World-Renowned Neuroscientist Dr. Gül Dölen To Join UC Berkeley Faculty.

Dr. Gül Dölen, The Renee & U.S. Marine LCpl Bob Parsons Endowed Chair – UC Berkeley

THE BOB AND RENEE PARSONS FOUNDATION TO GIFT $6 MILLION DOLLARS TO SUPPORT THE UNIVERSITY’S PSYCHEDELIC SCIENCE RESEARCH

Dr. Gül Dölen, a world-renowned neuroscientist leading the effort to understand the molecular mechanisms through which the brain engages with psychedelic substances, is joining the UC Berkeley faculty on January 1, 2024, thanks to a generous $6 million gift from The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation.

The Parsons Foundation’s gift has allowed Berkeley to establish The Renee & U.S. Marine LCpl Bob Parsons Endowed Chair for a tenured professor working at the intersection of psychedelic science, psychology, and neuroscience.

Dölen, currently associate professor of neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, will take up this newly created position in Berkeley’s Department of Psychology, with research ties to both the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics (BCSP), an interdisciplinary unit focused on psychedelic research and education, and the campus’s Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute.

“I am thrilled to be joining the faculty at UC Berkeley, whose myriad breakthroughs and reputation for research excellence I have long admired,” said Dölen. “And, of course, because it is the home of the Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics, the birthplace of CRISPR, and a leader in the field of psychology, I am eager for the new collaborative opportunities this move will open up. I am very much looking forward to contributing to this vibrant community.”

“Professor Dölen has conducted transformative research that has led the field to think in new ways about sensitive periods and neural plasticity,” said Psychology Department Professor and Chair Ozlem Ayduk. “We are very excited to have her join our department, bringing her unique expertise. We have every expectation of her lab continuing to produce groundbreaking findings for years to come.”

This is the first gift to UC Berkeley from The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation, which supports low-income and underserved populations, marginalized communities, and causes that are often overlooked by mainstream philanthropy. Their areas of giving comprise: youth and education; health and home; military and first responders; and the American dream.

Bob Parsons, founder of GoDaddy, PXG (Parsons Xtreme Golf), and other successful businesses, was motivated to make this gift after being inspired by How to Change Your Mind, the 2019 best-selling book by Michael Pollan, Berkeley professor emeritus of journalism and a BCSP co-founder. Pollan’s book helped popularize a renaissance in psychedelics research for therapeutic benefits. Parsons credits the book with making him aware of psychedelics, along with his wife Renee’s urging to get help, which have enabled him to overcome undiagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder from his service during the Vietnam War.

“As my PTSD raged on for decades, it affected not only me, but my entire family. Nearly 50 years after the Vietnam War, with the help of psychedelics, I finally came home,” said Bob Parsons, Co-founder of The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. “Millions of people—veterans and civilians alike—have suffered the effects of PTSD and other crippling conditions for far too long. With visionaries at UC Berkeley like Michael Pollan, and now Dr. Gül Dölen, we hope to continue to leverage the power of psychedelics and find true healing.”

“Bob and I are thrilled to help bring Dr. Gül Dölen, a remarkable pioneer in the field of neuroscience, to UC Berkeley’s Center for the Science of Psychedelics”, said Renee Parsons, Co-founder of The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. “Her passion to look beyond the current field of psychedelic research to explore what she terms the ‘next next thing’ is exhilarating. I have no doubt that Dr. Dölen will open new frontiers of thinking in psychedelics, and am delighted that UC Berkeley has chosen an exceptional female scientist for this important role.”

“Because of Gül Dölen’s groundbreaking work, we are beginning to understand how psychedelics work in the brain and why these substances have healing potential,” said Michael Pollan. “There is no better time or place to expand this research than at UC Berkeley. I know her innovative research will contribute significantly to this vital work.”

Dölen was drawn to the study of psychedelics as an undergraduate student at Duke University, where she designed her own major focused on comparative perspectives of the mind. She received joint M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from Brown University and MIT and conducted postdoctoral research at Stanford University.

