Frontdoors Magazine September 2019 Issue

MARKETING EQUALITY CELEBRATING DIVERSITY SEPTEMBER 2019 - VOLUME 17, ISSUE 9

With ONE Community, Angela Hughey Started a Movement

CALA ALLIANCE + FROTH AND BUBBLE FOUNDATION + RESILIENT HEALTH

“A KIND GESTURE CAN REACH A WOUND THAT ONLY COMPASSION CAN HEAL.” Steve Maraboli

REMEMBER, TODAY YOU CAN PUT YOUR COMPASSION INTO ACTION BY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF ARIZONA’S CHARITABLE TAX CREDIT. You still have up to April 15th to make your gift of $400 or $800 and claim it on your 2018 Arizona tax return.

Your gift of $400 gives Sojourner Center’s children the opportunity to feel safe enough to get a restful, peaceful night of sleep — every night!

Your gift of $800 provides programs that teach our participants the value of spending quality time with their healing children as a healthy replacement to the violence they once endured… https://www.sojournercenter.org/donate/ Sojourner Center wouldn’t be able to overcome the impact of domestic violence, one life at a time without your support. We’ve thrived for over 40 years, with your help we will make it another 40 years!

SOJOURNER CENTER | WWW.SOJOURNERCENTER.ORG | (602) 244-0997 P.O. Box 20156 Phoenix, AZ 85036 501 (c) (3) 94-2465081 | Qualifying Charitable Organization #20544

A bold vision for health care education is rising in Phoenix.

Creighton University has joined forces with Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, Valleywise Health (formerly MIHS), and District Medical Group to form the Creighton University Arizona Health Education Alliance. Together, these clinical partners will help enrich our health sciences programs.

Creighton is elevating the state’s health system by educating physicians, nurses and other skilled and passionate professionals to serve all populations including those in our most underserved communities.

With Jesuit, Catholic values, Creighton University is reaching new heights in care. creighton.edu/phoenixhealth

EDITOR

PUBLISHER

Karen Werner

Andrea Tyler Evans

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

ASSISTANT PUBLISHER

Tom Evans

Ashley Ford

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Neill Fox

Jillian Rivera

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

BEAUTY PARTNER — MAKEUP

Lesley Kitts

The Sparkle Bar

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

BEAUTY PARTNER — FASHION

Ashley Ford Judy Pearson Carey Peña McKenna Wesley

Saks Fifth Avenue Phoenix

CULINARY WRITER

PHOTOGRAPHY PARTNER

Lisa Mullavey

Thurlkill Studios

THE PAW REPORT

PetSmart Charities

On the Cover Anglea Hughey Co-Founder and President, ONE Community

Beyond Print Our roots are in ink and paper, but our work goes far beyond the traditional.

We’re strategists, creatives, campaign developers and producers. From concept to implementation, we provide innovative marketing solutions that go above and beyond.

Photo: Thurlkill Studios

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TABLE OF CONTENTS {september 2019, volume 17, issue 9}

EDITOR’S NOTE...................... 07 Quinceañera Summer

39

10 QUESTIONS WITH.......... 08 The Honorable Randall M. Howe BOOKMARKED....................... 13 What Gail Baer Is Reading OFFICE DOORS...................... 14 Dr. Larry D. Johnson Jr., President of Phoenix College CAREY’S CORNER................ 16 A Call to Action

26

COVER STORY....................... 20 Marketing Equality NEXT DOORS.......................... 26 Crossing Borders STYLE UNLOCKED............... 30 Best Buys for Fall A 2ND ACT.................................. 35 Froth and Bubble Foundation CHARITY SPOTLIGHT........ 39 Kids in Focus KITCHEN DOORS.................. 44 Diverse and Delicious CHEERS TO THE CHAIRS.. 46 Bill and Cindy Abbott OPEN DOORS......................... 48 Trends for the New Season

20 NONPROFIT AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS FEATURED IN THIS ISSUE ++ CALA

Alliance and Bubble Foundation ++ Jewish Family & Children’s Service ++ Kids in Focus ++ Froth

++ National

Multiple Sclerosis Society, Arizona chapter ++ ONE Community Foundation ++ Phoenix College ++ Resilient Health

EDITOR’S NOTE {on the job}

QUINCEAÑERA SUMMER “Mom, Allison wants to know if I can be in her quinceañera,” my son said last fall. “Can I?” “Sure,” I replied, thinking she’d probably change her mind in the coming months. She and Eli had been good friends in middle school but now that they went to different high schools, I figured she’d ask another friend or family member when the event got closer.

But when summer rolled around, I learned I was wrong. It was time for Eli to start weekly rehearsals to learn the vals, or waltz, they’d do together, as well as the elaborately choreographed surprise dance they’d perform with Allison’s court of damas.

The quinceañera is a rite of passage when a girl turns 15, a tradition that ties different nationalities together. Celebrated in Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as in Latino communities around the world, it’s a way for families to hold onto their roots. Or, in our case, to grow new ones.

As the one male chambelán, Eli would be Allison’s escort for the night, so I read up on his duties. “Your job is basically to be Prince Charming. If she wants a drink, you get one. If she wants to dance, you do it.”

“O.K.,” he replied.

All summer long, Eli would leave for hours at a stretch to work with the choreographer. I mentioned it to my hairdresser, who was born in Latin America, and she was equal parts surprised and thrilled. “He’s the chambelán?!?” she exclaimed. “Are you going?”

I assured her my husband and I would be, and she regaled me with stories of her own quince, then gave me a hug when I left.

A few weeks later, my family was in Puerto Peñasco, on a kayak trip through the estuaries. Our guide was the ecosystems manager at CEDO, the Intercultural Center for the Study of Deserts and Oceans, who was charged with teaching us about the biodiversity of the area.

On the ride back from the trip, talk turned from high tides to the quinceañera. “You’re in a quince?” he said with warmth. “Thank you for representing our culture!”

I’ve been thinking a lot about kids like Allison and Eli. Angela Hughey, the CEO of ONE Community Foundation, who I interviewed for the cover story this month, shared some statistics about how Generation Z is reshaping our culture with their more accepting attitidues toward same-sex marriage, sexuality and gender.

Predominately multicultural, celebrating ethnic identities and combining it all with technology and pop culture, they seem to embrace diversity organically. (Allison and Eli danced a traditional box step to Taylor Swift instead of “Tiempo de Vals,” arguably the quinceañera anthem of all time.)

This gives me hope. Because though the world is, in many ways, more fractured than I can recall, the generation coming of age seems comfortable being uncomfortable, embracing their differences, serving as allies, and building bridges along the way.

Hopefully, we can follow them over, step by step.

Karen Werner EDITOR

@kwerner409

10 QUESTIONS {fascinating people}

THE HONORABLE RANDALL M. HOWE Judge at Arizona Court of Appeals 1. How did you choose a career in law?

2. What challenges did you overcome to get to where you are today?

I was an avid (and probably annoying) history buff as a kid, and it seemed to me that anyone who did anything in history — especially Abraham Lincoln — was a lawyer. I didn’t know what it meant to be a lawyer, but that never deterred me from wanting to be one. When I enrolled in Arizona State University as an undergraduate, the guidance counselor asked what I was going to do with a history degree. I answered I was going to go to law school. She asked what I was going to do if I didn’t go to law school; I answered that I was going to go to law school. After much back and forth, she persuaded me to change my degree to business administration. I learned a lot from getting a business degree, but nothing deterred me from becoming a lawyer.

