Episode 13: For Our City Chandler. Chandler if full of many great people trying to help those in need. For Our City Chandler is one of the organizations who is trying to pull organizations together to help those in needs like the elderly the poor and the homeless. Niki Tapia is one of the driving forces. Niki is the Community Resources & Diversity Supervisor and one of her jobs is to work with For Our City. In this episode we talk about some of the resources available and how you can help. 

1:00 What do you do for the City of Chandler

• Works with neighborhood resources
• Out in community a lot
• Cultural diversity and faith groups
• For Our City Chandler helps those in needs

1:46 What is For Our City

• Opportunity for those who want to help others
• Groups working together to help those in need

2:55 How did you get started with it

• There are For Our City's in other cities but Chandler is the benchmark

3:33 How long you been in Chandler

• 1983
• Like the community feel
• Know neighbors

4:15 You work with homeless a lot, can you talk about the homeless in Chandler

• Nationally increasing
• Homeless shelters are in Tempe and Mesa we work with
• Churches that take turns hosting 25 people a night
• i-help refers the homeless to the locations
• Given out over 10,000 fliers and police and others have them
• There is a bus that buses to the church each night
• Case management to help those with adictions or to get jobs

7:43 Do you think most of the homeless know about i-help?

• Think so
• At capacity almost every day

8:10 What is the Changeup Campaign?

• Pan-handle are they legit or just scamming?
• Does the money help or keep people on streets longer?
• This goes directly to homeless services
• People are generous, this ensures 100% of your donation is helping homeless

10:12 What is the process like to get people off the streets?

• Counselors help getting people off i-help
• Social service groups help bring food every night
• Place to sleep and bag lunch in the morning
• If work with case management you are secured a spot

12:40 Operation back to school

• A member said we need a one-stop-shop for kids
• Backpack drive to ensure not duplicating efforts
• Uniforms, shoes, socks and underwear along with backpacks
• Student gets about $90 of value
• Last year gave out about 2200 backpacks, 9k shoes socks and uniforms

15:22 On your website there are over 30 groups listed

• All those are different organizations who help with these programs
• City organizes, but groups come together
• For Our City Day is in October and do house renovations
• Over 700 volunteers

18:30 How can people get involved

• ForOurCityChandler on Instagram
• ForOurCityChandler on Facebook
• Work with code enforcement to help seniors

20:25 What to do in Chandler? - Ostrich Festival in March and anywhere Downtown Chandler

21:25 Favorite downtown restaurants - Downtown Chandler Cafe