Days of Caring Success Story: The Lizard Lounge

A small group of IBM volunteers selected the project to help build bookshelves and paint the community room at the Tucson House residence for elderly and disabled. 

They went all out with new signs, cheerful colors and "Lizards" on the walls.

The residents love the room and it has become the social hot spot! The Lizard Lounge has brought new life to the residents as they are hanging out in the room more and spending more time with each other.

Since then, Kathryn Eldred (the artist behind the designs) has been working on a second community room at Landers, and is working more magic.

Join us for the Days of Caring this Oct 3 and 6 and help make magic happen for Tucson and Southern Arizona's children, families and seniors!

Keeping Seniors Safe

A family member from out of town called with concern about her elderly in-laws.  Her father-in-law suffers from Parkinson’s disease and her mother-in-law was his principal caregiver.  A home visit revealed that both were in very fragile health and critically needed home care services.  Both were at high risk for falling and had significant memory and cognitive lapses.  Because of the quick response from staff members, both of the elderly individuals were able to get a case manager and assistive services immediately and a potential human disaster was averted for the family.

"I Now Have Peace of Mind!"

Mrs. C is an 84 year old widow who lives alone in her mobile home.  Her case manager assisted her in obtaining shopping services, personal care, home delivered meals and hookup to the Lifeline Emergency Response System from the Community Services System.  Mrs. C tries very hard to be as independent as possible but many things are impossible for her to do herself. She said, "I now have peace of mind knowing I have so much help available. My case manager takes care of so many things for me that I no longer need to worry.  I have received more help than I ever expected and I don't know what I would do if I didn't have her to assist me."

Community Services Make Life Easier for Tucson Senior

Ms. A, age 67, lives with another family member, sharing household expenses.  Her daughter contributes financially to help pay monthly bills.  Ms. A has back problems due to osteoporosis and impaired vision due to cataracts.  She cannot perform some household chores.  She was referred to the Community Services System by a friend and now states that receiving housekeeping services makes her feel safe and secure and relieves a lot of her stress.  She is so grateful that such a program exists.  "I don't know how I would get by without the help I receive from my worker," she said.

John Improves His Grades

John* is a participant of the YMCA’s after school program and was struggling to get his homework completed. His parent, a single mother, works late and has to have a friend pick up John.  The staff in the after school program developed a relationship with not only John but his teacher.  The staff checked in daily with the teacher to discuss John's assignments.  The staff then makes sure that John gets his homework completed prior to being picked up to go home.  The relationship/communication that developed between John, his teacher and his mother has helped John immensely as his grades have dramatically improved and his mother is very thankful for all of the additional help she has received.

Desert Spring Children’s Center - Professional Development Scholarship Program

Monica Brinkerhoff, the assistant director at Desert Spring Children’s Center, recently wrote the following about her professional development scholarship recipients who are being funded through First Focus on Kids:

"The Professional Development grants for our staff have been a huge asset to our program.  Of the five original participants, all were single and had, at most, some college.  They all had the desire to return to school, and the center needed them to obtain college degrees (for NAEYC Accreditation), but nobody had the financial resources to make that happen.  All were making about $8-9 per hour- not a wage that would allow them to attend school.  This grant not only improved the quality of care for the school but improved these women's lives for the long term by offering them an opportunity they might not otherwise have. 

For example, one is a single mother.  Without the grant, she may have been able to afford tuition but not the child care, travel expenses, books, and all of the other related costs of attending school.  Now, she has nearly completed her associates degree.  Her daughter is empowered by having a parent role model the importance of higher level education.  And, her classroom practices have improved because she has the theoretical background to support her classroom interactions and curriculum planning. 

In all the students, we have noticed evidence of assimilation of concepts learned in their classes; whether it happens as a teacher observes a specific developmental milestone in a child and is able to articulate it to a parent, or when another teacher begins using the project approach after she is inspired by a curriculum class.  We have been so grateful for this grant in improving not only the quality of the school but in making personal improvements in these women's lives.