The primary challenges are having a physical disability and a speech impediment. I grew up in the dark ages of the 1960s and 1970s, before the Americans with Disabilities Act and other civil rights law for people with disabilities. People with disabilities were hidden away and not expected to be active, contributing members of society. The fact that my speech impediment made it hard for people to understand me made things even worse. But my parents knew that although my body and speech were damaged by the cerebral palsy, my brain was not, and they worked hard to see that I was mainstreamed in public school at a time when that just wasn’t done. In high school, I had a teacher who forced me to become a member of my speech and debate team, and he worked with me to improve the fluency of my speech.

8 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | SEPTEMBER 2019

I came a long way in high school and college to address my speech impediment, but I still did not see myself as capable of being in a courtroom, and no one else did either. I planned on being a transactional attorney in the back room of some law firm. But the law firm that hired me out of law school had financial difficulties and laid me off, and the only job available was in the criminal appeals section of the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.

That was the best thing that ever happened to me. Nobody questioned whether I could perform in the courtroom; my bosses just gave me cases and expected me to do them. That gave me the confidence to succeed.

3. How did your parents help you along the way?

They raised me without regard to my disability, just like they raised my older brother, who had no disability. They saw to it that I had all the medical care I needed, but they expected me to go to school and get a job and contribute to society, just what they expected from my brother. They were not well-educated, but they knew that education was my ticket to success, so they brought me to Arizona to go to ASU. I was the first person in my immediate family to go to college. I would not be where I am today, or who I am, without their love and support.

4. Communication is critical to your job. How do you overcome the communication challenges that go along with having cerebral palsy?

I admire all the fluent, fast-talking attorneys I have worked with and who have appeared in front of me, but I can’t talk that fast and still be understood.

I learned to speak more slowly and distinctly when I argued cases, and no one has had difficulty understanding me if they listen carefully. I could not cover as much ground as my more silver-tongued colleagues, but that made me carefully consider what I should be saying and made me say things as economically as possible. It often worked to my advantage because judges listened more carefully to what I was saying, and they knew I wouldn’t be saying it unless it was important. As a judge, I invite attorneys to repeat me if they don’t understand, and I’m careful to speak slowly and distinctly.

5. What successes are you most proud of?

I am most proud of just having the career I’ve had.

Because of my disability and speech impediment, no one would have expected it. More than that, though, not only have I argued cases in all levels of appellate courts that have Arizona in their jurisdiction, in each

Being born with a disability hasn't kept Howe from exploring the world. An avid traveler, he's shown here with his girlfriend, Kathleen Sweeney, and her nephew and niece in Australia.

SEPTEMBER 2019 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA 9

10 QUESTIONS CONTINUED

job I had as an attorney — in the Arizona Attorney General’s Office and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona — my superiors made me a supervisor, and I taught other attorneys how to argue cases on appeal. That, to me, is the best recognition that I was good at my job, despite my disability. My proudest personal moment, though, was arguing a case before the United States Supreme Court. I — a person with a disability and a speech impediment to boot — argued a case that had an important effect on the laws of the United States. It doesn’t get better than that.

6. Giving back is important to you.

What organizations are you involved in that are helping to make a difference for those with disabilities?

I’m currently on the board of directors for United Cerebral Palsy of Central Arizona. Its motto is “Life Without Limits.” The worst curse of having a disability is the low expectations of other people.

As exemplified by its motto, UCP strives to help children with cerebral palsy and other related disabilities succeed as far as their abilities will take them. I’m also on the board of Daring Adventures, which provides for outdoor recreation for people with disabilities, such as hiking, bicycling and other activities. I learned to ride a handcycle with them for the first time in my life at the ripe old age of 39.

Again, people generally don’t think people with disabilities can do those things. But they can and do!

7. What do you wish people knew about living with a disability?

That while people with disabilities may have difficult physical or intellectual obstacles, they are people just like everyone else, living life as everyone else.

We are often held up as objects of inspiration for doing ordinary things, like buying groceries. But we have to eat, and the groceries aren’t just going to walk themselves into our houses just because we have a disability.

Howe enjoys handcycling and other outdoor activities.

10 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | SEPTEMBER 2019

8. What’s the most difficult challenge you still face?

Being underestimated. People who don’t know me and what I do for a living and see my crutch and hear my speech impediment think I’m not all there and talk to my friends and companions instead of me. You’d be surprised the number of times people assisting me at the airport when I travel ask my girlfriend if I need to use the restroom. Her response: “I don’t know. You should ask him.”

9. How can readers help make a difference for those with disabilities?

Treat them as people first. Offer them help if they seem to need it, but don’t be surprised (or offended!) if they refuse. I have a hard time on occasion opening doors; if you offer to open the door, I’ll almost always take you up on your offer.

10. You’ve been a huge advocate for advancing inclusion. How does Arizona fare in that regard?

As far as being disability-friendly, it fares well. That’s why I’m here. Things are warm and flat here, and the buildings and facilities are almost always accessible.

I grew up in Colorado, and while it’s a beautiful state, snow and mountains make getting around by myself rather hard. And because Arizona’s climate and infrastructure are friendly to those with disabilities, you see more people with disabilities than in some other states, so people are more open and accepting of disabilities here.

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BOOKMARKED {what are you reading}

GAIL BAER Vice President of Philanthropic Services Jewish Family & Children’s Service

My mother’s guidance and advice to me over the years parallels Gloria’s advice to Anderson.

RECOMMENDS:

“The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son on Life, Love and Loss”

by Anderson Cooper & Gloria Vanderbilt

H E R TA K E “I recently finished ‘The Rainbow Comes and Goes’ by Anderson Cooper and Gloria Vanderbilt.

Their dialogue throughout the book is based on their email correspondence over the course of a year. Their discussions are remarkably personal, intimate and show a shared respect of their distinctly different characters. I am fortunate to have a close relationship with my own mother, and like the authors, our outward personalities are drastically opposite, yet sharply similar on the inside. The book inspired me to spend more time in deeper conversations with my mom, especially since she lives across the country. My mother’s guidance and advice to me over the years parallels Gloria’s advice to Anderson. I am still working on two big items: being present and not taking myself too seriously.”

SEPTEMBER 2019 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA 13

OFFICE DOORS {valley changemakers}

A DAY WITH DR. LARRY D. JOHNSON JR. President of Phoenix College As told to | Karen Werner

6:00 a.m. >> THE CLIMB

9 a.m. >> CAMPUS LIFE

My alarm clock is set for 6 a.m. with the ambition of going to the gym, coming back, getting dressed and getting to the office by 8 a.m. I try to do the StairMaster and some light lifting so I have the stamina to go through long days.

I try to find my way to the student union quite often. I find that personal communication — walking on campus, stopping and asking students if they’re OK, talking to faculty — helps me engage. Last year, inspired by “Undercover Boss,” I found a professor who agreed to let me visit his class. I dressed in distressed pants and a polo shirt and sat in class the entire hour and 15 minutes.

It was a good opportunity to understand who our students are and what type of resources we may need to support them. We’re an open-access institution. There is no requirement of an SAT or ACT. We meet students where they are and we take them where they want to be.

8 a.m. >> IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD Phoenix College is in a good place positionally because we are surrounded by neighbors.

My alma mater, Florida A&M University, is a historically black college and university in the heart of a neighborhood. I think being among neighbors is powerful because we are able to connect with our community. I was attracted to Phoenix College because of its focus on diversity, inclusion and equity. The populations we serve are first-generation and marginalized groups.

That attracted me in terms of my background and the ability to change someone’s trajectory for the better.

