Vocational Service

 

Is your Rotary Club looking for a Vocational Service project? "The Rotary Vocational Fund of Arizona (TRVFA) is a non-profit organization under IRS Code 501(c)(3) whose purpose is to assist those people who qualify under Arizona law to obtain financial assistance to further their vocational studies." For additional information, visit our website at https://trvfa.org. 

 

Rotary District 5495 Clubs support of TRVFA since July 1, 2021

 
Grand Total: $113,602
 
If you have questions about where your club is at on contributions, please click here and you will be directed to the TRVFA President's email.
District fundraiser in Prescott to benefit TRVFA
 
The Rotary Vocational Fund of Arizona is looking forward to the Thursday May 12 Dinner to be held at the Phippen Museum in Prescott -- proceeds of which will benefit TRVFA. 
 
It will be a pleasant evening for those who attend.  They will have the pleasure of hearing Country and Folk Songs of the West performed by PDG Alan Havir.  Western attire is encouraged but not required for the informal evening.
 
An on-line silent auction benefiting TRVFA will open during the dinner and remain open throughout the District Conference.  The auction can be accessed using the QR code in the image above.  Bidding on items available in the auction is NOT limited to conference attendees.
 
Tickets are $100.  The room we will be in at the Phippen Museum is not huge.  There is a possibility those who attempt to register late may get turned away.  Registering for the dinner is part of the District Conference registration process.  CLICK HERE  to to go the information and registration page on the District Website.
Mesa West Rotary leads district in giving to TRVFA!
 
Submitted by Jeanie Morgan
 
Members of the Rotary Club of Mesa West are to be congratulated for their strong support of The Rotary Vocation Fund of Arizona. At $12,317, Mesa West is the TRVFA's top-giving club in the state and our district so far in 2021-22. 
 
Mesa West President Dan Coons, left, recently presented a $5,000 donation from the Mesa West Rotary Foundation to Jeanie Morgan and Allan Cady of the TRVFA.
 
As of February 4, TRVFA had already funded 79 percent of the total amount in grants that were funded all of last year.  Because demand for our grants continues to grow, we set a lofty fundraising goal of $350,000 for the year.  So far, we are only 41 percent of the way to achieving that goal.  
 
This is the first year that we haven't had a period where we have shut down grant funding because of a shortage of funds, but we could well be in that position again in 2022-23 if we don't have a good boost to our revenue in the coming months.
 
District 5495 members are encouraged to show their support for TRVFA. Visit trvfa.org for information.
 
Thank you to all our clubs in the district who support TRVFA, and especially to our Top 10 Giving Clubs, as of Feb. 1, 2022:
 
1. Rotary Club of Mesa West: $12, 317
2. Rotary Club of Four Peaks, $6,600
3. Phoenix 100: $6,300
4. Rotary Club of Anthem: $6,250
5. Rotary Club of Scottdale: $4,700
6. Rotary Club of Scottsdale Sunrise: $4,500
7. Rotary Club of Kingman, Route 66: $4,100
8. Rotary Club of Chandler Horizon: $3,900
9. Rotary Club of Scottsdale North: $3,600
10. Rotary Club of Prescott Frontier: $3,500
 
 
 
Rotary Club of Verde Valley donates to TRVFA
 
The Rotary Club of Verde Valley (Cottonwood) recently donated $500 to The Rotary Vocational Fund of Arizona.
 
The donation was made in recognition of District Governor Bret McKeand's visit to the club. The club is a strong supporter of TRVFA and is hoping to expand the program's services to residents in the Verde Valley/Cottonwood area.
 
Club President Lynette Prouty presented the contribution to DG Bret during a club meeting held Dec. 16.
Consider The Rotary Vocational Fund of Arizona for end-of-year donation
 
 
The Rotary Vocational Fund of Arizona (TRVFA) is a non-profit organization under IRS Code 501(c)(3) whose purpose is to assist those people who qualify under Arizona law to obtain financial assistance to further their vocational studies. TRVFA is an organization that meets Arizona’s Credit For Contributions To A Qualifying Charitable Organization requirements.  Our QCO Code is 20698.
 