Dölen’s studies in animal models, including mouse and octopus, suggest that psychedelics may operate in the brain by reopening “critical periods,” finite windows of opportunity that enable more rapid learning. Her work with the two-spot octopus demonstrated that doses of the psychedelic chemical MDMA caused this normally antisocial animal to display more prosocial, playful behavior. MDMA also activates a critical period for brain plasticity in mice. Research in Dölen’s lab has shown that other psychedelic substances, such as psilocybin and ketamine, can reopen a critical period for social reward learning.

A current research project of Dölen’s aims to test the hypothesis that psychedelic substances unlock multiple critical periods throughout the brain — a property that could yield therapeutic benefit for a range of neuropsychiatric diseases. Said Dölen, “The endowed chair will enable my lab to pursue riskier projects that are difficult to fund through traditional mechanisms, including our studies of octopuses and psychedelics.”

The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation and PXG Double Down for Veterans with a $10 Million Match.

Semper Fi & America’s Fund announce a dollar-for-dollar match benefitting critically ill and injured service members, veterans, and military families

For the 12th consecutive year, Semper Fi & America’s Fund (The Fund) is partnering with The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation (The Foundation) and PXG (Parsons Xtreme Golf) for the Double Down for Veterans match campaign. Through the end of the year, The Foundation, with support from PXG, will generously match up to $10 million in donations made to The Fund. If met, this match will bring support of The Fund from The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation and PXG to $100 million!

The Fund will celebrate its 20th anniversary this Spring. Since its inception in 2004, it has given more than $320 million in grants to support 31,000 combat-wounded, ill, and injured service members, veterans, and military families.

One service member, Marine Sergeant Gabe Martinez, lost both his legs when struck by an IED in Afghanistan. When Gabe returned home to be reunited with his wife of three months, Semper Fi & America’s Fund stepped in to help him overcome the challenges of returning to civilian life and managing his injury. With support from The Fund, Gabe was provided adaptive equipment that enabled him to embrace an active lifestyle, rock climbing and running marathons. Today, The Fund still stands by Gabe’s side, offering lifetime support for him and his family.

“Serving our service members, veterans, and military families for the past 19 years has been such an honor,” said Karen Guenther, President, CEO, and Founder of Semper Fi & America’s Fund. “I am so grateful to Bob and Renee Parsons for their unwavering support of our Nation’s heroes. Their generosity, through the Double Down for Veterans match campaign and beyond, has helped countless veterans achieve their highest level of independence and well-being.”

As many service members battle lifelong effects — physical, mental, and emotional — of combat-related injuries or illnesses, one of the critical characteristics of The Fund is lifelong support. The Fund accompanies service members and veterans through the highs and lows, with case managers to check in regularly and other support for as long as needed.

“Transitioning away from military service, whether planned or unplanned due to injury, is never easy,” said Bob Parsons, Marine Corps Vietnam War Veteran, Co-Founder of The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation and Founder and CEO of PXG. “Often times these service men, women, and families are carrying both visible and invisible wounds that they’re unprepared to deal with. That’s where The Fund comes in, providing a unique level of support during their time of need.”

Parsons issued the Double Down for Veterans challenge via a moving video address in which he discusses his own personal challenge with PTSD.

Since it began in 2012, the Double Down for Veterans match campaign has raised $193 million thanks to the thousands of donors who, year after year, have looked forward to participating in the annual match from The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation and PXG. These funds have helped support 31,000 service members, veterans, and military families in The Fund’s care.

“Bob and I have a deep commitment to our military families – those who safeguard and preserve our Nation’s freedom,” said Renee Parsons, Co-founder of The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation and President and Executive Creative Director of PXG Apparel. “The Fund’s unique model of lifetime assistance ensures they always have the care and support they need. And we are honored to partner, personally and through PXG, to provide the hope and unparalleled care they deserve.”

All donations can be made at thefund.org/match

Native American Connections Receives $500,000 for Homeless Youth Services from The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation.

Native American Connections (NAC) is pleased to announce a $500,000 grant over two years from The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. The donation will fund the organization’s existing Homeless Youth Services.