14 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | SEPTEMBER 2019

11 a.m. >> CENTENNIAL PLANS Phoenix College will celebrate 100 years next November. Currently I’m meeting with faculty and staff to come up with signature events that we’ll do throughout the year. We actually were birthed out of Phoenix Union, which was segregated

at the time. They wanted to make sure that all students — African-American, Hispanic and Native American — had an opportunity to be educated. School board members and our founders that worked at Phoenix Union believed we needed a post-secondary education site and that’s what Phoenix College came out of. So diversity is in everything we do. I love that we embody that even today.

Noon >> POWER LUNCH I’m a foodie, and am kind of selfish in terms of using my lunch meetings to find places that I love. I go to lunch at Thai Recipe Bistro, which is off of 7th Street, or a nice little restaurant off of Central called Alexi’s Grill, or I’ll go to First Watch right here on Thomas.

1 p.m. >> TEACHER CHECK-IN I like to visit our faculty members’ office suites.

They say, “Oh my God. We’ve never had the president walk through,” but my background is in teaching. I taught English composition, rhetoric and Western civilization. My master’s is in medieval to baroque studies. I have a love and appreciation for teaching, but now I am asking how I can influence decisions that will help teachers, and that in turn will help students.

2 p.m. >> THE SOCIAL PRESIDENT I have social media accounts. Many of the students follow me and send me messages and I’ve been able to direct them to financial aid, to counselors.

At campus events, I capture photos and try to post them in the moment on Instagram. I’m becoming more of a Twitter person, because more professionals seem to be on Twitter, but our students are on Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook.

I receive the most feedback from students on Instagram and think being a president closer to their age group has afforded me that opportunity.

with to talk about strategic priorities of the college.

And then I certainly like to meet with our students.

One of the coolest things I do is hold “Ask Me Anything” chats. Those are 30-minute intervals on Fridays from 1 to 5 p.m. where we send out the calendar to the entire college and anyone can sign up to talk to me.

6 p.m. >> FRESH PRINCE There’s a “Back 2 School Bash” tonight with a “Fresh Prince” theme. I think that being slightly younger than the average president and being a man of color in this diverse college has helped me to connect with students. I share with them that I’m a first-generation college student. I grew up in a single-family household with my mother. I have gone through trauma and know what that feels like. Sharing my story makes me more human, helping them to understand, “If he went through all of that and he is where he is, I can also overcome many of my challenges.” I have students of color say, “It’s so refreshing to see someone on campus that looks like me."

8 p.m.

>> ART O’CLOCK

I love art, music and theater. I arrived in Phoenix on Mother’s Day of 2018 and since then have gone to several performances at Comerica Theater and theatrical performances as well. I like traveling so I’ve visited Prescott and have been to Vegas several times because there are so many great shows there. To be in close proximity to San Diego, Los Angeles and Las Vegas has afforded me to do what I like doing, and that’s partake in the arts.

To learn more about Phoenix College, go to phoenixcollege.edu.

3:30 p.m. >> ASK ME ANYTHING Most of my day is spent in meetings. There are meetings with community leaders to talk about the value of Phoenix College, but more importantly to explore opportunities for us to partner to meet their needs. There are meetings with faculty and staff. There’s my executive council, who I meet

Johnson addressing the crowd at Phoenix College’s adjunct faculty convocation.

CAREY’S CORNER {carey peña reports}

A CALL TO ACTION Taking a diverse approach to mental health Carey Peña | Contributing Writer

It was a busy weekday afternoon when my cell phone rang with a number I didn’t recognize. I stared down deciding whether or not I should pick it up. I’m glad I did.

On the other end was Robert Meza, a well-known member of Arizona’s State Senate. I’d interviewed him on various news stories over the years and had always known him to be a champion of positive change.

Meza told me he was working with a group that he felt was going to revolutionize behavioral health in Arizona, and they wanted to know if I would emcee their “Champions Luncheon.”

Heavy hitters were to be honored for their ongoing commitment to mental health, including Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, Suns owner Robert Sarver and Rep. Greg Stanton, to name a few.

Resilient Health is a group that works to create a

16 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | SEPTEMBER 2019

“resiliency experience” with a variety of therapies and activities specific to each patient, and I did end up as the emcee for their luncheon.

What happened on stage that day was remarkable. One by one, honorees and speakers dug deep and talked in personal (and sometimes painful) terms about what it means to be resilient and how, in our struggles, we have the opportunity to find strength.

The chair of the event, journalist and media executive Mi-Ai Parrish, gave an emotional speech about mental health battles in her own family. She talked about a long history of “fighting monsters.” You don’t often hear people open up that much on stage.

It was so moving, I wanted to learn more about what’s being done right now in Arizona to combat the mental health crisis.

Mi-Ai Parrish and Carey Peña

A lineup of community leaders lent their voice and expertise to the challenge of creating a more resilient world, one person at a time at the Resilient Health “Champions Luncheon” that spring.

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema

Robert Sarver

Rep. Greg Stantion

Event photos by Brad Reed

SEPTEMBER 2019 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA 17

CAREY'S CORNER CONTINUED

With 18 locations in Arizona, Resilient Health is helping children, adults and families learn resilience-building skills.

Heading to Washington D.C. My work as emcee at the Champions Luncheon led to an invitation to accompany a group of Arizona thought leaders and policymakers, led by Resilient Health, to Washington D.C. this month.

The National Council for Behavioral Health is having what’s called “Hill Day,” and the goal is to talk about forward-thinking solutions to these complex problems.

“Resilient Health’s innovative approach has resonated with leadership at the federal level and new partnerships are being forged to further develop this,” the group’s CEO Larry Villano told me.

According to Villano, Resilient Health is the nation’s first resiliency-building health care company to combat the rising rates of mental illness, addiction and suicide.

“We are consulting with experts in neuroscience and trauma,” Villano said. “The purpose is to deliver a resiliency-building experience based on our ‘5 pillars’ that rewire the brain.”

They define the five pillars as emotional regulation, relational wealth (a measure of how well a person is connected to others), sense of achievement, meaning and purpose in life, and health literacy.

18 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | SEPTEMBER 2019

Part of this includes innovative treatments like EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) as well as intensive art therapy.

Art is a big part of what they do. Resilient Health is working to transform a 5,000-square-foot warehouse in downtown Phoenix into a central space for working artists and therapeutic modalities.

All of this will be talked about with national leaders in D.C., including representatives from the National Endowment for the Arts.

For my part, I’ve been asked to travel with this group to present ideas as a journalist and content creator who cares about the mental health mission.

How do we open diverse discussions that lead to better outcomes? How can we collectively help more people get well?

It’s time to take on the monsters of mental illness and addiction in a new way.

Follow along with Carey’s reporting at inspiredmedia360.com.

Carey Peña CONTRIBUTING WRITER

@CareyPenaTV

Photography for Life 602.677.3985 | MarionRhoadesPhotography.com

COVER STORY {by karen werner}

MARKETING EQUALITY

A

bout 20 years ago, Angela Hughey and her wife Sheri Owens were renovating their house. Wanting to support the LGBTQ community, they decided to use only LGBTQ vendors.

Some of the bids were good, but an airconditioning bid seemed high. They faxed it to Hughey’s father, a general contractor, and asked him to take a look. He called his daughter back and told her the bid was three times what it should have been.

This prompted Hughey and Owens to have a frank conversation. Here they were, young women in a home that needed renovations.

Did they really care about the sexual orientation of the person who installed the

20 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | SEPTEMBER 2019

With ONE Community, Angela Hughey Started a Movement

AC? Their primary concern was safety, and they wanted to hire a contractor who would treat them respectfully while doing a great job at a fair price.

This was the inspiration for the couple to start ONE Community, a member-based coalition of socially responsible businesses, organizations and individuals who support diversity, inclusion and equality for all Arizonans.

