Giving Back to the Community

Arizona MENTOR is committed to giving back to the communities in which we live and work.  As a partner of The MENTOR Network, we’re part of a national organization that has a shared focus on strengthening communities in Arizona and across the country. Together, we invest in philanthropic programs and support causes that are important to the individuals and families we serve, as well as our Mentors, payors and employees. We are proud to partner with the following organizations in our communities:

• Special Olympics
• Autism Speaks
• Arizona Kids Consortium
• Arizona Association of Providers for People with Disabilities (AAPPD)

The MENTOR Network Charitable Foundation

Established by The MENTOR Network in 2007, the Charitable Foundation seeks to expand opportunities for the people we serve and support organizations that take a fresh look at how people with disabilities, as well as youth and families facing challenges, are supported. The Foundation has awarded more than 150 grants to organizations that promote innovation, service excellence and a commitment to finding innovative ways to support people with disabilities, children and families facing tough challenges and individuals with brain injuries.

Special Olympics Arizona – Phoenix, AZ

Unified Champion Schools

In 2018, The Network Charitable Foundation awarded a Community Partners grant to Special Olympics Arizona, which provides athletes of all ages with intellectual and developmental disabilities sports programs and competitions. Its Unified Champion Schools program activates youth to develop school communities where all students foster respect, dignity, and advocacy for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities by utilizing the programs and initiatives of Special Olympics. Unified Champion Schools incorporate three Special Olympics programs, Unified Sports, Inclusive Youth Leadership, and Whole School Engagement, while empowering all participants to be agents of change in their school and local communities. Funding from The MENTOR Network Charitable Foundation supports the program to reach 250 schools, with 7,000 youth participating.

TOP DOG – Tuscon, AZ

In 2014, The Network Charitable Foundation awarded a Community Partners grant to TOP DOG, a Tuscon, Arizona-based organization that is dedicated to teaching people with disabilities—including those with brain and spinal cord injuries—how to train their own dogs to become fully certified service animals able to perform a range of tasks that help make their owners’ lives much easier.

Therapeutic Riding of Tucson, Inc. – Tucson, AZ

In 2011, the Charitable Foundation awarded a grant to Therapeutic Riding of Tuscon, Inc. The grant provided scholarships to 12 students with disabilities including cerebral palsy, developmental disabilities, Down syndrome, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, hearing/vision impairments and autism.

Volunteer Day

Each spring, The MENTOR Network employees and individuals we serve come together for our annual Volunteer Day, a time when we give back to the communities in which we live and work.