A few years ago, PhoenixBites held a community event in which we decorated cookies to be delivered to two non-profit organizations in the Valley for Valentine’s Day. The idea was that the community rallied together for big holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving to donate gifts and food items to our homeless and disadvantaged population. We thought that Valentine’s Day would be a great time to let this community know that they were loved and appreciated and were worthy of a Valentine. It was a great event, and we were able to donate a massive amount of cookies to Justa Center.
Justa Center was founded in 2006 as a day resource center for seniors aged 55 and older who are homeless in the Phoenix area. They see approximately 130 people in and out of the facility every single day. Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, grandparents; people of all colors and backgrounds living alone on the streets. This place is where these individuals can come in and feel humanity and compassion, something that they may not see anywhere else but in the moments they are within those walls.
Visitors to Justa Center are able to enjoy a warm cup of coffee, take a shower, read a book in the library, make a phone call or use a computer. The volunteers also help with their spiritual needs as well as assist the visitors obtain housing, VA and DES benefits and Social Security. They are also able to assist in helping visitors find employment, legal assistance, counseling and nursing care when needed. This list of the services provided here go on and on. Its a blessing to many in the community. Justa Center receives no government funds and runs solely on private donations and gifts.
Justa Center Bets 4 Vets
You can participate in assisting Justa Center and their ability to continue to provide these much needed services to an under-served population by attending Bets 4 Vets this weekend. This event will mark their 6th annual casino night fundraiser. Your attendance and ticket purchase will get you $100 in casino chips, two drink tickets and food will be provided. You’ll also be automatically entered in a Grand Prize drawing. There will also be a silent auction, but the best prize, and one that everyone in attendance will receive, is the ultimate grand prize of giving back. Tickets are available for $60 prior to the event and $70 at the door.
*The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that between 65,000 and 130,000 veterans are homeless on any given night in America, and approximately twice that many experienced homelessness over the course of the year. Conservative estimates conclude that one out of every three homeless men who is sleeping on the streets of Phoenix tonight has put on a uniform and served his country. Maricopa County counts for 71 percent of the state’s homeless population and more than 12 percent are homeless veterans. During the summer months, visits by homeless veterans increase on average by 20 percent, due to the high summer temperatures.
Please help Justa Center help our nation’s heros and have a great time while doing it. I hope to see you there.
The Bets 4 Vets event begins at 6;30pm and will take place at Fenlon Hall St. Patrick Catholic Community which is located at 10815 N. 84th St. in Scottsdale.
If you are looking for the best and latest in Arizona restaurant and culinary news, please make sure to sign up for our newsletter, give us a like on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram to make sure that you never miss a bite!
© Taryn Jeffries 2017