“The sad reality is that more and more youth are experiencing homelessness in Arizona,” said Bob Parsons, co-founder, The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. “Native American Connections is stepping in at a critical time to help youth not only gain access to housing and basic needs, but also pave a new path for themselves.”

For the past 50 years, NAC has been working to mitigate mental health, substance abuse, and housing crises in our community. Today, they own and operate four health service clinics and 19 housing sites in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area and are a member of the HUD Continuum of Care. NAC also operates the Phoenix Indian School Visitors Center where community programs and services are offered in addition to their health and housing services to more than 10,000 people each year.

In January 2023, the National Point-in-Time Unsheltered Street Count conducted by the Maricopa County Association of Governments found more than 10,000 people were experiencing homelessness in the Phoenix metropolitan area on a given night; 49% of who could be sheltered, more than 700 of whom were youth. Recognizing the growing youth homelessness crisis, NAC opened a second homeless youth shelter in Surprise. The new shelter accommodates 40 homeless youth between the ages of 18-26 years of age.

“Homeless youth are estimated to be the largest undercounted segment of the homeless population because they are easily self-concealed,” said Trula Breuninger, CEO of Native American Connections. “They couch surf, moving from friend to friends’ homes or live in cars. We want to do everything possible to reunite them with families and set them up for success in the future.”

Funding from The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation will support emergency shelter services for homeless youth at both the Central Phoenix and Surprise HomeBase sites. Those sites also provide medical and behavioral health assessments, counseling and support services, programs for homeless youth to earn their high school diplomas as well as training and career readiness programs. Additionally, the funds will support NAC’s transitional housing service site at Saguaro Ki, co-located on the Central Phoenix youth shelter campus. It is a 24- unit transitional housing community for youth ages 18-26, where they sign a lease, their monthly rent is 30% of their earned income, and they meet weekly with a case manager.

“Native American Connections is giving youth safety and stability now while teaching them life skills to attain stable housing in the future,” said Renee Parsons, co-founder of The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. “We applaud NAC’s efforts to empower youth to stay in school, improve their health and well-being, and become positive contributors to the greater community.”

The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation Donates $300,000 to Junior Achievement of Arizona.

Funds to bring more financial literacy and career readiness programs to low-income and ethnically diverse students

A recent study found 8 out of 10 American workers live paycheck to paycheck to make ends meet. These issues are even more critical for low-income and ethnically diverse students, as they are least likely to learn financial and career readiness concepts at home or school. The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation grant of $300,000 over two years to Junior Achievement of Arizona will ensure financial literacy–including money management skills such as budgeting, saving and responsible use of credit–are taught to K-12 students throughout Maricopa County.

“Our real-world education is needed now more than ever,” said Katherine Cecala, president of Junior Achievement of Arizona. “Post pandemic students are graduating unprepared for the workforce and it’s our job to help them navigate the realities they will face as adults and teach them skills to become financially stable.”

Junior Achievement (JA) is filling a critical gap for today’s students who receive limited real-world experience in school, particularly when it comes to money management and career readiness. The nonprofit provides this important personal finance curriculum to kindergarten through high school aged students using a volunteer-led delivery model executed through partnerships with 400 schools, nearly 3,200 educators and more than 8,000 volunteers throughout Arizona.

As a former Junior Achievement alum, Renee Parsons, co-founder of The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation, knows firsthand how important JA’s programs are for students.

“Students learn about basic financial concepts and engage in a hands-on experience at JA BizTown,” said Renee Parsons, co-founder, The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. “There they learn what it takes to manage a business, pay their bills and balance a checkbook. These are valuable skills that prepare students for a successful future as entrepreneurs, business owners and employees.”

JA’s programs seek to narrow income gaps and provide a pathway to the most vulnerable students in hopes of a brighter, more successful and more just future for all. The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation donation will help fund over 2,500 low income students with K-12 financial literacy and workforce readiness programming. Additionally, it will support 1,078 students with JA BizTown programming for two consecutive years.

