and an array of family-friendly activities will become part of the desert next month during the Rockin’ Taco Street Fest, a special Mexican Independence Day event, at El Palacio Restaurant and Cantina of Chandler. “It’s always been very family friendly,” says Jen Pruett of HDE Agency, the event’s producer. Pruett adds that celebrating Mexican Independence Day is important to El Palacio’s owner, Anthony Serrano. The celebration is set for 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, at the restaurant, 2950 E. Germann Rd. “We have added several new fun components and changed things up a bit from
FEST: The local dance group Ballet Folklorico Quetzalli-AZ will teach attendees about the Mexican culture through dance during the third annual Rockin’ Taco Street Fest on Saturday, Sept. 13. Submitted photo
previous years,” she explains. Last year the event attracted about 1,000 SEE ROCKIN’ TACO PAGE 42
Foundation recruiting golfers for tourney BY MEGHAN MCCOY
Golfers are being sought for the Chandler Education Foundation’s annual tournament, which benefits students and teachers of the Chandler Unified School District. Steve Hewitt, the CUSD’s director of community education and a Chandler Education Foundation executive board member, says the foundation wanted to host a fundraiser for the district, so it decided on a golf tournament. The money raised from the event supports student scholarships and grants for teachers,
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SEE GOLF PAGE 42
TOURNAMENT: The Arizona Diamondbacks’ mascot Baxter and Chandler Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Camille Casteel made an appearance at last year’s annual golf tournament. Submitted photo
Photographer heads to Peru to work with children BY MEGHAN MCCOY
VOLUNTEER: Photographer Rachel Tabron will travel to Peru in August to volunteer at an orphanage. Submitted photo
Traveling abroad for the first time can be a little daunting—especially if family is being left behind. But Rachel Tabron is passionate about her trip and volunteering. The Chandler photographer is traveling to Cusco, Peru, with a friend on Aug. 22, to volunteer at an orphanage helping youngsters with their daily activities and keeping them entertained. “We will start in the morning around 7 and it goes to about 4 p.m., and then we will have the evening to kind of explore and hang out in the volunteer house,” she explains. “I’m sure I will be able to see a little bit of the area and take a million pictures.”
Tabron says she is looking forward to seeing a different culture and showing her three small children what it is like to be a child in a different area in the world. “I think this is the one that will get me hooked,” she explains. “They have so many different areas in the world to choose from. I have my second and third one already picked out.” Tabron got the bug to volunteer abroad after researching programs online and stumbling upon International Volunteer HQ. She and her friend decided to sign up in the spring. “I feel really good about the program,” she says. “I am super
impressed with how they have it all set up.” Although there are many different locations from which to choose, Tabron says South America stuck out for the both of them. “You look at it and read about it. You just know,” she says of the destination. International Volunteer HQ Program Coordinator Chelsea Green says they place volunteers in 25 countries. “We have volunteer placement in Argentina, Bali, Brazil, Cambodia, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Kenya, Madagascar, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, Peru, South SEE PHOTOGRAPHER PAGE 44