ONE Community launched in December 2008 as a for-profit media company for gay, lesbian and allied individuals and businesses. Hughey and Owens put their life savings into it and built up the business from a straightforward but comprehensive idea. “We’re selling equality.

That’s been our philosophy from day one,” Hughey said.

A natural leader, Hughey — a self-described “corn-fed Midwestern farm girl” who was president of her high school class — today lobbies for inclusivity in a no-nonsense, plainspoken way.

“I’m a big believer in consensus building,” she said.

She and Owens took an inclusive approach, reaching out to the community in a businessfriendly way. They filed paperwork to start a foundation in 2011, but it took 22 months to get their nonprofit status.

That wasn’t a problem for the plucky organization.

“Things happen when they’re supposed to, so we just continued on our way,” Hughey said.

During this time, they learned that Arizona Community Foundation had received a national grant and were in the beginning stages of starting an LGBTQ philanthropy wing.

“They actually gave us the opportunity to start the ONE Community Foundation fund at ACF in 2013,” Hughey said.

In its first year, 800 businesses and organizations took the UNITY Pledge, a concerted effort to advance workplace equality and equal treatment in the workplace, housing and public accommodations.

Organizations ranging from PetSmart to Local First Arizona to mom-and-pop restaurants came on board to declare that discrimination is bad for business and bad for Arizona.

It was the setup for the tsunami that would come.

In February 2014, the ONE Community team was doing a day of service at the Arizona Animal Welfare League when a member of the Multicultural Advisory Board took Hughey aside and told her about a proposed piece of legislation making its way to the governor’s desk: Senate Bill 1062, the controversial bill that would have allowed businesses the right to deny service to gay and lesbian customers. “We weren’t involved in advocacy work, but we knew we had to get involved,” Hughey said.

Scott Koehler, who owns FASTSIGNS on Central, contacted ONE Community as well. A UNITY Pledge signer and ONE Community business member, he told Hughey, “I’m conservative. I’m Christian. I’m a Republican. We need to stop this,” Hughey said.

What Koehler and the ONE Community team had in common was that they were all Arizonans.

“We love this state, and we want to improve it together. So we got on the phone with Bettina Nava, the president of OH Strategic Communications and a ONE Community Multicultural Advisory Board member, and 30 seconds later we had come up with Open for Business,” Hughey said.

After being printed around the clock by FASTSIGNS that weekend, the “Open for

COVER STORY CONTINUED

Co-founded in 2008 by Angela Hughey and Sheri Owens, ONE Community has evolved into one of the most powerful platforms for both business and LGBTQ communities.

Business owners like Chris Bianco (left) have signed the UNITY Pledge.

foundation lays the educational foundation for ONE Community to do the actionable work that we do,” Hughey said.

Today, the foundation takes an all-inclusive approach to educating the general public, business leaders, faith leaders and elected officials about why it’s important to update the state’s policies for both LGBTQ people and our state’s economic future.

Business to Everyone” signs became a sensation.

During the peak of SB 1062, ONE Community distributed more than 3,500 signs in less than 72 hours. The sign was shared more than 100,000 times on the Internet, and individuals and businesses throughout Arizona posted it in their homes, offices and stores.

“I like to say that we’re an overnight sensation five years in the making,” Hughey said. “We had been doing this for five years and the next thing you know we’re on the national news and anchors are quoting from our website.”

ONE Community’s time had arrived. In July 2014, nonprofit paperwork in hand, they received the first educational grant for ONE Community Foundation, which works in tandem with ONE Community. “The foundation is really important, because you have to have gas in the car. The 22 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | SEPTEMBER 2019

Though she grew up on an Arabian horse farm in Ohio, Hughey has been all-in for Arizona since she arrived in 1984. “If you’re willing to roll up your sleeves and put in a hard day’s work, the sky’s the limit here,” she said. “I don’t know that we could have started ONE Community in a different city but Phoenix, the fifth-largest city in the nation that still acts like a really big small town.”

Hughey’s zeal for the state allows her to reach out to all Arizonans, finding ways to educate and form alliances. “So many times people say, ‘It’s this or it’s this’ and nine times out of 10 the answer is ‘yes’ and the answer is ‘and,’” she said. “We are one community. We’re Arizonans before we’re LGBTQ or allies.”

The education work ONE Community Foundation does starts with the UNITY Pledge, which is today the largest equality pledge in the nation. To date, more than 3,200 businesses and organizations and over 20,000 everyday Arizonans have signed it.

“ If we can get rid of stereotypes and barriers that are fear-based, we can change things.”

Still, Hughey and her team continually educate on the core value of equality. “We’ve always believed that when you start with what you have in common, the opportunity to say, ‘Yes, we really should be a state that treats all people, including people who are gay and transgender, fairly’ is pretty easy,” she said.

Part of the work involves dispelling myths about the LGBTQ community. “The myth is that we are all swinging from a chandelier. All we have is sex, and we have more money than God,” Hughey laughed. “But we are just as boring as everyone else.”

The a-ha moment for ONE Community Foundation came when they discovered

research that shows when a person knows someone who is LGBTQ their propensity to vote against the group goes down, no matter the person’s political affiliation or religious beliefs. “If we can get rid of stereotypes and barriers that are fear-based, we can change things,” Hughey said.

ONE Community Foundation’s pitch is based on numbers. (“My wife says I should have been a mathematician, because it’s all math,” Hughey said.) In 60 percent of the state, it’s not illegal to discriminate in employment, housing or public accommodations based on your sexual orientation or gender identity.

“We’re losing 30 percent of our college graduates.

If you look at Millennials, 20 percent identify as LGBTQ, and 63 percent are allies. If you look at Gen Z, 48 percent do not identify as wholly heterosexual. So we have a responsibility from a sustainability standpoint in the state of Arizona to make sure we welcome all people,” Hughey said.

Not doing so puts Arizonans at risk, because we’re at a competitive disadvantage when it comes to business expansion, tourism, workforce development and business attraction, and the retention of top talent. Plus, as Hughey points out, the LGBTQ community is the most culturally diverse community in the world. “We’re every culture, every belief, every socioeconomic background,” she said.

With the help of ONE Community, businesses across the state are taking a stand for equal protections across Arizona.

COVER STORY CONTINUED

Beyond the macro level, there is a micro level, of course, and real-world consequences to treating people in an inequitable way. In communities that don’t have equal protections, there are higher rates of depression and mental health issues. This is compounded for transgender individuals, the most vulnerable members of not just Arizona, but national communities as well.

Arizona’s business sector has been receptive to ONE Community Foundation’s message. Why? “Because it’s the right thing to do. But it’s also really good for the bottom line,” Hughey said.

“When you are diverse and inclusive, people stay longer. They’re better advocates. They bring better ideas, because they’re not afraid to be different. The bottom line flourishes.”

Armed with PowerPoint presentations and open arms, ONE Community Foundation explains that these protections don’t currently exist and educates on why it’s important to update our policies for both LGBTQ people and our state’s economic future.

Hughey likens the process to a sort of coming out. “We’re not here to judge you and we’re not here to predetermine where you should be on your path as an individual, business or organization,” she said. “We’re inviting everyone to this awesome conversation about our common humanity.”

One organization asked Hughey to speak, but requested that she take “LGBTQ” out of the title slide over concern that people wouldn’t attend.

After she gave the presentation, Hughey had to stay an extra hour to take questions. “The thing that came up at the end was, ‘Thank you for not yelling at us.’ That’s the perceived hurdle of getting people to this conversation.”

