UES Awards $46,500 in Grants to Groups Aiding Youth and Families

TUCSON, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- UniSource Energy Services (UES) has awarded more than $46,000 in grants to 18 nonprofit organizations that improve the health and well-being of at-risk children, teens and families.

The awards have been distributed over the past three months through UES' Grants That Make a Difference program, which offers financial support to nonprofit groups in northern and southern Arizona.

"We're committed to strengthening the communities where we live and work. Our Grants That Make a Difference are designed to make a positive difference in the lives of others by supporting the nonprofit groups that improve education, promote public health and provide much-needed social services," said Paul Bonavia, Chairman, President and CEO of UES and its parent company, UniSource Energy Corporation (NYSE: UNS).

Employee volunteers evaluated nearly 55 applications with requests totaling approximately $210,000 before selecting grant recipients. Committee members looked for programs with measurable and reasonable expectations offered by nonprofit organizations that have demonstrated financial and organizational stability. The ability to collaborate with other agencies to make the most of limited resources is an important characteristic of all grant winners.

The 2011 grants include:

Coconino/Navajo Counties

• $3,500 to Open Inn, which will use the funds to assist homeless teens through its Project Safe Place program and to help secure additional grant funds from other sources.
• $3,000 to Bothhands to pay for services for victims of domestic violence.
• $3,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flagstaff to help fund the Step-Up Mentoring program for youth.
• $1,000 to the St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance's Supplemental Food program, which distributes national surplus foods to local nonprofit organizations.

Mohave County

• $2,500 to Boys & Girls Club of Kingman for its PowerUp weekend backpack food program.
• $3,000 to Havasu for Youth for LEARN, an after-school drug- and alcohol-abuse prevention program.
• $2,500 to Kingman Aid to Abused People, which provides shelter, advocacy and other assistance to victims of domestic violence.
• $2,000 to Kiwanis Club of Kingman for the Powerhouse Arizona child safety seat program in collaboration with Kingman Medical Center.
• $1,500 to Northern Arizona University (NAU) Foundation, Inc. on behalf of the Civic Service Institute at NAU for the Foster Grandparent Program.
• $2,500 to Sarah's House Foundation for its "Good Touch Bad Touch" child abuse prevention program in schools.
• $4,000 to St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance for its supplemental food program.
• $2,000 to the Salvation Army Kingman Corps, which provides emergency assistance to low-income families.

Santa Cruz County

• $2,500 to the Reid Park Zoological Society for its "Zoo to You Outreach," which uses live animals to bring science enrichment to students in Santa Cruz County.
• $500 to the Nogales Community Food Bank, which distributes food to low-income families and individuals.
• $1,000 to the Patrons of the Arts, a group that promotes appreciation of the arts.
• $1,000 to fund Santa Cruz County Young Audiences' "Learn without Limits" arts program.
• $1,000 to Nogales Community Development for its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.

Yavapai County

• $2,500 to Catholic Charities Community Services for its Projects for the Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) program, which provides assistance to homeless teens.
• $1,500 to Yavapai CASA for Kids, Inc., which provides services to foster care children who are wards of the Yavapai County Superior Court system.
• $2,000 to St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance to support local food banks and nonprofit organizations.
• $4,000 to support Open Inn's Homeless Teen Program.

Grants that Make a Difference is part of UES' award-winning community service program, which provides philanthropic gifts, in-kind services and volunteers to nonprofit organizations. Last year, employees of UES and its sister companies, Tucson Electric Power and Southwest Energy Solutions, joined their friends and family to contribute more than 54,000 volunteer hours to worthy causes across Arizona.

Applications for the 2012 Grants That Make a Difference program will be available online in March 2012 at uesaz.com.

UniSource Energy Services provides gas service to more than 146,000 customers in Mohave, Yavapai, Coconino, Navajo and Santa Cruz Counties. UES also provides electric service to more than 90,000 customers in Mohave and Santa Cruz Counties. To learn more, visit uesaz.com. For more information about its parent company, UniSource Energy Corporation, visit uns.com.

UniSource Energy Services
News Media Contact:
Joseph Barrios, 520-884-3725

Source: UniSource Energy Services

News Provided by Acquire Media

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