“Financial literacy is not something most kids are learning at home or in school,” said Bob Parsons, co-founder, The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. “Junior Achievement is delivering this important piece of education in an easy to learn way, preparing kids to succeed as adults.”

JA’s programs help narrow the income gap and provide pathways for Arizona’s most vulnerable students to overcome inequities. Junior Achievement’s programs are working and it’s evident in some of its recent statistics:

90% of alumni report being confident in money management.
85% of alumni say that JA played an important role in fostering a belief they could achieve their goals.
45% of the businesses started by alumni employ more than 20 people, compared to approximately 12% of U.S. small businesses.
60% of Hispanic alumni, 52% of African American alumni and 51% of Caucasian alumni have started one or more businesses during their careers.

The 100 Club Arizona Receives $4.8 Million Grant Over Three Years from The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation.

Funds will Expand Mental Health & Trauma Support & Help Families of Fallen Officers

The 100 Club of Arizona is pleased to announce The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation has issued an up to $4.8 million grant over the next three years. The funds will help further the organization’s mission of supporting first responders and their families who have experienced trauma and loss in the line of duty, as well as support capacity building programs for the organization.

“We’ve witnessed a rise in mental health issues in basically every community across our country,” said Bob Parsons, Co-Founder, The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. “Renee and I believe our first responders are among the most impacted. This grant will allow the 100 Club of Arizona to expand its mental health treatment support, trainings, and financial assistance to first responders and their families.”

The grant will provide funding over a three-year period to the following 100 Club of Arizona programs and initiatives:

Mental Health & Trauma Support which includes underwriting mental health treatment for first responders in need, including counseling, hyperbaric therapy, ketamine therapy, and stellate ganglion block procedures, etc.
PEER 100 which includes training & resources geared towards those specifically coping with PTSD and other hazards of the job along with the 100 Club’s Bulletproof & Fireproof wellness apps, which allow first responders to access resources and tools on demand from any smart device.
Critical Incident Support including cash grants through the H.E.R.O.S. program which ensures first responders experiencing a catastrophic life event such as cancer, terminal illness or death of a child or spouse have financial assistance. This program also includes support for on duty injury, as well as financial and wellness support for spouses and children of fallen first responders.
Capacity Building to support the 100 Club of Arizona’s organizational infrastructure to enhance growth and improve long term sustainability.
Death & Injury Prevention which includes Safety Enhancement Stipends (S.E.S.) for police and fire departments across the state to purchase equipment and supplies that further the safety of their members and general operations.

“Supporting the brave individuals who put our community first every day is a priority for us,” said Renee Parsons, Co-Founder, The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. “We want first responders and their families to know the community cares about them and is grateful for everything they do to keep us safe.”

The 100 Club of Arizona provides much needed support to public safety agencies, their members and families statewide. Today, services have expanded beyond financial assistance to include funding for enhanced safety equipment, confidential mental health services and scholarships.

“As we draw near to 9/11, we are reminded how our first responders continually put our community’s well-being before their own,” said Angela Harrolle, CEO and President of the 100 Club of Arizona. “We are honored to be the backup to our officers, firefighters and their families, through the ups and downs of a challenging career.”

The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation Awards $1 Million to Child Crisis Arizona to Support Center for Child & Family Wellness, Operational Costs.

Child Crisis Arizona, whose mission is to provide children and youth in Arizona a safe environment, free from abuse and neglect, by creating strong and successful families, has been awarded $1 million by The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. The generous donation will support both the organization’s annual operational costs as well as its highly anticipated Center for Child & Family Wellness. Currently under construction, this 38,000-square-foot, climate-friendly, net-zero campus will expand Child Crisis Arizona’s ability to serve more people and offer health, wellness, and educational opportunities to the community.

“Since 2015, Child Crisis Arizona has more than doubled in size and scope of services, experiencing unprecedented growth in our Early Education Services, which increased by 200%, and our shelter bed capacity, which increased by 177%,” said Torrie Taj, CEO of Child Crisis Arizona. “While this growth has drastically increased the number of children and families we serve, it has caused staff members and entire departments to become displaced and dispersed throughout the Valley to make space for additional classrooms and shelter beds as needed.”

