Nonprofits
Wire | Roosevelt Row Names New Executive Director
Posted on 12/11/12 by DPJ Staff » No Comments
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Dale Erquiaga, a local writer and cultural planner, has been named the new executive director of the Roosevelt Row Community Development Corporation.
Erquiaga recently returned to the Valley of the Sun after serving as senior advisor to Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval. He has worked in government at the federal, state and local level and has a background in nonprofit consulting and strategic planning. Long active in the arts, he is the immediate past chair of the Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF), and a former board member of Arizona Citizens for the Arts.
He has worked with many local organizations including Valley Leadership, the Arizona Commission on the Arts and the Arizona Humanities Council. Erquiaga has marketing communications experience with brands ranging from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority to museums, utilities and arts organizations.
“We are delighted to have someone with Dale’s background join the Roosevelt Row team,” said Kendra Cea, president of the Roosevelt Row CDC board. “He understands the importance of the arts in creating a sense of place in Downtown Phoenix and he has a long history with nonprofit and government organizations. We are confident that he will help the board, staff, merchants and volunteers of Roosevelt Row take the organization to a new level of success in 2013.” Erquiaga succeeds Cindy Dach, who along with Greg Esser, cofounded Roosevelt Row. Dach will resume her role as a member of the board.
Roosevelt Row Community Development Corporation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization established to further the unique cultural character and creative assets of the Roosevelt Row Arts District, to advocate for the continuing presence and role of the arts and small business in the revitalization of the district, and to foster a dense, diverse, and walkable urban community.
Wire | Mayor Stanton and Community Leaders Launch PHX Renews
Posted on 11/20/12 by DPJ Staff » No Comments
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Stanton, community leaders launch PHX Renews — the largest transformation of vacant land into public space
Mayor Greg Stanton along with Keep Phoenix Beautiful, Barron Collier Companies and community leaders opened PHX Renews — a major project that’s transforming a 15-acre vacant lot in central Phoenix into a sustainable public space.
PHX Renews is the largest transformation of vacant land happening in the country and sits in the heart of Phoenix on the northeast corner of Indian School Road and Central Ave, at the historic Steele Indian School Park. The initiative is partnership between Keep Phoenix Beautiful, a nonprofit, and Barron Collier Companies, owners of the property.
Mayor Stanton looks on as artist Anthony Galto shows his mural on display alongside plans for the 15-acre space.
“When I became mayor, I recognized the negative impact vacant lots have on our community and businesses. So, we got to work to bring businesses, community members and non-profits together to transform these lots into new opportunities,” Stanton said. “This is the first step to creating a vibrant urban core for Phoenix. I want this project to serve as a prototype of a living, learning laboratory of how other vacant properties can be transformed into great public spaces.”
As a creative partnership, this project brings no additional cost to the city since the land is on loan from Barron Collier Companies and all design and building services are provided by Smith Group/JJR Design Firm. The project will be managed by Keep Phoenix Beautiful.
The audience listened to representatives of the City, Barron Colliers Companies, Keep Phoenix Beautiful, and observed a Native American blessing, in honor of the land’s history.
“Barron Collier Companies is pleased to provide this opportunity to the citizens of Phoenix, and we have enjoyed working with the mayor and city officials to make this a reality,” said Gary DuBrock of Barron Collier Companies.
Today is just the start and over the next 18 months, PHX Renews will evolve as a community driven effort showing how citizens, nonprofits and organizations can work together to shape the future of their community. Mayor Stanton also wants to make it easier to get city approval for more projects like this in Downtown Phoenix and in light rail areas.
“Keep Phoenix Beautiful is proud to partner with the City of Phoenix, Barron Collier Companies and Smith Group/JJR to transform the corner of Central Ave. and Indian School Road. While this project is very important to us as an organization, it is a stepping stone to transforming vacant lots across the city,” said Tom Waldeck, Executive Director of Keep Phoenix Beautiful.
These are the projects happening right now at PHX Renews:
- Urban community farming supporting local non-profits, communities and Valley refugees
- Sustainable technology to improve energy, water and food cultivation
- Outdoor education space for local schools focusing on environmental science programs with the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Office
- Educational opportunities for nearby schools and community members teaching everything from small urban gardening, recycling, wise energy and water use to alternative transportation
- Large community art displays and cultural projects
- Creative use of play and social spaces
All of these sustainable projects and outdoor displays will be temporary since the end goal is to attract redevelopment in the years ahead. However, the partnerships between community and business leaders will continue to grow and bring real solutions for this vacant lot problem.
