City of Scottsdale recently issued the following announcement.

The Scottsdale City Council recently approved close to $2 million to fund nonprofit agencies that provide programs and services to assist thousands of residents at risk and in need.

Funding helps nonprofits like Teen Lifeline. The organization’s mission is to end teen suicide, to provide a “connection of hope” to teens in crisis and to empower our youth to make healthy decisions.

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is the third leading cause of death for those 10 to 24 years old. More teenagers and young adults die from suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia, influenza and chronic lung disease, combined – resulting in about 4,600 lost lives a year.

What’s more, there is an average of 5,400 suicide attempts each day by students in seventh through twelfth grades. Lastly, kids who are bullied are more than twice as likely to consider suicide, according to a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Some funding for Teen Lifeline comes from Scottsdale Cares, the city’s voluntary utility bill donation program. Scottsdale Cares will allocate $150,000 to nine nonprofit agencies in the FY 2018/19 year, which began July 1.

In addition to Scottsdale Cares funding, the city’s General Fund will allocate $200,000 to seven other agencies. Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community grant funding will provide $262,559 to four agencies. Another $7,900 was approved from the Endowment Fund for the Foothills Community Foundation to assist 100 families with early childhood learning skills.

The City Council in April approved $1,136,403 in Community Development Block Grant and $239,609 in HOME funds. These are federally-backed grant monies that must be used to benefit those whose income falls below 80 percent of Scottsdale's median level.

Here’s an overview of the programs and how money is being distributed. Detailed information is available by viewing the July 2 City Council regular agenda.

Scottsdale Cares is a voluntary donation program that allows residents to add an extra $1 per month to their monthly utility bill. Monies support programs such as teen suicide prevention, drug intervention and prevention, youth mentoring and job skills for people with learning disabilities.

• Community Bridges, Inc. - $19,800 for crisis stabilization services including mobile community outreach and peer support for approximately 500 Scottsdale adults.
• Cortney’s Place - $11,615 for one-on-one support for 12 disabled adults to meet their personal goals.
• Family Promise Greater Phoenix - $22,500 for 14,000 bed nights and counseling services for 350 homeless families.
• Foothills Caring Corps, Inc. - $15,202 for transportation, home delivered meals and other support services for 268 seniors and disabled adults.
• Save the Family - $10,215 for tutoring and school support, art and pet therapy and intervention/prevention classes for 12 low-income youth.
• Scottsdale Community Partners - $22,500 for emergency rental and mortgage assistance for 28 Scottsdale families.
• Scottsdale Training and Rehabilitation Services (STARS) - $20,215 for job assessment, placement services and ongoing job coaching and supervision for 70 disabled adults.
• Shoebox Ministry - $7,738 for personal hygiene toiletry kits for 1,100 homeless individuals.
• Teen Lifeline - $20,215 for life skills development training, prevention and post services, and crisis assistance through the Crisis Hotline/Textline for 6,012 youth.

General Fund monies are part of the city’s operating budget. Allocations will go to nonprofit agencies that provide services such as shelter assistance, crisis intervention and counseling.  

• A New Leaf - East Valley Men’s Center - $40,000 for shelter, bed nights, meals, case management and employment services for 14 homeless men. 
• Catholic Charities Community Services, Inc. - $25,683 for shelter and support services for eight domestic violence victims.
• Community Legal Services, Inc. - $23,317 for 135 hours of legal assistance to resolve civil legal problems for 45 Scottsdale residents.
• Duet: Partners' in Health and Aging - $21,000 for transportation for 150 elderly and disabled Scottsdale residents.
• Family Promise Greater Phoenix - $40,000 for 12,000 hours of management, counseling, life-skills coaching and resource referrals for 350 homeless.
• Jewish Family & Children’s Service - $25,000 for 830 hours of in-home assessment, case management, counseling advocacy and referral for 75 elderly and disabled residents. 
• UMOM New Day Centers, Inc. - $25,000 to provide 3,176 homeless persons with basic needs such as food, medical care, childcare, educational programs for youth, vocational training, job preparation, and substance abuse assistance.

Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community grant funding goes toward agencies that provide food and shelter services: 

• Chrysalis Shelter for Victims of Domestic Violence - S28,000 for housing, case management and support services for 25 families.
• Community Partners, Brown Bag Program - $109,200 for food bags of perishable items and canned good for 350 elderly and/or disabled Scottsdale residents.
• Tempe Community Action Agency - $34,873 for 3,150 nutritious meals at the Granite Reef Senior Center’s Congregate Meals Program for 225 elderly Scottsdale residents.
• Tempe Community Action Agency - $90,486 for 33,000 hot, nutritious home-delivered meals for 285 homebound and/or disabled Scottsdale residents.

Learn about resources to help residents. Those interested in donating to programs can visit Scottsdale Shares.

Original source can be found here.