Candidates who meet the eligibility requirements are identified and recommended to TRVFA by financial aid counselors in vocational education institutions. and/or Rotarians and their clubs.
   
Mailing Address:  TRVFA, P O Box 14412, Scottsdale, AZ 85267 Contact Us
 
TRVFA was created to give students an opportunity to realize their dreams.  Through completion of vocational training, they can look forward to earning a living wage to support themselves and their families.
 
We are funded by donations. Donations from Rotarians, Rotary Clubs, individuals, and businesses support students in vocational programs in communities across Arizona.  It is never too early or too late to donate.  Every dollar helps.
 
We are experiencing historically high demand for our grants.  We hope we can count on our Rotarians in Districts 5495 and 5500 to reach out to their circle of influence so we can bring in enough new streams of revenue to keep up with meeting the needs we have the opportunity to serve.  CLICK HERE if you'd like to help by making an online donation now or - if you prefer - send a check with our mail-in donation form. 
 
Credit for Contributions to Qualifying Charitable Organizations  QCO
This individual income tax credit is available for contributions to Qualifying Charitable Organizations that provide immediate basic needs to residents of Arizona who receive temporary assistance for needy families (TANF) benefits, are low-income residents of Arizona, or are individuals who have a chronic illness or physical disability. The tax credit is claimed on Form 321. The maximum credit allowed is $800 for married filing joint filers and $400 for single, heads of household, and married filing separate filers.
Four Peaks Rotary Club donates to TRVFA
 
The Four Peaks Rotary Club has presented a contribution of $5,000 to The Rotary Vocation Fund of Arizona.
 
PDG Jeanie Morgan recently visited the club to speak about TRVFA. Following the presentation, Paul Perreault, Tim Taylor and Todd Harris posed for a photo with Jeanie after they announced that their club foundation was giving a check to TRVFA in the amount of $5,000.  
 
In addition, Paul gave Jeanie a personal donation from him and his wife.  Since the meeting, two more donations from Four Peaks members have been received online.  This level of generosity will help TRVFA meet the increased demand for grants it is experiencing so far this year.  TRVFA has already funded 57%  of the total amount of grants funded in the 2020-21 fiscal year.
 
To arrange a TRVFA speaker for your club meeting, send requests to trvfarotary@gmail.com
Rotary Club of Anthem donates $5,000 to TRVFA
 
The Rotary Club of Anthem hosted a successful golf tournament this year that raised funds for The Rotary Vocational Fund of Arizona.
 
The Rotary Vocational Fund of Arizona Treasurer Steve DeMar is a member of the Anthem club, and recently had the privilege of depositing a very nice donation from his own club to TRVFA.  Their successful tournament made their very generous donation possible.
 
Shown in the check presentation photo, from left, are Club President John Salem, TRVFA Treasurer Steve DeMar, and Past Club President and current District 5495 AG Krista Solomon.
 
TRVFA is very appreciative of this generous level of club support in a year where the first quarter of the current fiscal year has already seen more than half as many vocational education grants funded by The Rotary Vocational Fund of Arizona as were funded in the entire 2020-21 fiscal year.  

Congrats to Three TRVFA Surgical Tech Program Grads
Posted by Jeanie Morgan

Mohave Community College was recently proud to announce that for the third year in a row, 100% of the seven graduates from their Surgical Technology program based in Lake Havasu City passed the national board exam on the first attempt.  Three of the seven in that 2019 graduating class were grant recipients from The Rotary Vocational Fund of Arizona. Amber and Lindsay were both sponsored by the Kingman Route 66 Rotary Club, and Nativa was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Yuma Sunrise for their TRVFA grants.  The graduates are now beginning their careers at hospitals and surgery centers.

"This is a great accomplishment and we're very proud of the students, our program director and her team," said MCC President Dr. Stacy Klippenstein.  "The national board exams are not easy, so to have every student pass on the first attempt speaks volumes about the quality of education you get at MCC."  

A surgical technologist is a key member of the surgery team and ensures the operating room sterile field is prepared, assists with patient positioning and prepares the operation site. Technologists also assist surgeons with medical equipment during surgery.

