Tempe Businesses Raise $70,000 For Groups Serving Homeless Population

By Mariana Dale
Published: Wednesday, October 25, 2017 - 6:58am
Updated: Thursday, October 26, 2017 - 9:32am
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(Photo by Christina Estes - KJZZ)
A security officer talks to a man sitting on Mill Avenue in Tempe.

The Downtown Tempe Authority’s effort to raise money for non-profits that serve the area’s homeless population has netted $70,000 in cash and in-kind donations.

Last summer, the business district kicked off the Tempe Mission campaign with specialty beer and kiosks to collect donations on city streets.

“We thought it would be more impactful for us to raise funds to address the underlying problem with people that are in need in our community,” said Kate Borders, executive director of the Downtown Tempe Authority.

Next week, a first installment of $30,000 go to I-HELP, a shelter program, Community bridges, which provides behavioral health care, CARE-7, which provides crisis intervention, and the Salvation Army, which has a community center in Tempe.

The group is still trying to meet a $100,000 goal set last year.

RELATED: Homeless In Plain Sight

People can make donations through kiosks on Tempe streets and local businesses are encouraged to develop their own promotions to raise money for the cause.

“It’s not just about money but it’s also about awareness and hopefully pushing people to those organizations,” Borders said.

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