$108K sought by Horizon Health and Wellness for Apache Junction community room

By Richard Dyer
Mail | X: @RHDyer

A request to authorize submitting a grant application for Horizon Health and Wellness in Apache Junction for $108,000 for a community activities room was approved at a recent meeting of the Pinal County Board of Supervisors.

The board voted unanimously June 5 on a consent agenda with other items to approve a resolution seeking the funding from the Tohono O’odham Nation shared revenue program and for Pinal County to serve as the fiscal agent.

Horizon Health and Wellness is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) integrated health care agency licensed by the state of Arizona to deliver services for all ages and stages of life, Mary Jo Silcox, Horizon Health and Wellness chief strategic initiatives officer, wrote in a written Proposition 202 tribal gaming application sponsorship/support form.

Horizon Health and Wellness proposes to renovate a building in Apache Junction into a community room that will offer both educational and recreational activities to people suffering from mental health or substance-use issues and also homeless individuals, she said.

“Services will include educational classes on employment skills, living skills, medication educations and resource availability and assistance in obtaining various resources. Recreational activities will include social skills building with coffee talks, reading clubs and various outings,” Silcox said.

Of the $108,000 sought, $55,000 is to go to a construction contractor for building a kitchenette, remodeling a bathroom to ensure it is handicapped accessible, creating a group room space and office space, repairing a roof, replacing doors, interior painting and new flooring; $8,000 for furniture, such as chairs and tables; $5,000 for initial startup supplies for activities; and $40,000 for staffing and recruitment for startup/training time.

Horizon Health and Wellness applied for a grant from Arizona Complete Health in 2022 for this project, which was not funded, Silcox said.

Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.

Richard Dyer
Managing Editor | East Valley

rdyer@iniusa.org

Meet Richard
Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.  

Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions. 

Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.

Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.

Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.