The partners of PHX Renews are:
- Mayor Greg Stanton, City of Phoenix
- City of Phoenix managerial executives and leadership
- Keep Phoenix Beautiful
- Barron Collier Companies
- Smith Group/ JJR Design & Build Firm
- Cornerstone community partners
Renderings provided by the City of Phoenix.
Wire | Festival Celebrates Locally Owned Businesses
Posted on 11/09/12 by DPJ Staff » No Comments
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Local First Arizona is excited to throw their 8th Annual Certified Local Fall Festival in a new location! After seven amazing years at the Duck & Decanter’s Camelback location, the festival of “all things local” will move to Downtown Phoenix’s Portland Parkway, located at 10 W. Portland Street, between Third and Central Avenues. This beautiful green space will allow the Certified Local Fall Festival to better accommodate the many local businesses who want to be a part of the Festival as well as allow more room for attendees to stroll, shop, eat and be entertained in a unique urban setting. The Festival will be held on Saturday, November 10 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
The 8th annual festival is this weekend. Photo courtesy of Local First Arizona.
Voted “Best Free Festival” in 2011’s New Times Best Of Phoenix awards, this family-friendly festival has a street fair atmosphere and has drawn upwards of 5,000 attendees in past years. The event is free to attend and will include variety of local businesses, restaurants, live music and children’s activities, including:
Vendors:
Bookmans, Practical Art, Zia Records, Bungalow, Frances Boutique, Smeeks Candy Shop, Kidstop Toys, Pink House Boutique, Strawberry Hedgehog, Bunky Boutique, Furniture Affair, Desert Song Yoga, Noble Beast Pet Boutique, Hubbard Family Swim School, Across Arizona Tours, Samurai Comics, Mountainside Fitness, Community Tire, Happy Dog Phoenix, Kidstop Toys, Duncan Family Farms, Eco Bay Home, Kooky Krafts Shop, Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center, truce, Salvador Calvano Hair, Smelly Dog, State Bicycle Company and more!
Restaurants:
Postino, Duck & Decanter, Spinato’s Pizza, The Parlor, Carte Blanche Tacos, St. Francis, Urban Cookies, America’s Taco Shop, Green New American Vegetarian, Jamburritos Cajun Grille, Burgers Amore, Bruce Brown Catering, Dragonfly Tea Company, Island Loco, Short Leash Hotdogs, Fox Restaurant Concepts, La Grande Orange, Luncha Libre, Shine Coffee and more!
Activities:
Arizona Diamondbacks batting cage, Rock Climbing Wall sponsored by Accurate Chemicals, Bounce House sponsored by Kinesphere Studio, ASU’s College of Technology and Innovation’s hands-on STEM activities sponsored by Infusionsoft, Name the Veggies contest sponsored by Wille Itule Produce, Kids Craft booth sponsored by Kidstop Toys, Facepainting sponsored by Desert Schools Federal Credit Union and more!
Live music stage, sponsored by Bookmans, showcases Arizona musicians: Pick and Holler, Adam Smith, Kingfathand, Mikel & Meridith from The Sugar Thieves and Loose Cannon Blues Band.
Arizona Beer & Wine Garden, sponsored by Duck & Decanter, will feature brews & varietals from Dos Cabezas, Grand Canyon Winery, Postino, Sportsman’s Fine Wines, Four Peaks, San Tan Brewing and the Phoenix Ale Brewery.
Amazing silent auction items include staycation packages to Sedona, Prescott, Tucson, Phoenix and Scottsdale. Other great auction items include artwork, jewelry, gift baskets, gift certificates, adventures like glider rides, tickets to events, theater performances and much more. Raffle drawings will be held every hour for great items too!
The Festival is free to attend. Entrance to the Beer & Wine Garden is $10. Tickets for food samples and activities will cost $1. The first 500 attendees will receive gift bags stuffed full of goodies from Local First members. The Festival is directly across the street from the Roosevelt light rail station, making it easy for attendees to park and ride the rail. Find more information online at www.localfirstaz.com/fall-festival/
We would not be able to put this event together without the support of our amazing Title sponsor, SCF Arizona! Please check out the video on the LFA website with LFA’s Kimber Lanning & SCF Arizona’s Rick DeGraw to find out why SCF Arizona supports Local First!
Wire | Community Gardens Grow from City Partnership
Posted on 11/08/12 by DPJ Staff » No Comments
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Garden for Tomorrow in South Phoenix. Photos courtesy of Valley Permaculture Alliance.
After receiving a grant in the amount of $100,000 from Cities of Service, The City of Phoenix is partnering with the Valley Permaculture Alliance (VPA) and HandsOn Greater Phoenix in implementing two beneficial volunteering projects involving painting roofs of city-owned buildings with reflective paint and creating community gardens in three public housing communities.