Salt River Project, for instance, recently signed the UNITY Pledge, after a very thoughtful process. The company now has a diversity and inclusion 24 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | SEPTEMBER 2019

unit and has created a pamphlet on transgender employee guidelines. “We’re incredibly thankful that organizations take the internal steps they feel they need to take,” Hughey said. “Our job is to make sure they’ve got all the time they need so that when they get there it’s meaningful and celebratory.”

It’s this intentional, across-the-aisle bridge-building that’s given ONE Community the reputation of being the most innovative regional organization in the nation advocating for LGBTQ inclusion and rights.

“ We’re inviting everyone to this awesome conversation about our common humanity.”

ONE Community Foundation did groundbreaking educational work pairing faith leaders from different backgrounds and traditions with transgender individuals, culminating in a trip to the Arizona Capitol.

In 2017, ONE Community held its first interfaith summits in Phoenix and Tucson. An interactive opportunity to understand what’s at risk for people who are gay or transgender, the event paired 25 faith leaders with 25 transgender Arizonans.

“We put them through spokesperson training and they had to get to know one another. Some went out for coffee; some had dinner.”

But before that, they went to the Arizona Capitol.

“We had over 30 meetings with elected officials on both sides of the aisle. So if your concern is faith, you have faith representatives saying, ‘My God loves all people, and they love people that are gay or transgender.’ And you get to hear and meet people who happen to be transgender, in some cases for the first time.”

Following the meetings came more than 20 minutes of constituent storytelling from representatives introducing their transgender constituents and telling their stories. “There was not a dry eye,” Hughey said.

Such is the reaction people often have after receiving education from ONE Community. “It moves folks,” Hughey said “It’s not just about LGBTQ Arizonans.

This conversation is truly about all of us.”

Hughey and Owens have come a long way since they got a bad air-conditioning bid. In fact, a few

years later, the pipes in their house broke.

But this time, rather than quibble about the plumber being gay, they followed a simple process. “We just looked at our ONE Community directory and knew any plumber we called was going to give us a good price, guarantee their work and treat us as a couple with dignity and respect,” Hughey said.

It’s the straightforward logic of a friendly Ohioan who sees problems best solved by candid conversations over a cup of coffee.

“The time to get to know your neighbors is not when your house is on fire. When we can let our guard down and give people the opportunity to find out what we have in common, the sky’s the limit,” she said.

To learn more, visit onecommunityfoundation.org.

TAKE THE PLEDGE Join the coalition of businesses, leaders and everyday Arizonans committed to improving the future of Arizona.

Sign the UNITY Pledge at OpenAZ.com.

SEPTEMBER 2019 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA 25

NEXT DOORS {ahead of the curve}

CROSSING BORDERS

CALA Alliance is mending wounds through the arts Tom Evans | Contributing Editor

Casandra Hernández Faham, the executive director of CALA Alliance, works to create a greater connection between Arizona, Mexico and Latin America.

Our humble publication is not political by nature.

But we do believe in diversity and its importance to our community, which is the theme this month as we look at those in the Valley who are working toward a more inclusive, integrated society.

It’s hard to talk about the topic in 2019 without acknowledging the political environment we find ourselves in. And it’s even harder to champion the cause of diversity when the focus on our physical and human barriers is more profound than ever.

26 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | SEPTEMBER 2019

So, imagine the task in front of Casandra Hernández Faham. She’s the executive director of the CALA Alliance — Celebración Artística de las Américas — a Phoenix-based organization with the mission of connecting Arizona, Mexico and Latin America through collaborations involving the arts. The organization’s goal is to unite our cultures, and to remind Arizonans of their integrated place in the Americas and the fact that we’re practically part of Latin America ourselves.

Photo by Lamp Left Media

At its core, it’s simply an arts organization that provides public programming, artist commissions, artist residencies and cultural exchanges to support Latino arts and culture. Sounds simple enough. Let’s focus on that for a minute.

CALA started in 2010 as a Latino arts festival, which was the extent of its activities for its first five years. Hernández Faham joined the organization as its first executive director in 2016 with the goal of making CALA more than just an event.

“At that time, the board was looking to transition from being a festival into being a multidisciplinary organization presenting a diversity of programs,” she said. “So we’ve been in that space of creating brand-new programs, changing our mission and vision so that we have a new offering than it was before.”

CALA is working with contemporary artists in Arizona, Mexico and Latin America to promote Latino culture and art. Its programs include Crossfade LAB, where they bring Latino and Latin American artists to the Valley for a conversation series on art. The idea is fueled by the concept of a crossfade switch on a DJ’s turntable, where artists from differing genres may collaborate in ways they’ve never done before.

“It’s about putting these two cities, which are becoming very important places in terms of contemporary art, in dialogue with one another.”

They also support an artist-in-residency program where an Arizona artist visits Guadalajara, Mexico, and an artist from Guadalajara comes to Arizona for several weeks. The current resident visiting Arizona is visual artist Karian Amaya, who will present talks and workshops free of charge and open to the public through Oct. 12.

“It’s about putting these two cities, which are becoming very important places in terms of contemporary art, in dialogue with one another,” Hernández Faham said.

CALA also has a partnership with the Arizona State University Art Museum, which boasts a large collection of Latin American art. And their major fundraising event is their Sabor dinner, where a Phoenix chef — this year it’s Silvana Salcido Esparza of Barrio Café — collaborates with a chef from Mexico to celebrate Latin cuisine.

SEPTEMBER 2019 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA 27

But the conversation eventually turns away from art, and toward what kind of impact art can have on a much broader, more difficult conversation.

“We’re living in a time where there’s a lot of conversation about borders,” Hernández Faham said. “There’s a lot of conversation about what divides us and separates us. Because of that, there’s a greater need for creating culture flows and spaces where we can connect local issues to global issues. At the end of the day, we have conversations about who we are in Arizona and who we want to be. We believe that cultural work is really important to the well-being of a society. It is where we express our values, our

“ We believe that cultural work is really important to the well-being of a society. It is where we express our values, our desires, our intentions, and that’s the space where CALA’s work is located.”

28 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | SEPTEMBER 2019

Through thought-provoking conversations and art experiences, CALA Alliance showcases the creative and artistic contributions of Latinos.

desires, our intentions, and that’s the space where CALA’s work is located.”

Hernández Faham is originally from Hermosillo, Sonora, and said that when she came to Arizona she was surprised how little Arizonans knew about their neighbor to the south. And she points out a sad reality: In this day and age, many Latinos feel their lives and their worth are being devalued by the focus on border issues.

“On one hand, we feel invisible in some of the narratives of the city,” she said. “We feel like our contributions are not valued, our humanity is not considered in the same way. Our lives literally don’t have the same value. On the other hand, we sometimes feel over-represented and misrepresented in the way the media talks about the borders. Right now, literally in the

Photo by Ash Ponders

Artist commissions, international residencies and cultural exchanges help reimagine Arizona’s place in the Americas.

newspaper we see the words ‘Hispanic invaders.’

This is not new. This has been around as long as this country has been in existence. This is a reality that people of color have to deal with.

“For me, it always comes back to the question of, what are the stories we are telling?” she said.

“What are the narratives that we as a society are creating and supporting that make thinkable this political environment? Politics usually follows culture, not the other way around. If you look at any major movement in the history of the country, it’s usually first a cultural conversation and a shifting of values that then impacts the political context. So I am really interested in the stories we are telling, especially here in Arizona, and the idea that not all of us are seen in our full humanity. So how do we create narratives — not only Latinos, but people of color and everyone who calls this place home — that give us humanity?”

“I think the artists create out of our times.

They are always reflecting some aspect of the times we are living in,” she said. “Some artists do this very intentionally, very decidedly, and other artists may not make this such a central concern, but it is still reflected in what they do.