According to Taj, the Center for Child & Family Wellness will centralize Child Crisis Arizona operations and become the new home to services for low-income children and families, including foster care and adoption services; family education; children’s counseling; health and wellness, including medical screenings and basic needs; centralized kitchen and food distribution; centralized administration and philanthropy; foster teen programs; art, dance, and music therapy; and volunteer and staff training. It will also allow for strategic collaborations with such organizations as Ballet Arizona, United Food Bank, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona.

“Child Crisis Arizona is often the go-to resource provider for children and families in need,” said Bob Parsons, co-founder, The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. “Their new state-of-the-art campus will continue to improve how we take care of vulnerable children and families, offering hope and support when families need it most.”

At full build-out, the Center for Child & Family Wellness will feature:

Meeting rooms that can convert into larger spaces for community classes aimed at providing educational opportunities ranging from financial literacy to parenting skills to drug trends in teens.
A Health and Community Wellness area, which will include space for medical screenings and immunizations for low-income families, basic needs distribution, and food distribution.
An art and music therapy space, hosting partnerships with Ballet Arizona and bringing the arts to vulnerable children within our organization and community.
A Counseling Support Center with four sensory and play therapy rooms.
A Foster Care and Adoption wing, offering foster or adoptive families realistic training and ongoing support to prepare them for placement of children of all ages and backgrounds.
A donation center and a volunteer center.
A full-service kitchen to provide meals for our clients throughout the east valley.
A Safe Kids Car Seat Safety Station, across the parking lot, that will offer classes on proper car seat installation and will distribute free car or booster seats to low-income families.

Additional spaces include a children’s playroom, community partner hub, technology center, job skills center, and innovation space.

“Child Crisis Arizona has worked tirelessly to ensure that children and families who are economically disadvantaged, are experiencing homelessness, the foster care system or other such challenges can be safe and well cared for,” said Renee Parsons, co-founder of The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. “Their new campus will not only allow them to continue making a positive impact on our community, but also increase that impact.”

Upon its completion in early 2024, in addition to the full range of services provided, the two-story campus will be among the first of its kind in Arizona to put sustainability at the forefront, meeting the highest level of standards for Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and attaining a Living Futures Petal Project Certification.

“We look forward to honoring the long-standing relationship with and support from The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation by dedicating the lobby in the Center for Child & Family Wellness in their name upon opening in 2024,” said Taj.

The Center for Child & Family Wellness will be located at 424 W. Rio Salado Pkwy. in Mesa.

PXG Announces $1M Donation to Help with Relief Efforts for the Maui Disaster.

PXG Provides Support for Veteran-led Disaster Relief Organization Team Rubicon

PXG, a company dedicated to developing the world’s finest golf equipment and apparel, today announced a one-million-dollar donation to Team Rubicon, a veteran-led disaster relief organization. The funds will support Team Rubicon’s ability to provide immediate support in Maui, Hawaii.

By pairing the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders, medical professionals, and technology solutions, the organization mobilizes highly trained teams to provide the greatest impact possible.

“Team Rubicon quickly coordinates and deploys trained military veterans, first responders, and civilians as volunteers for disaster relief efforts,” PXG Founder and CEO Bob Parsons stated. “We have witnessed the dedicated volunteers who make up its ranks fall in to embrace and empower devastated communities. Today, we look to bolster their efforts in Maui and help their boots on the ground to do what they do best.”

“In the past ten years, Team Rubicon has built a dedicated team of over 1,000 Greyshirt volunteer leaders in Hawaii. Currently, we have boots on the ground and are in close communication with local authorities and emergency managers to offer our immediate help in shelter set ups, food distribution, donation management and distribution, and staff for the local Emergency Operation Center,” said Art delaCruz, Team Rubicon CEO. “We are extremely grateful to our partners at PXG for their unwavering commitment to supporting those in need.”

