Catholic Charities Community Services’ DIGNITY House was recently named Homeless Service Provider of the Year by Phoenix Neighborhood Services. DIGNITY House received the award for its outstanding efforts assisting women with intensive residential recovery to help them live an independent life. The award was presented last month during the city’s National Community Development Week celebration.

Salvador “Grandpa” Bernabe has been named volunteer of the year by Catholic Charities Community Services. He was presented with the 2013 Helen Shea Service Award at the agency’s Paths to Hope breakfast on May 15 at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix.

The Breast Cancer Society has announced a call for entries for educational scholarships to breast cancer survivors and their children. The Empower One Scholarship and Hope Scholarship programs assist those who have been affected by breast cancer with obtaining a college degree or trade certificate.

The decision by the IRS to take a closer look at Tea Party finances apparently did not affect some key organizations in Arizona.

I am writing to express my sincere gratitude to the women of Mesa Arizona Hermosa Vista Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My Sisters’ Place recently received 60 beautiful handbags filled with an assortment of makeup, jewelry, lotion, perfume and notes filled with love and encouragement for the women in our shelter.

Dillie Nerios is a Florida food stamp recruiter. Her job is to sign up 150 seniors monthly in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

It may not be gourmet, but it is cheap — and the proceeds go to a charity that helps local first responders and their families when they’re the ones in crisis.

The Medicaid restoration plan put forth by Gov. Brewer is a prudent economic option that helps our state stay competitive while serving those who are most vulnerable.

There are so many reasons for the Legislature to approve Gov. Jan Brewer’s proposal to expand Medicaid that it is hard for me to believe that any elected official would put ideology before the good of their constituents and the state of Arizona.

The Mountain Pointe alumni tournament will be on May 11 at Club West, 16400 S. 14th Ave.

An Ahwatukee Foothills resident is making her dreams come true by providing much needed furniture to families getting back on their feet after homelessness.

Take the fam out for a not-so-ordinary night at the ball park, where a host of celebs — including Darnell Dockett, Richard Sherman, Gary Payton, Marcel Reece, Louis Vito, Eddie House, Terrell Owens, Tia Alexander, Claudia Jordan, Lindsey Berg, and of course, Larry Fitzgerald — battle it out in a charity softball game, benefiting the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Big Brothers Big Sisters and the American Cancer Society, among others.

Pet rescue groups across the Valley are coming together with a three-year initiative to solve the problem of pet homelessness by fixing, adopting and saving Valley pets.

The 98th annual Board of Visitors Charity ball took place on April 6 at the JW Marriott Camelback Inn in Paradise Valley.

Their stories are nowhere near as harrowing.

Three high school students submitted three big ideas to the Ahwatukee Chamber Charity Foundation with hopes of being selected for a brand new college scholarship. On Wednesday the foundation presented a $4,000 scholarship to Spencer Elliott of Mountain Pointe High School, and a $500 scholarship to Josh Greene and Emily Pawlik, both Desert Vista students.

A knack for moving things forward may be the most important skill Anne Gill brought with her to the Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce when she became president and chief executive officer of the chamber in November 2011.

As CEO of St. Luke’s Medical Center, I applaud Gov. Jan Brewer for her plan to restore Medicaid to its previous funding levels. Restoring Medicaid funding is smart, cost-effective, and will have a lasting impact on Arizona’s economy for years to come.

On March 1, Congress failed to come to an agreement on a federal spending package, leading to the implementation of sequestration resulting in an $85 billion cut in government spending over the next seven months. Hardest hit are programs that serve our community’s most vulnerable. But, there is hope and that hope lies within us.

Monti’s La Casa Vieja will host Dining in the Dark 6:30 to 8:15 p.m. April 11 to benefit Foundation for Blind Children, a Valley resource for families and children dealing with blindness or low vision.

The Foothills Women’s Club is putting together a vendor night to show off the diversity of the businesses and people that can be found in Ahwatukee Foothills.