“I couldn’t think of a better challenge to be spending my time on,” she said. “The work we have to do as a nation is daunting, but it’s the best work we can be called to do right now.”

To learn more, visit calaalliance.org.

Tom Evans CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

@TEvans927

Hernández Faham feels that artists and those who work in culture are the ones to help start the conversations that need to take place — “How are we going to fix this?” as she put it. At a time when there’s so much divisiveness, it’s art that can help us overcome the hate and misconceptions. And the arts community is up for the challenge.

SEPTEMBER 2019 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA 29

STYLE UNLOCKED {living fashionably}

THE BUBBLY BLONDE’S BEST BUYS FOR FALL Fall is nearly here. Cool temperatures are on the horizon, the social season is gearing up, and everyone’s wardrobe suddenly needs that seasonal change. Maybe you’re looking for a classic statement piece, a budget buy or a new trending accessory. Any of these finds will have you fashionably and beautifully covered. Time to shop!

McKenna Wesley | Contributing Writer

BIG BUCKS BUT WORTH IT SMYTHE Blazer in Leopard | $1,195 One of the strongest fashion trends showing up on the runways is animal prints. Leopard in particular is huge. I chose this fantastic, oversized leopard-print blazer as my “Big Bucks but Worth” it piece. Smythe is known for their beautifully constructed blazers, and this one does not disappoint.

It’s moderately tailored with a strong shoulder, shawl collar, blocked pocket welts and sleeve cuffs — sophisticated enough for the office, but exciting for a night on the town. I envision wearing it over a tank, skinny jeans, a black bootie and gold hoop earrings.

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30 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | SEPTEMBER 2019

BUY IT NOW LOVERS + FRIENDS Skyla Sweater Dress | $155 This fabulous sweater dress was inspired by the laid-back lifestyle of Los Angeles, where Lovers + Friends was founded. Effortlessly chic, it could easily turn into a staple of your fall wardrobe — I know it will be in mine. I might add black tights, booties or a classic black suede knee-high boot, which will create a great fall look, helping me (or you) take on the world.

BRILLIANT BARGAIN FOREVER 21 Combo Ankle Boots | $39.90 These ankle boots from Forever 21 just might be the best fall budget buy out there. They are under $40 but look much more expensive. Made from faux leather, they feature a pointed toe, side zip closure and a stacked block heel — one of fall’s big trends. For those who have been hesitant to try out a bootie, these are a great way to start without breaking the bank.

Select Forever 21 locations

McKenna Wesley CONTRIBUTING WRITER

@thebubblyblonde

SEPTEMBER 2019 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA 31

Your San Diego Real Estate Expert Serving Arizona and California clients since 1991

“If you’re looking to buy or sell in San Diego, call our Realtor, Elsa Benedict. She’ll take great care of all your real estate needs.”

— John and Kathleen Graham

Elsa Benedict 619.279.2536 elsa.benedict@compass.com DRE 01107823

Please RSVP to events@frontdoorsmedia.com

CONNECTING WOMEN WHERE THEY WORK, LIVE OR PLAY Join us where you live, work or play to connect with like-minded women to share information, ideas, contacts and opportunities.

Learn more at: eastvalleywomen.org | centralphoenixwomen.org | womenofscottsdale.org

A 2ND ACT {helping is healing}

FROTH AND BUBBLE Exactly What Life Should Be Made Of Judy Pearson | Contributing Writer

“Life is mostly froth and bubble, two things stand like stone. Kindness in another’s struggle, courage in your own.”

Jeff Lewis first heard these words — a part of Australian poet Adam Lindsay Gordon’s work entitled “Ye Weary Wayfarer” — spoken by Princess Diana at a Washington D.C. breast cancer fundraiser in 1996. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine how they would change his life.

Twenty-one years later, in August 2017, Lewis was diagnosed with stage II prostate cancer. He opted for a nine-week radiation treatment, which left him fatigued, but feeling like he had dodged a huge bullet. He had heard the horror stories of aggressive treatments and poor outcomes. He was so grateful, in fact, he decided to do something nice for strangers every day of his treatment. He bought coffee for people behind him in line. He helped shoppers carry their groceries. The size of his kindness didn’t matter, it was simply the doing.

Then he decided to bring three dozen donuts to his treatments once a week to share with patients

Froth and Bubble Foundation founder Jeff Lewis with boardmember Allison Gloyd

and staff. “I’m Jewish; bringing food to people is in my blood,” Lewis said. “As I bit into a cream-filled donut one day, the social worker I was speaking with told me one of the patients in the infusion center supplemented his meals with treats like I had brought. That hit me like a ton of bricks.”

It’s called financial toxicity, and between 30 to 50 percent of all cancer patients experience it. Insurance premiums, deductibles, out-ofpocket costs and lost wages are crippling for many patients. Often these patients are so strapped, they must choose between paying for treatment and buying groceries.

Lewis told the social worker he’d take care of that man’s groceries throughout the rest of his treatment.

And just like that, Lewis launched what became the Froth and Bubble Foundation for Food Assistance, based on the sentiment of that beautiful quote.

He filed his paperwork to become a nonprofit organization while still completing his own treatment.

The premise is simple. The foundation buys grocery gift cards to be distributed to patients SEPTEMBER 2019 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA 35

The Froth and Bubble Foundation receives many notes of thanks from recipients of grocery cards, including this hand-drawn image of an angel from a patient (right).

in treatment. The hospitals, treatment centers and hospices vet the patients, as they’re more familiar with their needs. Every Monday and Tuesday, Lewis drives from one end of the Valley to the other dropping off the cards, always accompanied by a handwritten note.

The last quarter of 2017, when Froth and Bubble launched, Lewis delivered a total of 41 cards. In 2018, he delivered 1,000, totaling $75,000 in groceries.

He thinks he’ll top 1,500 cards by the end of 2019.

“My only limitation is money,” Lewis said enthusiastically. “I’m perfectly happy to do the work; I just need the funds.”

And while Froth and Bubble’s original mission was to give food assistance to cancer patients in Maricopa County, Lewis recently received funding for patients in Gila County.

His vivacious spirit shines in both his voice and his smile. Despite being (by his own admission) a senior citizen and a cancer survivor, Lewis is never short on energy. And the payback for all his good work?

“The thank you notes from patients who’ve received our gift cards bring tears to my eyes,” he said.

They’re proudly displayed on the “Kind Words” page of the Froth and Bubble website.

“I received your generous gift cards over the holidays. You changed my Christmas into a wonderful and better time.”

36 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | SEPTEMBER 2019

“In this unexpected event of challenge in my health, your unexpected blessing of goodness has made my heart so happy. May your generosity be multiplied and returned to you!”

Another page of the foundation’s website, aptly called “TBFTGOG” (There But for the Grace of God), lists the touching assessments of healthcare providers who vet the card recipients.

“This patient had been living out of his truck ….

He only eats one meal a day to conserve his social security funds to cover his co-pays.”

“This is the single mother with a new diagnosis of cervical cancer. She has a 12-year-old son, just lost her job and started chemo and radiation in November. She really could use your help.”

Lewis said that while he doesn’t know what the future will hold for him or the foundation, he knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is a wonderful mission he was meant to pursue. He would never admit it, but it is clear that his kindness and his courage are examples of exactly what life should be made of.

To learn more, visit frothandbubblefoundation.org.

Judy Pearson CONTRIBUTING WRITER

info@A2ndAct.org

greenliving Yo u r co n s c i o u s l i fe

A Z • M AG A Z I N E

Engage with Green Living Magazine Check out the latest issue and see what is happening next at Green Living Magazine and see how you can be a part of the next issue!

