TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — 31 Tucson nonprofits have been awarded funding through the city's Economic and Workforce Development Program, which distributed $600,000 this year to organizations supporting workforce development and small business growth.
The grants are also provided to organizations that hold special events that help grow the economy, create community and celebrate Tucson’s heritage and culture.
The program was created in 2010.
Intermountain Academy, subsidiary of Intermountain Centers for Human Development, which specializes in educating students on the autism spectrum from first grade through age 22, received $20,000 from the city. Amy Massingill, the academy's work based learning coordinator, said the funding supports hands-on training for students.
"We give kids real world experience in the workforce or volunteering and we even do like a little snack bar in our school, gives them some hands-on," Massingill said.
Intermountain Academy has 11 community partners that it works with, such as: Ace Hardware, Reid Park Zoo, and they adopted part of the Santa Cruz River path.
"So once a month we go down into the Santa Cruz River path and take a group of kids and clean it up. Just so that they can be part of their community and see that, I matter and this stuff looks this way because I did this," Massingill said.
She said the grant is being used to purchase uniforms and anything that could help students with their work.
"Like boots when they go to the river path. We have some kids that work in an industrial kitchen and they need the slip proof shoes, so we buy all the kids the shoes so they can go and work. So yeah, uniforms. We bought a new cash register for the store in the school," Massingill explained.
Nationwide, about 80% of autistic adults do not work, according to Massingill. She said Intermountain Academy is already beating the odds.
"So the workforce for a school like ours, 20% go off into jobs or more schooling. But our success rate is 33%, which I'm so proud of," Massingill said.
JobPath, an agency that helps adult students succeed in job training programs by providing resources, financial support, and removing barriers, received $100,000.
Christine Hill, JobPath's interim executive director, said the organization supports students in healthcare and industrial trades programs.
"We support them through their program, whether it's helping them navigate, connecting them with mentors or study groups. We make sure that they're on track," Hill said.
Hill said the grant allows JobPath to say yes to students and get them past those hurdles that could have stopped them in their tracks.
"So if a student runs into an unexpected expense, a car repair or something that could completely derail them from their program, JobPath can step in and we can reimburse them. We can cover that bill. We can help them with tuition," Hill said.
Hill said the organization's goal is to ensure students stay in their program and complete it.
"And when they do, they are on a path to family sustaining wages and health benefits. They're in a better position to buy a home," Hill said. "And what's so great about the City of Tucson grant is that with the investment from the city, JobPath's return goes right back into our community."
A full list of grant recipients is available here.
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Vanessa Gongora is KGUN 9's Westside reporter.. Vanessa fell in love with storytelling by growing up in sports. She was fascinated by how sports reporters go beyond the x's & o's to tell players' stories, and how sports bring people together, inspiring Vanessa to provide the same impact as a journalist. Share your story ideas and important issues with Vanessa by emailing vanessa.gongora@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
