Neighbors Helping Neighbors offers a ‘hand-up’ in greater Scottsdale community
By Terrance Thornton | Digital Free Press
A group of community volunteers forged in north Scottsdale is coming together Thursday, Nov. 7, at Desert Ridge Marketplace to host a fundraiser where 100% of the donations will be used to give Neighbors Helping Neighbors a financial shot in the arm to do more good in the greater Scottsdale community.
The event is from 5 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7, at the CB Live Rock Pub & Showroom at 21001 N. Tatum Blvd. To purchase a ticket to the Thursday, Nov. 7 Neighbors Helping Neighbors fundraiser, go HERE.
“Neighbors Helping Neighbors was founded approximately 12 years ago in the north Scottsdale area,” said Larry Hewitt, who serves with the Scottsdale chapter of the volunteer organization.
This Neighbors Helping Neighbors entity is Scottsdale-based and is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization connecting community volunteers to each other with the goal to lending a ‘hand-up, not a hand-out,’ representatives of the group tell the Digital Free Press.
“We focus our efforts on the following: veterans programs, community programs, and children’s outreach,” Mr. Hewitt said. “We were the recipients of the 2024 Spirit of Scottsdale Award as well as The Official Community Choice Award ‘Best in the Desert’ in the nonprofit category. A total of 100% of the money we raise is a pass through — we have zero payroll.”
Over the last year, the north Scottsdale cohort of Neighbors Helping Neighbors has stepped up to serve:
- AZLEOS Shop with a Cop
- Rebuilding Together Valley of the Sun
- Honor Flight
- City of Scottsdale (Beat the Heat, Adopt a Senior, Vista Del Camino Center, Paiute Community Center, Operation Fix-it, Granite Reef and Via Linda Senior Centers, Veteran’s Commission)
- Southwest Kids Cancer Foundation
- Homeless Engagement Lift Partnership
- UMOM
- The MANA House
- Camp Kesem
- National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona
Mr. Hewitt encourages those with a penchant for community service to encounter the Neighbors Helping Neighbors organization next month at the All Hands on Deck fundraiser at Desert Ridge.
“Seven years ago I was invited to attend an NHN fundraiser,” he said. “While at the event I learned about the services they provide in the community and that they were a 100% volunteer organization. I immediately wanted to become a member of the group.”
For Mr. Hewitt, he points to the group’s work on the Operation Fix-it Program found part of outreach efforts at the city of Scottsdale.
“Operation Fix-it works with code compliance in identifying residents who are being cited for code compliance issues but do not have the means to correct the issue,” he said of the experience.
“There was a widow who had a pool that was no longer operational and had several thousand gallons of green standing water in it. Neighbors were complaining to the city about the large amount of mosquitoes in the area. We were able to borrow a pump from code compliance and drain the pool.”
Mr. Hewitt points out all funds raised go directly back into the greater Scottsdale community.
“Every dollar we give out is voted on by the entire membership,” he pointed out. “It must have majority approval prior to us issuing the funds. Another thing that we do is, when a member brings a potential beneficiary to the organization the member then owns the idea. The member is the liaison between NHN and the beneficiary.”
To purchase a ticket to the Thursday, Nov. 7, Neighbors Helping Neighbors fundraiser, go HERE.