The August issue is all about back-to-school Check out sustainable back-to-school trends with articles including: • Back-to-school shopping and recyling • Copper to keep you healthy • Kids changing the world

Next month, the September issue is on Urban Design

CHECKING IN WITH

The Mortgage

CHICK

KIESHA McFADDEN

THIS MONTH’S TIP ///

Mortgage Wellness Check: According to the most recent data from Black Knight, at the end of June, 8.2 million homeowners could improve their financial situation by refinancing their home mortgage. Interest rates are at a three-year low. Have you benefited yet?

CELEBRATING DIVERSITY

Find amazing articles on urban design around Phoenix including: • A sustainable home • Eco cleaning products • Plastic-free outdoor kitchens

See what’s happening in the October issue on Real Estate

Embracing each other’s differences is so important, especially for kids. Last month the ladies of Valley of the Sun Active 20-30 and I had the pleasure of taking kids from the Boys and Girls Club back-to-school shopping. For some, this will be their only opportunity for new clothes and shoes all year. It was so fun to see all of their individual styles and facilitate their ability to express their uniqueness and diversity. No matter their financial situation, these kids went back in style.

Find out what’s new in eco real estate with articles including: • Master Gardeners • Green Architects / Designers • Circular Economy Kiesha McFadden, Senior Loan Officer

It is more then just a magazine, it is a way of life. Be a part of our network!

• Join us at our Eco Events • Advertive your eco-conscious business • Subscribe to stay up-to-date with eco-trends!

480-840-1589 I sales@greenlivingaz.com

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Corp Address: 3155 S. Price Road, Suite 105 Chandler, AZ 85248

1.888.889.0009 • AZ BK #0910215 • NMLS #42056 ©2019 Geneva Financial, LLC.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

THE PAW REPORT {PetSmart Charities}

NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH

ARE YOU PREPARED?

When it comes to managing pet safety during an emergency, the unpredictable can make the preparation process even more difficult. Consider preparing a checklist of the following items to add to a preparedness plan for you and your pets.

R R R

Extra leash and collar

R R R

Current photo of your pet

R

List of any special needs, medications, or diets for each pet

Food and water bowls Extra copy of vaccination record with veterinarian contact information Basic first aid items Pick-up bags or a small amount of kitty litter for cats

Whether a tornado, hurricane, earthquake, wildfire or flood, natural disasters are frightening and often unexpected – and having a pet can add an extra layer of complexity. September is National Preparedness Month and it’s smart to have a plan for all members of your family, including your pet. Whatever your preparedness plan entails, being ready for a state of emergency can provide a smooth transition and ease anxiety in pets and people alike.

At PetSmart Charities, we’re prepared with a plan to help pets across the nation affected by disasters through funding that will provide resources like food, supplies and medical care, and even help reunite displaced pets with their families. Whether helping pets before, during or in the aftermath of a crisis, thanks to people like you who are passionate about pets, we can reach communities near and far in devastated areas that need our help the most.

HAVE A PLAN

GIVE TODAY

For tips to prepare you and your pets for an emergency, visit PetSmartCharities.org

PetSmartCharities.org/ get-involved

When disasters take place, try to maintain as much of a ready-to-go mindset as possible.

With items packed in advance and petfriendly locations identified, understanding the needs of your pets can make a difference in the handling of an emergency.

More than 90 cents of every dollar donated goes directly to help pets in need. In 2018 alone, contributions made it possible to assist 44,000 pets in disaster-stricken communities.

SPREAD THE WORD

Use the power of social media to raise awareness about National Preparedness Month with helpful resources from Ready.gov.

Ready.gov/september

CHARITY SPOTLIGHT {giving back}

KIDS IN FOCUS

Seeing things with a new perspective Ashley Ford | Assistant Publisher

THE STORY For Kids in Focus founder and executive director Karen Shell, volunteering with children has always been more than just a hobby; it’s her life’s passion. After being involved in a long list of charity projects over the years, she paired her day job as a commercial photographer with her love of helping children.

own potential and self-worth. Since its start in 2012, Kids in Focus has been pairing at-risk youth with top Phoenix photographers who mentor and guide the kids through the programs.

THE CAUSE

“I just thought it would be fun to have the kids take photos and then put on an exhibit of their work,” Shell said. “I never would have believed that the power of the camera would be such a confidence builder.”

Kids in Focus offers four youth programs, including an eight-to-nine week after-school program and a two- to three-day camp in northern Arizona. Through partner organizations including Children First Leadership Academy and Arizona Friends of Foster Children, Kids in Focus is able to serve youths from diverse and underprivileged backgrounds.

And just like that, Kids in Focus was born with a goal to inspire kids to open their eyes to their

“When kids go through trauma, whether it is neglect, poverty, abuse or homelessness, they SEPTEMBER 2019 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA 39

A camera in their hands, with the right guidance and encouragement, can give kids a new lens on life.

start to disconnect from the people around them, from their environments and ultimately from themselves,” Shell said.

While the children in the programs do receive a camera and get to learn some handy photography skills to produce incredible photos, they don’t realize that life lessons are taking place. Each kid is paired with a dedicated photographer that mentors and works with them to teach creative thinking, problem solving, resilience and to be an example of a healthy relationship.

“We teach very basic photography and nothing specifically technical,” Shell said.

“I don’t want the kids to get distracted by the technicalities. It’s more about getting 40 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | SEPTEMBER 2019

them to see things in a new way with a new perspective.”

Over the course of the program that the child is in, a transformation starts to occur and confidence starts to shine through. “We get them out of their current environment and show them something new. The camera works as their safety net,” Shell said. “Soon they build trust with their mentor and really start to reconnect with themselves.”

To add to the children’s newfound confidence, each spring Kids in Focus hosts their exhibit opening night gala. At this free community event, the kids proudly show off their artwork on display to the hundreds of attendees who come to see it.

Professional photographers mentor underprivileged youth to create breathtaking images such as these.

THE FUTURE Looking ahead, Kids in Focus has some exciting goals of expansion and reaching even more children. The programs are currently run only in the Phoenix metro area, but hopes are to make them available statewide, regionally and, eventually, nationally.

In addition to expanding, the Kids in Focus team is working hard to build their alumni program “Grads in Focus,” which keeps kids involved and connected with quarterly field trips and a chance to see their mentors and peers again.

“These kids who were once disengaged, shy and withdrawn are completely different kids by the

42 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | SEPTEMBER 2019

time they finish the program,” Shell said. “They show off their work at the exhibit and they have this sense of accomplishment, which is something many of them have never felt before.”

Kids in Focus is dedicated to opening many more eyes of at-risk youth and showing them their worth.

To learn more, go to kidsinfocus.org.

Ashley Ford ASSISTANT PUBLISHER ashley@frontdoorsmedia.com

The

UnConference October 8, 2019 • Phoenix, AZ

Giving voice to key issues driving the nonprofit and philanthropic community and co-creating real, innovative solutions to our biggest challenges.

Share your voice, identify problems and work together to solve them in an interactive experience with nonprofit colleagues and community leaders.

Featuring: David Bornstein of the Solutions Journalism Network and the New York Times, noted innovator Jeff Snell of the Midwest Consortium for Social Innovation and a diverse group of presenters with fresh ideas to make an impact in the social sector.

