Tempe: A Community That Responds 

 - Jayson S. Matthews

It is easy to let one number or statistic define your community.  Like the number of Fortune 500 headquarters located in your city, the number of owner-occupied single-family homes, the number of excelling schools, the crime rate, the sales tax figures for retail stores and restaurants, or... the poverty rate.
 
 

Tempe Cares

These are all important measures of a community's vitality and market competitiveness, but I consider that HOW a community deals with these numbers is as important as the number itself.
 
As a human service planner, I focus on many of the numbers mentioned above, but especially the poverty rate.  As of the 2010 Census (3-year American Community Survey) in Tempe: one out of five individuals live in poverty; 13% of families; one out of four children 18 years or younger; over 6% of seniors over 65 years.  In Arizona, unemployment is at a stubborn 8.7% (Jan 2012), though down from 9.9% (Jan 2011); and foreclosure fillings in Maricopa County are 3485 (Jan 2012), but better than a year ago at 6779.
 
These numbers, by themselves, can be unsettling.  They can be used to generate calls for action and alarm decision makers.  They can be used to define Tempe as a less attractive place to live, start a business, and be a part of community.
 
Yet, it is important to look beyond these statistics and focus on how the Tempe community responds to the challenges that these numbers represent.  I maintain that Tempe is one of the best places to live in Arizona because we are a caring community that confronts the challenges in front of us.  We do not hide from our challenges, but rather use them as a means to inspire action and change.

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Cinderella Affair Boutique 

TCC and the East Valley Women's League are pleased to present the 11th Annual Cinderella Affair FREE Prom Dress Giveaway this weekend!

Prom dress give-away for valley students

Thanks to the generosity of the City of Tempe, the Pyle Adult Recreation Center will open Friday at 3pm to Junior and Senior High School students who attend a school in the Tempe Union High School District. Then, from 5-8pm on Friday and 9am-4pm on Saturday, March 31, students from around the Valley and State are welcome.

Please pass this along to any young woman in your life who may be in need of some special help this Prom season. Check www.cinderellaaffair.org for all the details, rules and regulations.

A huge thanks to all the donors and volunteers who will make dreams come true - again!