Spirit of Giving Comes Easy to Arizonans

By Susie Steckner

Jim and Marge Ellison are dog lovers and do-gooders.

The Goodyear retirees volunteer as a foster family, taking in sick or abandoned dogs. At the same time, they cart donated blankets, kennels and food dishes to a shelter for other homeless animals.

The Ellisons are like a lot of community-minded people around the Valley, regularly donating diapers for poor children or serving meals to needy families or collecting items for disaster victims.

And they illustrate the routine but vital role that charitable giving plays in the lives of many Arizonans.

A survey released this spring by Arizona State University offers a glimpse of Arizonans' charitable ways. It found that nine out of 10 Arizonans donated to charity last year, with average donations of more than $1,500.

Just over half of the 1,004 people surveyed said they volunteered in addition to donating money.

"I have been so fortunate in my life, I have to give back," said Marge Ellison, 66, a retired librarian and book seller.

Joe Donofrio, 59, of Phoenix, also fits that bill.

A retired partner in an auto dealership and longtime supporter of Mesa's Child Crisis Center-East Valley, Donofrio has done everything from serving on the board to donating an antique jukebox for a fund-raiser.

What matters, he said, is "giving as much (time or money) as you're comfortable with. A $5 contribution means just as much as a jukebox, believe me."

A cause to believe in

Charitable supporters like Donofrio and the Ellisons, who volunteer for the Arizona Humane Society, suggest that donors find a cause they believe in.

"People need to ask themselves, 'Why am I doing this?' " said Bridget McGinn, spokeswoman for United Cerebral Palsy of Central Arizona. "If you really care about people with disabilities, it's a lot easier to sit and do eight hours of data entry."

Ann and Bill Schweers of Fountain Hills took early retirement and then devoted themselves to volunteering, first for Habitat for Humanity and then for Mesa's Save the Family, which serves homeless adults and children.

Today, they run the agency's thrift store and work full time to raise money and offer bargains to the surrounding neighborhood, said Bill, 66, a retired executive with a health insurance company.

"My wife and I have had a good life," he said. "I think the both of us feel that it's a little bit of payback.

"It's sort of doing what you're supposed to do."

But paying back effectively takes doing some homework to make sure you're giving to a cause that is making the most of your contribution of time, goods and money.

McGinn and others recommend that potential volunteers and donors check out the agencies over the phone or in person. They should get beyond the receptionist and talk to a volunteer or donations coordinator

'Don't give up'

"Then go in slowly," said Randi Rummage of Phoenix, president of the central district of the General Federation of Women's Clubs.

"Try your hand at one thing. If you didn't care for that, don't give up."

Two months ago, the women's group swapped its traditional all-day meeting for an all-day service project at the Salvation Army. The members brought donations from the Salvation Army's wish list and then went to work scrubbing a day care center, playing bingo with seniors and painting a mural.

"Everybody was able to do something," Rummage said.

Sometimes the easiest way to get involved is to donate items. But forget the old saying, "One person's trash in another person's treasure," donors and organization leaders said.

Consider what happened during last summer's "Rodeo-Chediski" fire, which destroyed homes and devastated families.

Arizonans provided scores of much-needed donations, but they also offered up a bowling ball bag, a bikini bottom and a dirty cat litter box.

Most organizations have wish lists. Some needs are general, others are specific.

For instance, Mesa's Child Crisis Center, which cares for abused and neglected children, asks for donations of name-brand diapers and diaper rash cream.

"A lot of the kids come in here in an unhealthy state," said Jackie Bink, community relations director, adding that the center cares for as many as 15 babies at a time. "The better products last longer or they get the job done better.

Diapers needed

For Eileen Rogers, a Scottsdale businesswoman who organizes an annual baby item drive, there's always a need for larger diapers.

The event benefits Homeward Bound, which serves homeless families, and the bigger diapers are for older children who haven't been potty-trained because of traumatic experiences.

Rogers and others suggest that supporters should also think beyond just the traditional donations. Instead of a standard doll, consider one that is ethnically diverse. Or donate books and games written in Spanish.

While one agency may request canned food items, another may need gift certificates to grocery stores and still another may be looking for volunteers to prepare a home-cooked meal for clients.

In the meantime, donors and volunteers who typically help out for an annual event or during the holidays might consider a year-round or semiregular commitment.

"Donors tend to think about people around Christmastime. . . . We have a really difficult time this time of year, June, July, August," said Sandi Gable, spokeswoman for the Salvation Army.

Not glamorous

Finally, donors and organizations said, remember that charitable work isn't necessarily glamorous.

Just ask Len Gutman of Ahwatukee Foothills, who owns a public relations firm and spent a year volunteering for different organizations.

He wound up with tasks like answering phones, stacking library books and ringing a bell for the Salvation Army.