VALLEYLIFE Blog

Three NFL Alum joining VALLEYLIFE at our golf tournament.

joutlaw — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 23:52:50 +0000

We are happy to report that we will have some very special guests at our 21st Annual Golf Tournament on May 14th. We are looking forward to golfing with NFL Alumni Larry Walton, Prentice McCray and Steve Holden.
While all three are Arizona State University Alumni, Larry Walton played in the NFL as a wide receiver for the Detroit Lions from 1969 to 1974. Prentice McCray played in the NFL as a safety for the New England Patriots from 1974 to 1980 and Steve Holden played in the NFL as a wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns from 1973 to 1977.
Please join us on the 14th to join these three in supporting VALLEYLIFE. For more information, or to register, go to http://www.valleylifeaz.org/golf. We hope to see you on the green!

VALLEYLIFE presents to the City of Phoenix Community Development Review Committee

joutlaw — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 23:52:03 +0000

Hundreds of adults with cognitive and/or physical disabilities in the Phoenix metropolitan area benefit from VALLEYLIFE’s investment in our community. Through our paid, open-entry and exit, competency-based job training model, we prepare participants with the skills and confidence to become productive members of society.

However, the facility in which we currently conduct our vocational training programs is in need of repair. Renovation of our current facility will not just offer solutions to issues such as outdated wiring and our need for more accessible restroom facilities, but it will provide us with the ability to increase the number of participants we currently serve daily from 75 to approximately 150, through our vocational evaluation services, sheltered employment, job placement, and work adjustment training. Our staff will have space available to conduct mock interviews and skill assessments and a new computer room will allow participants to expand computer skills, perform job searches and prepare resumes with the assistance of our job coaches. For 65 years VALLEYLIFE has been a community leader driving vocational services through innovative, quality programming designed to reduce barriers to employment in our community. Successes in our vocational program result in reduced levels of homelessness, lower poverty rates, less reliance on government subsidies, and reduced unemployment.

We are currently in the process of securing funds for this project through several avenues. We have secured partial funding through a generous grant from Thunderbirds Charities and have been collecting private donations as well. Most recently, we have completed the second phase of requesting funds from the City of Phoenix Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. Our President/CEO, Cletus Thiebeau, and our Director of Development, Margaret Stephens-Reed, were provided the opportunity on Tuesday evening to make a presentation to the esteemed Community Development Review Committee. Our presentation went very well. We look forward to finding out if we will receive additional funding for this project later this year. In the meantime, we have no intentions of sitting back and waiting for funding- we are hosting a Casino Night on Saturday, July 28th, in our training facility to help raise funds for this project. We are very excited to have you join us at this casual, come- as- you- are event. Tickets are only $30.00 – if you are interested in purchasing tickets, or just want to learn more about this project, please contact Jennifer Outlaw at (602) 371-0806 x170.

We need your assistance

joutlaw — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 22:08:52 +0000

With a projected surplus in the upcoming Arizona Budget, many citizens, agencies and special interest groups are expressing their ideas regarding what should be done with these dollars. VALLEYLIFE is looking for your support in letting our state government know how we would like to see a portion of our taxpayer funds used.
VALLLEYLIFE and other service providers like us need to see a 5% rescue fund for DDD (Department of Developmental Disabilities) services in the budget. This fund would restore some of the 15% cut DDD providers like us have received in the past several years. In May 2009, 10% of our funding was cut, and in October of last year, an additional 5% was cut. VALLEYLIFE has continued to provide the highest quality of care to our Members, however the cost of providing this care has remained the same, or increased in some instances, and we are now only reimbursed by the state for just 70-75% of these costs – far below AHCCCS rates for the same services for the elderly and our physically disabled population. In addition, these cuts have limited our ability to provide enrichment services and required upgrades to our group homes. Additional funding is desperately needed! Please contact your State Representative and Governor Jan Brewer and tell them that we need their support getting these vital funds restored!
If you are not sure who your State Representative is, you can go to http://www.azleg.gov/alisStaticPages/HowToContactMember.asp. Governor Jan Brewer can be contacted by phone at (602) 542-4331, or you can complete her comment form found at http://www.azgovernor.gov/Contact.asp.
Thank you for your continued support and advocacy on behalf of our Members at VALLEYLIFE.

VALLEYLIFE Mixed Martial Arts Night has been postponed.

joutlaw — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 21:46:54 +0000

We regret to announce that due to circumstances beyond our control, we will be postponing our Mixed Martial Arts night at VALLEYLIFE. If you have any questions, please contact us at (602) 371-0806.