The Valley Permaculture Alliance (VPA), already an educational resource for valley residents on community and school gardens, will partner with the city in support of three separate locations in the establishment of the new community gardens, as well as the support in the monthly series of “cooking matters” educational sessions that will be provided to interested participants.
Doreen Pollack, VPA’s Executive Director, states, “This kind of work fits closely with our mission, ‘Inspiring sustainable urban living in the desert southwest’. Last year we provided 123 classes to over 2,200 people on topics like gardening, composting and how to start a community garden. We led over 20 new community garden managers through classes that address the creation and management of gardens, leadership skills, and volunteer recruitment and management.”
The City of Phoenix will choose the three community garden areas based on where the garden can support the most people with a focus on multi-unit housing facilities. The goal will be to focus on reaching a minimum of 200 families.
Pollack adds “We have seen dozens of community gardens transform neighborhoods and provide fresh, healthy food to families over the past few years through our Community and School Garden Programs. We are excited to work with the City of Phoenix and HandsOn Greater Phoenix to bring three more gardens to communities where fresh food is not readily accessible due to the location of grocery stores. The classes on gardening, provided by the VPA, will help ensure these gardens are around for years to come.”
The city grant will begin in January 2013 and run through December of the same year.
To learn more on how The Valley Permaculture Alliance is inspiring people toward self-reliance through more than 100 different classes, workshops, home demonstrations, and events on multiple sustainable topics including community gardens, please visit the VPA classes and events website page.
About the Valley Permaculture Alliance: The Valley Permaculture Alliance (VPA) is a 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in Phoenix, AZ. The VPA mission is to inspire sustainable urban living in the desert southwest by offering over a hundred different classes and several major events each year. Events include, but are not limited to: Tour de Coops (the only local tour of backyard chicken coops), fruit tree education and sales, Mesquite Bean Milling and Milling Pancake Breakfast, as well as a 72 hour intensive Permaculture Design Course. Thousands of members participate in the interactive website at www.valleypermaculturealliance.org. VPA is the proud recipient of Valley Forwards’ 2011 Crescordia Award in Environmental Education, as well as the Phoenix NewTimes 2012 “Best of Award” For the Best Place to Learn About the Science of Composting.
Wire | Last Day to Save on Y Race Registration
Posted on 10/01/12 by DPJ Staff » No Comments
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44th Annual Y Race, Arizona’s Oldest Footrace Set to Run October 27
Will Cap Month Long Valley of the Sun YMCA Anniversary
Sponsorships Available for 2012 Y Race Half Marathon & 5k Walk/Run
WHAT: The 44th Annual Lincoln Family Downtown Y Race Half Marathon and 5K is Arizona’s oldest footrace, first run in 1968.
WHEN: Saturday, October 27, 2012 – 7:00 a.m.
WHERE: South Mountain Park, 10409 S Central Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85042
INFO: The Valley of the Sun YMCA, the State’s oldest nonprofit, is celebrating 120 years serving the people of Arizona throughout the month of October. Capping off the celebration month is the 44th running of the Y Race Phoenix at South Mountain Park.
For the 16th year running, longtime YMCA member Wyatt Earp will start the race with his signature double barrel shot gun start in the tradition of the old west. New this year the Y Race has added a free 1-mile Fun Kids Run, expanded expo, live entertainment, Halloween costume contest, and trusted YMCA Child Watch services for participants with children ages 3-12 (little ones must be potty trained)
Registration is now open for the half marathon and 5K run/walk at www.yracephoenix.com. Sponsorship opportunities of all levels are available, contact Kevin DiDomenico, 602-212-6173 or kdidomenico@vosymca.org for details. The Y Race is a fundraiser for the Downtown Lincoln Family YMCA Strong Kids & Families annual campaign.
For more information on the Lincoln Family Downtown YMCA please contact Senior Executive Director Greg Corns at 602-257-5121 or gcorns@vosymca.org.
The Valley of the Sun YMCA is one of the largest human services non-profit organizations in Arizona. As the oldest non-profit in Arizona, the YMCA serves local communities in Maricopa County, Pinal County, Yuma, Flagstaff and Prescott offering over 283 programs and 26 social services at 17 locations.
Members are welcome regardless of gender, religion, ethnicity, age or ability to pay. The YMCA aims to provide each member with every opportunity to reach farther and improve their lives and the lives of those around them. Through Youth Development, Healthy Living and Social Responsibility, the YMCA’s goal is to inspire positive and lasting social change. Visit www.valleyYMCA.org to learn more.
