Local charities will be bewitched

Peggy McGee

Taking a break from their Rally for the Cure efforts, the Ladies Golf Association, the 9-Niners and the Putters will co-host a golfing event on Halloween to help local charities. The four charities to benefit from this bewitching luncheon are the Angel Heart Pajama Project, Green Valley-Amado Community Food Bank, Hands of a Friend and Valley Assistance Services. Each of the ladies attending the event will receive a free raffle ticket to take a chance on a variety of both golf related and non-golf prizes. In addition there will be a 50-50 Split the Pot raffle. Proceeds will be evenly split among the four charities and four lucky ladies. Tickets will be $1 each, 6 for $5, 14 for $10 and 30 for $20.

Rather than spending money on a large number of raffle prizes as has been done in the past, organizers are hoping that the attendees will make a contribution to one or more of the charities. The monetary benefit of this is that each of the charities is eligible for a combined dollar for dollar Arizona tax credit up to $400 for single filers and $800 for couples. What an easy way to get ready for tax time! And to make it even easier, all four charities will accept cash, checks and credit card payments. Each will bring credit card forms for those who don’t have cash with them and yet want to support the various missions of the charities.

The Angel Heart Pajama Project gives new pajamas and books to children who have been removed from their homes and placed in foster care or shelters. Their goal is to enrich the lives and share love and caring with children in need.

The Food Bank, probably the most well-known to the Quail Creek community, works to change lives by feeding the hungry today and building a healthy hunger-free tomorrow. They do this not only by providing groceries to those in need but also give classes on nutrition and wellness to help their clients efficiently use the food they receive.

Hands of a Friend supports women and their children from the Green Valley/Sahuarita area by providing shelter for those escaping domestic violence, elder abuse, sexual assault and human trafficking. Among the many services provided are cosmetic reconstruction to repair scars from abuse; helping non-citizens obtain citizenship; advocacy and counseling.

Valley Assistance Services strives to help seniors and families live independently. They accomplish this through a Fall Prevention program in partnership with the Green Valley Fire District and the University of Arizona; a Going Home with Care program to help patients transition from hospital to home; an In-Home program that provides transportation and visitation services for homebound, isolated seniors with limited income and monetary assistance for rent/utilities.