Art Show opening at the Erika Y. Schafer Gallery March 22nd

joutlaw — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 20:48:04 +0000

The next art exhibit in the Erika Y. Schafer Gallery on the VALLEYLIFE Campus will open with a reception on Thursday, March 22nd, at 6 pm. This exhibit is titled “Helping Hands” and will feature the work of local artist who use their gifts to help others in our community. If you are interested in attending our reception, please RSVP to Jennifer Outlaw, Communications Specialist, at (602) 371-0806 x170 or joutlaw@valleylifeaz.org. If you are unable to make it to the reception, this show will run until Friday, May 18th. The Erika Y. Schafer Gallery is open Monday – Friday from 8 am to 4 pm and showings are available evening and weekends by appointment.

Mixed Martial Arts Night at VALLEYLIFE coming March 16th

joutlaw — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 20:42:40 +0000

We will be hosting a Mixed Martial Arts night at the VALLEYLIFE campus on Friday, March 16th from 6 pm to 8:30 pm. Team Sledgehammer, a mixed martial arts training team in Phoenix, will offer a demonstration and self-defense lessons. We are also excited to announce that Joe Meader, a VALLEYLIFE employee and the founder of Team Sledgehammer, will challenge himself to see how many boards he can break in 90-seconds! Expect a night of excitement! We also expect to have several up and coming UFC fighters on hand to sign autographs! Tickets are only $5.00 if purchased in advance, or $10.00 if purchased at the door. To purchase tickets, click on the link below! We look forward to seeing you there.

Click Here For Tickets!

VALLEYLIFE enjoys a night out with the Phoenix Suns

joutlaw — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 18:15:58 +0000

We were fortunate to be able to send several Members and staff to spend the evening at the Phoenix Suns game on Wednesday, Feb 15th, to cheer on the Suns as they battled the Atlanta Hawks. While the Suns may have lost that game, our Members and staff had a fantastic time! We were able to secure club levels seats which allowed our Members in wheelchairs a comfortable location with great views of the game. Members also got to have their faces painted and the VALLEYLIFE name was up on the jumbo-tron for all to see. If you would like to join us at the next VALLEYLIFE Night with the Suns, we are currently selling tickets for luxury booth seating at the March 12th game against the Minnesota Timberwolves for only $95.00 ($5.00 of each ticket will be donated to VALLEYLIFE). If you have not had the opportunity to view a game from the luxury boxes, this is a great opportunity at a great price! If you are interested in tickets to this game, please contact Jennifer Outlaw, Communications Specialist, at (602) 371-0806 x170 or joutlaw@valleylifeaz.org.

SAVE THE DATE: PIZZA PARTY – Aug. 5!

admin — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 18:23:12 +0000

VALLEYLIFE will be holding our Annual Special Olympics Pizza Party at Sunnyslope High School on August 5th, 11am to 1pm.

All members and staff of VALLEYLIFE who participated in Special Olympics are welcome to join in the fun!

Knights of Columbus Donation, Miss. Arizona 2002 & More!

admin — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 20:46:46 +0000

The most recent Erika Y. Shafer Art Gallery entitled “In Our Spare Time” had some very special guests on Thursday, July 21. The Knights of Columbus donated almost $2,000 to VALLEYLIFE for its various programs. Joseph Kosikowski and John Schellinger represented the Knights, and presented the check during VALLEYLIFE’s opening of its newest art gallery.

Former Miss. Arizona 2002, Laura Lawless, who will also be VALLEYLIFE’s Key Note Speaker for its Legacy of Love on Oct. 1 also stopped by to see VALLEYLIFE’s facilities and enjoy the evening.

VALLEYLIFE would like to thank everyone who came to the Opening, and hope they all had a great time and will join us again for our next gallery, which will be coming soon.

For pictures of the event, check out our facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/valleylife.

10 District Arizona State Representative Kimberly Yee Visits VALLEYLIFE!

admin — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 18:37:37 +0000

State Representative Kimberly Yee visited VALLEYLIFE, Tuesday July 19, 2011. Rep. Yee toured the non-profits main campus located at 1142 W. Hatcher Rd. in Phoenix.

Representative Yee had a great time taking a tour of our facilities and speaking with many different Directors to find out what’s going on at VALLEYLIFE!

Rep. Kimberly Yee was appointed to represent Arizona’s 10th Legislative District on August 2, 2010. Yee, a Phoenix native, was born in District 10, and has an illustrious career in public policy and governmental service working on all branches of government: Executive, legislative and judicial branches. Most notably, Yee was appointed by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as his Deputy Cabinet Secretary and member of his Cabinet.

For pictures, follow us on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/VALLEYLIFE