Over the years, Team Rubicon has supported the communities of Hawaii with fire mitigation projects and operations on several of the islands. In May, volunteers conducted a wildfire mitigation operation in Honolulu at the request of Hawaii Firewise. Team Rubicon last supported the island of Maui with a storm response in December 2021.

This isn’t the first time that PXG has supported Team Rubicon. Following Hurricane Harvey in 2017, PXG’s commitment of one million dollars helped fuel Team Rubicon’s immediate response. The donation also helped kick-off a pilot “Rebuild” program committed to rebuilding 100 homes in the Houston area. Similarly, PXG’s million-dollar donation for Hurricane Irma relief funded much of the response.

A committed partner, PXG also supported Hurricane Florence relief efforts and, through an innovative “Essential Face Mask” campaign led by President and Executive Creative Director of PXG Apparel Renee Parsons, helped raise awareness of Team Rubicon’s Neighbors Helping Neighbors COVID-19 initiative.

PXG supported relief efforts in Louisiana in 2020. Within hours of Hurricane Laura making landfall, Team Rubicon was on the ground working to clear roadways to help first responders. In the hours and days following, Team Rubicon deployed more Greyshirts to Louisiana and Texas, ultimately resulting in over 800 volunteer deployments between the two states during their response work. In the wake of the storm PXG Founder and CEO Bob Parsons traveled to Louisiana to see Team Rubicon’s efforts in action and evaluate the devastation in-person. As a result of the visit, PXG and The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation donated two-million dollars to support the needs of the Louisiana community.

For more information about PXG visit, www.PXG.com. To learn more about Team Rubicon and find out how you can help visit, www.TeamRubiconUSA.org.

Hushabye Nursery Raises $2.2 Million for Infants in Recovery with Support from The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation.

Hushabye Nursery partnered with The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation on a dollar-for-dollar $1 million match to support inpatient detox and recovery for infants experiencing Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS). The campaign concluded on April 18, 2023, and raised over $2.2 million, including the $1 million match from The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation.

“We are so thankful for The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation,” said Tara Sundem, Hushabye Nursery Executive Director and Founder. “They have been with us from the beginning. To date, we have served over 500 babies. We provide a private, quiet room with dim lighting for babies to receive constant, specialized care as they go through withdrawal. Moms can be with their babies during this process and have access to resources and support services while they are staying at Hushabye Nursery.”

In the U.S., a baby is born every 15 minutes with NAS as a result of prenatal opioid exposure, which involves a complex and painful detoxification process in the days following birth. Hushabye Nursery provides a therapeutic environment, short-term medical care and social services for infants suffering from NAS, along with outpatient services and resources for families experiencing opioid use disorder (OUD).

“The families seeking help from Hushabye Nursery are doing so at what is likely the most challenging time of their lives,” said Renee Parsons, Co-Founder of The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. “Hushabye Nursery not only provides them with exceptional care but also with an opportunity to heal together as a family.”

Founded by neonatal nurse practitioners, Hushabye Nursery is the only NAS-focused nursery in the country to integrate health care and social services while prioritizing both keeping infants safe and having the families directly involved in their care and recovery. They were recently recognized as one of 10 organizations across the country for the First-Ever Behavioral Health Recovery Innovation Challenge by the Department of Health and Human Services through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

“Hushabye Nursery’s care is second to none for treating babies withdrawing from opioids,” said Bob Parsons, Co-Founder, The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. “Their approach is better for the babies, is more cost-effective than traditional hospital care and, at the end of the day, is the most caring option for the families. Supporting Hushabye Nursery was a no-brainer for us.”

Other notable donations made during the match campaign include: The Diane and Bruce Halle Foundation, Thunderbirds Charities, Mercy C.A.R.E.S Community Reinvestment Program and The NARBHA Institute.

The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation Grants $312,000 to the Armed Services YMCA Camp Pendleton to support childcare subsidies.

The Armed Services YMCA Camp Pendleton (ASYMCA) has received a $312,000 grant from The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation to provide childcare subsidies for military families.

