Thunderbirds Charities granted a whopping $250,000 to Homeward Bound towards their Empowering Homeless Families with Children program. The monies, raised through the Waste Management Phoenix Open golf tournament, will be divided between direct services and programming for residents, and maintenance on the now 20-year-old apartment campus named Thunderbirds Family Village. Homeward Bound is a local nonprofit that- along with a housing component- provides tailored stabilization programs targeted at the root issues of homelessness for children and their parents to get back on their own two feet. 89% of Homeward Bound resident families are headed by young, single women with an average of 3 children, limited education and large debt.
“Homeward Bound has such a tremendous impact on at-risk families, giving them tools to be self-sufficient and thrive,” said Chance Cozby, President of Thunderbirds Charities. “We are happy to support their efforts in our community.”
With homelessness on the rise in 2019, and Arizona temperatures rising even faster, Thunderbirds Family Village is the heart of Homeward Bound’s two-generational program. With the help of the funds granted, homeless children and their families are housed, the parents access training for family-supporting jobs, learn how to advocate for their children, and manage finances. Meanwhile, children going through the year-long program have access to high quality educational experiences; teaching them to cope with their past and create a better future. The five-acre campus with 76 residential apartments offers licensed and accredited childcare, out-of-school programs, a family library, workforce lab, emergency pantries and a community garden. The success of Homeward Bound’s tailored program is in the numbers; 90% of Homeward Bound parents will learn needed skills to emotionally support their children after successfully completing the program and 80% of Homeward Bound families will stabilize and transition to permanent housing within one year.
ABOUT HOMEWARD BOUND:
For more information about Homeward Bound, visit homewardboundaz.org.
ABOUT THE THUNDERBIRDS:
The Thunderbirds were founded in 1937 with the mission of promoting the Valley of the Sun through sports. The Thunderbirds consist of 55 “active” members and more than 280 “life” members. The Thunderbirds raised a record $13.2 million for charity from proceeds from the 2019 WM Phoenix Open and have eclipsed $147 million in charitable giving since its inception in 1932. For more information about The Thunderbirds visit www.thunderbirdscharities.org.
ABOUT THE WASTE MANAGEMENT PHOENIX OPEN:
The 2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open Presented by The Ak-Chin Indian Community will be held at TPC Scottsdale January 27 – February 2, 2020. “The People’s Open” has been named the Tournament of the Year by the PGA TOUR three times in the last five years (2014, 2015 and 2018) and has gained legendary status for being one the most unique events in golf. The 2020 edition will mark the 85th playing of the event (one of the five oldest events on the PGA TOUR) and the 11th as the Waste Management Phoenix Open. For more information visit www.WMPhoenixOpen.com.