Page 19 - Desert Oracle Feburary 2019

passes, a check to the Arizona Veterans StandDown Alliance for $1000, and gift cards that totaled
$1000. The Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame Society provided $2000 for all of the underwear,
hygiene, and other essentials. Veterans First, Ltd. provided boxes of makeup for all complexions
and skin tones, feminine hygiene, and 99 Cent Store gift
cards. The Sun Lakes Jewish Congregation Sisterhood
gave 20 Ross gift cards valued at $500. The Reserve
Enlisted Association (TREA) Auxiliary brought $500 in gift
cards. Cyndy Rice (pictured here) has been a donor for
years and purchased a number of bus passes and gift
cards this year in addition to specifically requested items.
The Arizona territorial Chapter of the Association of the
US Army (AUSA) gave Walmart cards valued at $350.
Reap What You Sew created quilts and blankets for our
women veterans, which were blessed at their annual
distribution ceremony last November. Rose Trujillo knitted 250 hats, which took her an entire year
to create. Bombas provided 1500 socks. Girl Scout Troop #1653 in Prescott brought in a dozen
cases of GS cookies. Lizz Levy brought dozens of boxes of tampons as requested. DAV Chapter
22 provided $200 in gift cards. Mary Chapman brought in five $20 Walmart/Sam's Club gift cards.

This is the photo of the crew who took the donations from
PVA, transported them to the Coliseum, and got us ready to
deliver services the next day (Marine Corps League, Unified
Daughters of the Confederacy, and PVA - Arizona Chapter).

The shot to the right is the crew that packed up the few undistributed items to be stored for the next
event. There were dozens of wonderful volunteers who did amazing work in between who helped
make this a really wonderful experience for the women veterans who came in.

A major shift in the philosophy behind the Maricopa
StandDown has been to focus on services that have
a long-term effect on ending homelessness. We felt
this event is an opportunity to allow our women
veterans to feel appreciated and pampered. We
asked for special permission to continue to provide
our women veterans with necessities and the
Arizona Veterans StandDown Alliance allowed it.

Gabe Forsberg
(602) 686-1512 cell
GabeForsberg@gmail.com