The funding will be used to provide vouchers for up to a 12-month period to help Marines, Sailors and their families stationed at Camp Pendleton and surrounding areas cover the costs of childcare at licensed facilities or vetted in-home care in the area. The vouchers will also help alleviate the 144-child waitlist at Fisher Children’s Center, the childcare center located on Camp Pendleton and operated by the Armed Services YMCA.

“We are grateful for the support of The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation,” said Armed Services YMCA Camp Pendleton’s Executive Director Samantha Holt. “This grant will help us reach more military families in our community by providing them with the support they need to manage their careers and family needs.”

According to the 2020 Blue Star Families Military Family Lifestyle Survey, the need for more childcare funding is great. Although the military’s childcare system is considered a “gold standard” in safety and affordability, it is extremely difficult for families to access. The report indicates that nearly one-third of military spouses who want to work report they can’t find childcare.

“We understand that many military spouses wish to develop careers of their own outside of the home,” said Bob Parsons, co-founder of The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. “Our hope is to help bridge the gap for those who are struggling to find available, affordable, and quality childcare to strengthen military families long term.”

The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation has made it possible for the Armed Services YMCA Camp Pendleton to expand their existing Temporary Emergency Assistance Program (TEAP) to include childcare vouchers, address the lengthy childcare waitlist, and support employment opportunities for military spouses.

The current TEAP program offers grocery and gas vouchers to families who are referred to the Armed Services YMCA by trusted representatives from different organizations that work directly with military families such as: Navy Marine Corps Relief, Family Advocacy Program, New Parent Support Program and other similar groups. The grant will allow the ASYMCA to offer financial assistance to military families who are struggling to find affordable, quality childcare. With the rising cost of childcare, military families are having to make tough decisions that can affect their careers and family’s needs.

The Armed Services YMCA has been strengthening and fostering resiliency among military families on Camp Pendleton for 80 years through a wide range of programs and services. With this new grant, the organization will be able to serve even more military service members and their families.

The Armed Services YMCA Camp Pendleton will begin accepting applications for childcare vouchers in early summer. For more information, please visit www.camppendleton.asymca.org.

Make-A-Wish® Arizona Wish Ball raises record-breaking $4.6 million to grant future Arizona wishes.

Make-A-Wish^® Arizona is pleased to announce that the 2023 Make-A-Wish Arizona Wish Ball, presented by Phusion Projects, raised a record-breaking $4.6 million in a single night. The funds will help grant more than 460 future wishes to Arizona children with critical illnesses.

Co-chairs Melissa Bouma and Jenny Wright themed the sold-out event Dare to Wish Bold and created a spectacular opportunity to showcase wishes that made an impact on wish kids, wish families and the communities that support them.

“We were excited to chair this event after being long-time guests and sponsors,” said Wright. “We have met many wish families in the past and heard their stories of wishing for bold ideas that Make-A-Wish Arizona was able to make come true.”

Bouma agreed. “We wanted to show attendees that the true power of a wish comes from wish kids who dare to wish for the impossible – and how those impossible wishes make an impact that lasts a lifetime. We are so excited that so many were bold in their giving to help us reach this record-breaking milestone.”

More than 900 guests attended the event, which included a successful live auction and Fund-A-Wish request. The Wish Ball included six live auction items which raised more than $380,000 and a Fund-A-Wish auction, which collected more than $860,000. The evening ended with a special $2 million pledge from long-time donors Bob and Renee Parsons, of which $1 million was specifically designated to provide more wishes to Hispanic families.

“The impact of a wish on a child’s life cannot be understated,” said Renee Parsons, Co-Founder of The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. “Wishes provide hope—giving children something to look forward to and families a moment to pause and reconnect. Bob and I are proud to support Make-A-Wish Arizona.”

“With this overwhelmingly generous gift from the Parsons, we can move forward with our plans to expand our reach and introduce Make-A-Wish to children with critical illnesses who reside in underserved communities in Arizona,” said Fran Mallace, President and CEO of Make-A-Wish Arizona. “The kindness of the Parsons, our attendees and the hundreds of online donors shows that our community believes in the mission of Make-A-Wish Arizona as together, we create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.”