Register at lodestar.asu.edu/UnConference2019

KITCHEN DOORS {diverse and delicious} Lisa Mullavey | Contributing Writer

MALEE’S THAI BISTRO

Scottsdale | maleesonmain.com

For 32 years, Malee’s Thai Bistro on East Main Street in Old Town Scottsdale has been serving up some of the best Thai food in the Valley. From the minute you walk in, an enticing aroma of spices draws you into the inviting space. Our waitress was very knowledgeable about the menu, making several recommendations and helping us choose the right level of spice for each dish. Eager to try several, we started with the chicken satay appetizer, which is four chicken skewers marinated in coconut milk and grilled with yellow curry and Thai spices. Next we shared a bowl of tom kha gai, Malee’s famous coconut ginger soup. Made with chili reduction sauce, mushrooms, fresh lemongrass, galangal root (Thai ginger), aromatic kaffir lime leaf, cilantro and onion, the result is rich and delicious. For our entrées, we shared the crispy mango fish and green basil curry with shrimp. The perfect balance of sweet and spicy, the mango fish is a fried filet topped with mango, diced onion, ginger, lemongrass and toasted coconut finished with a sweet tamarind sauce.

The green basil curry gets its spice from Thai chilis balanced beautifully by the coconut cream. Whether you’re familiar with or new to Thai cuisine, Malee’s is a must-visit.

CUBAN FOODS BAKERY & RESTAURANT Phoenix | facebook.com/CubanFoods In 2006, Ana and Manuel Cias-Hernandez came to Arizona from Cuba with the dream of opening a restaurant. After several years of hard work and focus, their dream became a reality when they opened Cuban Foods Bakery & Restaurant. Whether you drop in for breakfast topped off with a Cuban coffee, pick up lunch or dine in with the family for dinner, the delicious food will have you coming back again and again. Try the traditional sandwich Cubano made with roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard on house-made Cuban bread or the pollo a la plancha, a chicken breast marinated in garlic and lemon, grilled and topped with grilled onions. I regularly stop in for my favorite sandwich, the pan con bistec, a pressed sandwich made with tender steak topped with garlic sauce, lettuce, tomato and onions on Cuban bread. For dessert, their flan is a customer favorite.

In addition to the restaurant, Cuban Food also takes special orders for pastries and cakes.

CAFÉ LALIBELA

Tempe | cafelalibela.com

For more than two decades, Anibal and Salem Beyene have shared the unique flavors and rich customs that are the essence of Ethiopian cuisine from their café in the heart of Tempe.

Ethiopian food is very healthy, naturally offering many vegetarian and gluten-free options.

The traditional meal is centered on friends and family, served in a communal style meant for enjoying together. In this style, a mix of different foods is arranged on a large round platter called a gabeta. A circle of injera, a spongy flatbread that’s a staple of the Ethiopian diet, is used to scoop up items like stews, curries and vegetables. The best part is that the food is meant to be eaten with your hands — feeding someone a bite is even viewed as a sign of respect and endearment. Dining solo one afternoon, I ordered the doro wat, Lalibela’s spicy chicken stew served with injera. Made with chicken simmered in a chili sauce, spiced clarified butter, onion and spices, the stew was full-flavored with a nice heat that complemented the chicken. Café Lalibela has a small retail market that offers food, spices, jewelry and other items, and you can also find a selection of their food at Whole Foods.

44 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | SEPTEMBER 2019

PROUD MEMBER:

PROUD MEMBER OF:

Puerto Rico Latin Bar & Grill

PROUD MEMBER OF:

Tempe | facebook.com/PuertoRicoLatinGrill Puerto Rican Latin Bar & Grill is the spot to visit for authentic Puerto Rican food and tastes of the Caribbean.

Vibrant and colorful, the restaurant boasts a floor-toceiling mural that showcases Puerto Rico’s many points of interest as well as an array of flags and other unique treasures. After telling our waitress we were unfamiliar with Puerto Rican fare, she helped us select our entrÊes and sides. We started with the platanos maduros, sweet plantains that are lightly fried, giving them a slightly crispy outer texture with a creamy center. My husband ordered pollo frito, a flavorful fried chicken served with mofongo, a sort of Puerto Rican mashed potato made from mashed green plantains, fresh garlic, olive oils and

pork rind. I had chuletas fritas, two wonderfully seasoned and fried pork chops along with arroz con gandules, yellow rice with pigeon peas. Everything was full-flavored and delicious. Owner Wesley Andujar made us feel like family during our visit, taking time to chat about how he came to open his bar and grill seven years ago. Now a local favorite with a strong word of mouth and social media following, Puerto Rico Latin Bar & Grill has become a stopping point for many professional ballplayers visiting Arizona during spring training and the regular season. Though we left full, we took dessert home, choosing their tembleque, a creamy coconut pudding dusted with cinnamon. Overall, a delightful experience!

CHEERS TO THE CHAIRS {

Society of Chairs } Why do you support the National Multiple Sclerosis Society?

CINDY: I was diagnosed with MS in December 2012 and invited by a friend to attend Cooks and Chords. I thought it was a great event and wanted to get involved.

Describe this year’s event.

Bill and Cindy Abbott Co-Chairs of Cooks and Chords benefiting the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Arizona chapter

nationalmssociety.org/Chapters/AZA

CINDY: We’ve changed locations this year and have a secret garden theme. The food, entertainment and auction items are always fabulous. It’s a fun social event.

Favorite movie: BILL: “Sixth Sense”

Favorite restaurant in Arizona: BILL: Binckley’s Restaurant, because he’s an incredible chef and it feels like you’re dining in his home.

Favorite place to travel to: CINDY: San Francisco

Brought to you by

Proudest accomplishment: BILL: Being married to each other.

Custom Logo Charms & Bracelets Event Favors - Corporate Gifts

charitycharms.com

Secret talent: CINDY: Making people comfortable.

Talent or skill you wish you had: BILL: The ability to cure MS. Thank you to our September 2019 Cheers to the Chairs Runner-Up: Hank Arens JDRF Arizona Chapter’s Promise Ball gala chair

Fun fact about you: CINDY: I was one of the founders of a successful cannabis dispensary in Arizona. It’s great to be able to help people who suffer with pain have a natural alternative.

Frontdoors is proud to recognize those who volunteer their time, treasure and talents to support local organizations in a leadership role.

To Nominate Your Event Chair, Co-Chairs, Honorary Chair or Board Chair, Contact publisher@frontdoorsmedia.com.

46 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | SEPTEMBER 2019

OPEN DOORS {publisher’s page}

TRENDS FOR THE NEW SEASON Tis the season for planning fundraisers, family celebrations and dinner parties.

Whether a charity event is a month away or next March, volunteer committee meeting notices are flying right now! So I thought it would be fun to check in with the team at Cre8ive Event Rentals to find out what trends they are seeing for the coming season.

FD// Are there any popular themes you expect to see repeated throughout the year?

Cre8ive// We’re getting lots of requests for Roaring 20’s & Great Gatsby themed parties.

Think metallics paired with rich backgrounds and lots of glass.

FD// What colors have been trending for the season?

Cre8ive// This fall, we are seeing lots of sunflower and ruby red!

48 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | SEPTEMBER 2019

Photos courtesy of Cre8ive Events

FD// What’s the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to transforming a ballroom for a charity fundraiser?

Cre8ive// To make a big impact, maximize your décor budget in three areas: perimeter décor, table décor and lighting.

FD// Any design faux pas you want to warn our readers to watch for when planning their next event?

Cre8ive// Keep your overall goal in mind when developing your design. If you lose sight of this, your efforts may be wasted or even damage the final look.

Happy planning, everyone!

Andrea Andrea Tyler Evans PUBLISHER

@AndreaTEvans

Cre8ive is Arizona’s premier, full-service event rental company and a proud partner of Frontdoors Magazine & the Society of Chairs Gala.

SEPTEMBER 2019 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA 49

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