Paula Cullison, the Arizona Women’s Partnership founder/president.

Submitted photo

The Arizona Women’s Partnership, Inc., an all-volunteer philanthropic non-profit, providing grants to grass roots charities assisting underserved women and children at risk in the state, announces that it has hit the $500,000 mark.

The Phoenix-based organization, formed in 2002, is prepared to award another $52,500 in grants, according to a press release.

“This is a huge milestone,” said Paula Cullison, Arizona Women’s Partnership founder/president, in a prepared statement. “We are definitely the little engine that could.”

The non-profit group’s AZWP Grant Selection Committee, which met via email, said to be unanimous in its decision. The committee of 16 consisted of residents from across the Valley in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa, and Sun City.

“We are so pleased that we have been able to assist over 80 charities that address critical needs” said Pamela Gill, AZWP vice president, noting that most are multi-year grant recipients.

“The Arizona Women’s Partnership is especially grateful to the Violent M. Johnson Family Foundation for their generosity which has amounted to $340,000 over the past 13 years,” Ms. Cullison added.

“In this wonderful way, they continue to honor their maternal grandmother.”

Some of the selected 2020 grant recipients:

• About Care for the Elderly – serving the underserved elderly in the East Valley;
• Arizonans for the Protection of Exploited Children and Adults (APECA) - sheltering sexually abused teen girls;
• Billy’s Place – offering grief counseling to children of deceased parents in Phoenix Metro;
• Desert Sounds Performing Arts –provides musical instruments and instruction for low income youth in Mesa;
• Dignity House – provides shelter for sexually trafficked / domestically abused women in Metro Phoenix;
• Grand Canyon Music Festival – Native American Composer Project for Youth (Navajo / Hopi / Salt River-Pima);
• Hope’s Crossing – providing re-entry program for women released from incarceration in metro Phoenix;
• Kids in Focus – offering photography programs and mentoring to at risk youth in metro Phoenix;
• Laptops4Learning – giving laptop computers to underserved HS / college students in metro Phoenix;
• Neighbors Who Care – servicing the underserved elderly in the East Valley;
  Pan de Vida – giving intergenerational social services in Queen Creek / East Valley;
• Somali American United Council of AZ – serves a variety of different refugee groups in metro Phoenix;
• Welcome to America Project – giving household furnishings and services to refugee families Metro Phoenix;
• Will2Walk – providing services to those with spinal cord injuries in the east Valley; and
• Y.E.S. for Navajo Youth / Dine’Bike’yah – provides leadership programs for youth on the Navajo Nation;

To see a complete list of recipients, visit: azwp.org.

For more informaton, email azwpinc@aol.com; call 602-863-9744.