Issuu

Opinion

www.SanTanSun.com

June 20 - July 3, 2015

Community Commentary

Help our students come back to school ready to learn In-kind donations are accepted until July As students start enjoying the summer 15, at various drop-off sites, including City break, school administrators, teachers, City Hall, Sunset Library and the Environmental staff and countless volunteers are already Education Center. The most highly sought busy preparing for the next school year. after items are shoes, socks, undergarments, Unfortunately, thousands of children return uniforms and flash drives. Financial to school unprepared and lack essential contributions also can be made online at supplies, including undergarments and shoes. www.backtoschoolchandler.org. Additional Years ago, For Our City—Chandler details about Operation Back to School can participants identified that there was be obtained by calling (480) tremendous overlap and 782-2214. other inefficiencies involved At the event, many with distributing backpacks agencies will provide and school supplies. information about early Operation Back to School literacy and after school Chandler became the programs and offer dental community partnership that screenings, haircuts and successfully addressed this many more services need. free of charge. The The citywide Chandler Unified School collaboration involves the District also will provide City of Chandler, Chandler transportation assistance Unified School District to the site. Anyone needing and dozens of nonprofit, transportation can ask for faith-based and private information by calling (480) Kevin Hartke Submitted photo organizations. The 2015 812-7650. Operation Back to School Students seeking drive is expected to be the donations can attend the largest in Chandler’s history. Between 3,000 Operation Back to School event with or and 5,000 elementary, middle and high without their parents. In either case, they will school students will be served at the event be asked to show an identification card and a on Saturday, July 18. recent report card from a Chandler school. This year, Anthony Gleich and Barb Scott, Operation Back to School will be a with the organization Make an Investment tremendous success because the Chandler in Love and Kindness, have taken the lead to community and the organizations that work with volunteers to sort and organize serve it are amazing. We have visionary all supplies. A volunteer registration system leaders who understand that we can do is available online on the dedicated website more together by addressing needs that are www.operationbacktoschool.org. greater than what any individual agency can Volunteers are needed to assist with accomplish alone. It is our hope that every the inventory and to prepare backpacks student in Chandler will enjoy the summer and clothing items. On July 18, English- and break and come back in July ready and eager Spanish-speaking volunteers are needed to broaden their worlds and understanding. to set up the distribution site and guide families through the process. Post-event Kevin Hartke is the vice mayor of opportunities also are available. Chandler.

BY KEVIN HARTKE

Share your opinion with SanTan Sun News! We know you have an opinion! Share it with the SanTan Sun News. Please keep your Letters to the Editor around 200-300 words, or they may be edited for length. Include your first and last name, community or development

name in Southern Chandler (Cooper Commons, Ocotillo, Sun Groves, etc.) or ZIP code and daytime phone number for verification. Anonymous letters are not typically accepted. Email is the preferred submission method, to Letters@

Chandler foster children need your help it takes to make a difference in children’s The month of May was “Foster Care lives. Their genuine desire to help parents be Awareness Month,” and the media played an successful is what sets them apart. important role in bringing to our attention The interview also covers services and the crisis we are facing in our state. While resources available through AASK. One of the number of foster children is decreasing the interesting facts about foster care is that on a national level, it has increased by 56 many children enter the system with one percent in Arizona since 2007. We now count or more siblings, but 75 percent of them are more than 17,000 children in the foster care not placed together. AASK has developed system. The crisis is particularly alarming a sibling program to help preserve and here in Chandler. strengthen these relationships. Through the Our community has been identified as program, siblings can participate in activities a target area as we have nearly three times together throughout the year and attend more children removed a week-long summer camp. This from their parents by the allows them to create memories Department of Child Safety and maintain bonds that otherwise Services than we have would be compromised. licensed families available I can relate to this program to care for them. This as five of my six siblings were means that the majority separated through the foster care of the 369 children in system. I only recently discovered Chandler are transferred that we were related and what to other communities. they went through growing up. When such a displacement With programs like the ones occurs, children not only offered by AASK, siblings have the lose their home, but they opportunity to maintain family Terry Roe. are disconnected from connections, if it is appropriate for Submitted photo their neighborhood, school, them. friends and any other Being a licensed foster parent is landmark they may be familiar with. extremely rewarding, but it is not easy. For To reverse this trend, the foster care those who wish to make a difference, but are agency Aid to Adoption of Special Kids not able to make this level of commitment (AASK) reached out to the City and asked at this time, there are many other ways to for our support. I invited Russ Funk, AASK’s get involved. Volunteering to mentor or director of community engagement, and provide transportation for siblings to events Chandler residents Ron and Shannon Burnes are great ways to make a difference for a to be interviewed on one of my “Chandler in child in the Arizona foster care system. Focus” television programs. Their testimonies Everyone has a responsibility to address the need to encourage more families understand the crisis we are facing. Let us in Chandler to take action. Their stories are improve the lives of children here in Chandler filled with love and dedication, yet they also by reaching out to agencies that facilitate this address the fears and challenges that many process. A dedicated website has been created people experience. Ron and Shannon have to address the needs we face in Chandler. embarked on a personal mission to help Please check out www.chandlercares.org, and families understand and maneuver through watch the “Chandler in Focus” interview at the foster parent licensing process. With four www.chandleraz.gov/video. biological children, one adopted son and several foster children previously housed Terry Roe is a councilman for the City of at their home, they truly understand what Chandler.

BY TERRY ROE

SanTanSun.com. All submitted Letters to the Editor and Community Commentaries become the property of the SanTan Sun News and may be reprinted in part, quoting the letters’ authors, or in their entirety. Your submission to the SanTan Sun News is

considered your permission to print your written opinion. Opinions expressed in Community Commentaries, Letters to the Editor or cartoons are those of the author, and not that of the SanTan Sun News.

Have a story idea or news tip? Know of an interesting photo opportunity? How about positive feedback or constructive comments? We’d like to hear from you. Email us at News@SanTanSun.com.

Deadline MAILING ADDRESS:

For News Tips, Editorial Articles, Opinion or Classifieds, email is preferred. NEWS EMAIL ADDRESS: news@santansun.com ADS EMAIL ADDRESS: ads@santansun.com WEBSITE ADDRESS: www.santansun.com

Editorial and Advertising 5 p.m. Thursday, June 25, 2015 for the Saturday, July 4, 2015, issue

35,000

Proud member of the

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski ASSOCIATE EDITORS

PUBLISHER

Steve T. Strickbine PUBLISHER EMERITUS

Laurie Fagen

Total Circulation 27,250+ Driveways

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Fifty square mile coverage area from Price/101 to Greenfield and from Frye to Hunt Highway.

WEBSITE MAINTAINED BY

Tracy Walsh Tracey Wilson

Susan Kovacs, n-ergizing

Ken Abramczyk Michele Sonkin

WRITERS

Lynette Carrington Dr. Marc Drake Carol Elias Israel Gonzalez Tracy House Tamara Juarez Norm Noble Tim J. Randall

Scott Shumaker Alison Stanton SECTION EDITOR

Meghan McCoy ART DIRECTOR

Erica Odello GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

Nicole La Cour Helga Benz AD DESIGN

Paul Braun