A message from Hope Abner, LPN:
 
I just wanted to share how The Rotary Vocational Fund of Arizona (TRVFA) and The Phoenix East Rotary Club have helped change my life and that of my dear boy Kamryn.
I moved to Arizona last year from Texas to attend nursing school at East Valley Institute of Technology in Mesa. After 20-plus years of marriage, my now ex-husband abandoned the family in the middle of the night. Needless to say, we were devastated – financially, spiritually and emotionally broken.
 
I found myself having a hard time keeping food on the table, a roof over our heads and or meeting other crucial needs. When we moved to Arizona, we only had the clothes on our backs, and faith. I enrolled in the nursing program, as it has always been my passion. I have been in the medical field for almost 28 years, but didn't have the credentials necessary to elevate my career.
 
I started school in September 2016, and am happy to say I graduated September 2017. I couldn't have done this without the assistance of the Phoenix East Rotary Club and The Rotary Vocational Fund of Arizona. The cost of the program was $17,500 – woooh, and I didn't know how I would do it – but I had faith in God that he would provide and
answer my call for help.
 
The Angels of the Phoenix East Rotary Club stepped right in, without hesitation, and awarded me a $3,000 scholarship just in the nick of time. As I write this, it is with tears of joy, gratitude and thankfulness to them and Heaven!! I will always be so grateful to Dan Messersmith, who led me through the process and moved on behalf of me and my son to make this happen.
 
I will forever be so thankful to the Phoenix East Rotary Club for helping me to achieve my goals, and by doing so, they have assisted me on my way to providing a better life for my family. Words will never be enough to thank them all for their kindness, nor God for his tender mercy, and the wonderful people he has put in my path. They have truly been a blessing to me and my son, and I will hold the Rotary Club near and dear to my heart forever.
 
Thank you all again for helping turn a mess into a miracle, something marvelous – I am forever grateful.