FOUNDATION
Ethan Braunstein MD, Board Chair, Forest Highlands Foundation
In the past we had organized a junior foundation, but this no longer exists as an official entity. However, we encourage family participation with us, and 2 new initiatives come to mind. Several of the Valley high school and prep schools have community service requirements. A family recently approached the Foundation for advice about doing such a project in Flagstaff instead of Phoenix, and we are helping with consultation. I would like to encourage other students and families with a philanthropic interest in Flagstaff to work with the Foundation as well. If the funds are donated to the Foundation and then dispersed to the community, or if local advice is needed for direct benefit to selected Flagstaff charities, we are happy to help. Another initiative to involve families will be back to school backpack stuffing for kindergarteners entering Killip School. I’ve mentioned Killip to you in the past, as we’ve had a 20 year relationship with them. You’ll all be invited to stuff backpacks provided by the Foundation with water bottles, school supplies, and hand sanitizer to get the students ready for fall. We’re already planning our summer activities. There will be a thank you event for donors late in June, and we’ll have more details on this later. Also, although we haven’t officially announced the Denise Martinez Tournament, it will be in August, and there will be a few exciting surprise twists this year. Registration is already open, but of course we’ll have much more information as the season progresses.
Welcome back to Forest Highlands for the 2022 season. As the Arizona Community Foundation grant cycle occurs in the summer and the Foundation board members have scattered to warmer climes, winter has been somewhat of an off season for the Foundation in the past. I’m happy to say that this has not been the case this year, and that we have good news on both the fund raising and fund dispersing fronts. Manyof you old timers and full year residents will remember the Crown Railroad Cafe and Motel on the east side on Route 66. The model trains would run on tracks over and above the diners. The Forest Highlands Foundation is proud to have contributed $50,000 toward the purchase of the motel and restaurant by Flagstaff Shelter Services. The motel will provide additional domicile and other resources for the unhoused population of Flagstaff, and the restaurant and kitchen will provide job training for motel occupants. I don’t know if the current plans call for reopening the restaurant or just using it as a training site, but if they do reopen, I’ll be the first in line for pancakes. We also were able to help Flagstaff Family Food Center (FFFC) in the past few months with a $50,000 grant. The Center is still feeling the effects of COVID and governmental support during the crisis has been withdrawn. FFFC still has to replace the services of the Arizona National Guard in food transportation and to pay for part time help that before the pandemic was provided by volunteers. This, in conjunction with recent inflation and concurrent increase in food prices has raised costs for FFFC by 33%. We’re watching the situation and we’re in conversation with FFFC with an eye toward the possibility of another $50,000 grant in the spring.
Looking forward to another great season at Forest Highlands,
Ethan Braunstein MD Board Chair, Forest Highlands Foundation beigestein@gmail.com
SAVE THE DATE
DENISE MARTINEZ MEMORIAL PRO-AM Monday, August 15
More details and Sponsorship Opportunities CLICK HERE :
VOICE IN THE PINES | MAY 2022 6
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