According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, students graduating from the MCC program are entering a career field in which they can earn up to $72,810 annually.  TRVFA is very proud to be a part of helping these young women help themselves.

CLICK HEREto visit the TRVFA website.  TRVFA is a Qualifying Charitable Organization for Arizona Tax Credit.  Donations given on or before April 15, 2020 can be used for the 2019 or 2020 tax year, but not both.  It is very easy to DONATE NOW.

PDG Dan Messersmith resigns from TRVFA Board
 
Past District Governor Dan Messersmith has resigned from The Rotary Vocational Fund of Arizona board after 12 years of service to the organization that helps students complete their vocational training and re-enter the workforce.
 
Replacing Dan on the board will be Marco Cecala, a member of the e-club of the Southwest.
 
“On behalf of all the members TRVFA, we wish to sincerely thank PDG Dan Messersmith for his significant contribution and time to TRVFA the past 12 years,” said PDG Jeanie Morgan, chair of the district’s TRVFA Committee.
 
“Every application submitted to TRVFA was evaluated personally by Dan.

Dan’s knowledge and expertise benefitted the men and women who submitted their applications in hopes of receiving a scholarship from TRVFA. His selfless work made a difference in the recipients’ life, the continuation of TRVFA and as a result greatly assisted our communities.”
 
Dan will still be very supportive and committed to TRVFA as well as readily available to answer questions. Consider sending Dan a personal thank you for all his efforts in supporting TRVFA; direct them to dwmessersmith@gmail.com.
 
Marco is retired from a civil engineering practice and lives in Yarnell with his wife Rebecca Wilks. They are supportive of the Guatemala Literacy Project and active in other efforts as well. Marco came from a vocational education background, first in the jewelry business then home building and civil construction.
 
“The opportunity to work with others and help them to find meaningful careers is a great opportunity,” said Marco.
 
The members of TRVFA are currently seeking a Rotarian to assist TRVFA by reviewing and selecting applications from students. The position will be shared by both districts, which will decrease the workload.

Send your information and inquiries to trvfarotary@gmail.com.
 
Rotary Club of Sun Lakes awards TRVFA scholarship
 
By Dr. Honora Norton, RCSL Public Image Chair
 
The Rotary Club of Sun Lakes has partnered  with The Rotary Vocational Fund of Arizona to sponsor a $2,000 vocational scholarship to Omar Federico. Through partnering with TRVFA, RCSL is creating a lasting change by allowing individuals, like Omar, to get a step up and contribute to his/her community.
 
RCSL Rotarians Gary Kay and Jon Lyons interviewed Omar and their findings were: Omar was born in Yuma and moved to Mesa at an early age.  Omar lives with his mother, unfortunately his father passed away two years ago.  Omar is employed at a small company where he is helping the owner on small jobs that involve welding and applicable job setups.  Omar will be starting a one year welding program at East Valley Institute of Technology - EVIT.  
 
Per a statement from RCSL Club President, Jon Lyons: Omar’s current passion is welding and learning the business from his boss.  He is a very dedicated young man who has a great work ethic and wants to ‘earn his way to success.’   The RCSL is honored to sponsor Omar.  He will be invited to join future RCSL meetings - so members can hear how Omar is doing in the EVIT welding program. 
 
TRVFA’s mission is to ensure a revenue stream which will continuously fund vocational education grants requested by struggling Arizona residents who demonstrate the desire and will to enable themselves to thrive.  TRVFA is a non-profit organization under IRS Code 501(c)(3) whose purpose is to assist those people who qualify under Arizona law to obtain financial assistance to further their vocational studies.
 
TRVFA is an organization which meets Arizona’s Credit For Contributions To A Qualifying Charitable Organization requirements (QCO Code is 20698).  Candidates who meet the eligibility requirements are identified and recommended to TRVFA by financial aid counselors in vocational education institutions and/or Rotarians and their clubs. 
 
To learn more about being a TRVFA donor to support vocational scholarships for those in need and/or apply for a scholarship - see www.trvfa.org.  For more information about Rotary Club of Sun Lakes educational programs – see www.sunlakesrotary.com.