Archived Press Releases

Central Arizona Shelter Services Announces New Board of Directors Officers

Temperatures This Week in the 110's --Will Severely Affect the Homeless

Over 35,000 Diaper Donations to be presented to CASS' Vista Colina Emergency Family Shelter

CASS Celebrates the Opening of the CASS Children's Dental Clinic

Dr. Kris Volcheck Named 2006 Arizona Dentist of the Year

ATTENTION LOCAL MEDIA                                            Contact: Katia A. Brown

July 11, 2007                                                                   (602) 705-4383

Central Arizona Shelter Services Announces New Board of Directors Officers

Central Arizona Shelter Services (CASS) is pleased to announce the appointment of the following officers to CASS' Board of Directors. Each will serve a two-year term beginning July 2007.

J. Elliott Hibbs (Board Chairman) Mr. Hibbs is the former Director of the Arizona Department of Revenue and currently serves as the Interim Executive Director for Arizona Early Childhood Development and Health Board. Mr. Hibbs has served on CASS' Board for 7 years.

Barry Brooks (Chairman Elect) Mr. Brooks is the Co-owner and President of Cookies from Home, a Tempe based company specializing in fresh baked cookies and customized packaging. Mr. Brooks has served on CASS' Board for 7 years.

John Rivers (Vice President) Mr. Rivers is the President & CEO of the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association and has served on CASS' Board for 5 years.

Tim Tiller, MSW (Secretary) Mr. Tiller is the President of Multi-Systems, Inc., the lodging industry's leading provider of hotel technology for property management systems, sales & catering, point-of-sale, and centralized corporate services. Mr. Tiller is serving as the Event Chairman for CASS' Annual Gala to be held on March 15, 2008 and has served on CASS' Board for 2 years.

Nick Rago (Treasurer) Mr. Rago is President & CEO of Consultants to Management, a management consulting firm. Mr. Rago has served on CASS' Board for 9 years.

Temperatures This Week in the 110's --Will Severely Affect the Homeless

Immediate action is required from the community

ATTENTION LOCAL MEDIA                                          Contact: Katia A. Brown

June 11, 2007                                                               (602) 705-4383

The next two days will be critical for the homeless men, women, and children that are living on the streets in our community. Temperatures are quickly increasing to the 110's with a high temperature of 113 on this Thursday and Friday. The first day of Summer brings heat that can be very risky to the health and personal safety of our homeless that are infants and small children, elderly and disabled.

To help reduce the stress and severity of these conditions, we ask the community to:

DONATE THE FOLLOWING:

Cases of .5 Liter individual water bottles

Sunscreen (travel and full size containers)

New or gently used hats for sun protection

CONTRIBUTE:

Cash donations

DROP OFF LOCATIONS:

CASS Main Adult Shelter - 230 S. 12 th Ave., Phoenix (just south of 12 th Ave. and Madison )

Vista Colina Family Shelter - 1050 W. Mountain View Rd., Phoenix, AZ, 85021

In Maricopa County alone, there are an estimated 10,000-12,000 homeless men, women, and children. Emergency shelters such as Central Arizona Shelter Services (CASS), are full to capacity every night during the winter and summer seasons and overflow shelters are running to keep as many people as possible off the street in safe and secure housing on a nightly basis.

April 19, 2007                                         Phone: 602-705-4383          

                                                              Email: kbrown@cass-az.org

Over 35,000 Diaper Donations to be presented to

CASS' Vista Colina Emergency Family Shelter

Serving the Valley's homeless children and families

WHEN :                       Friday, April 20th @ 1:30 p.m.

**Photo Opportunities are Available**

WHERE:                 Vista Colina Family Emergency Shelter                                    

                                      1050 W. Mountain View Rd.

                                      Phoenix , AZ 85021

                                     (NE corner of 10th Ave. and Mountain View Rd.)

WHAT:  On Friday, April 20th , over 35,000 diapers will be delivered to the CASS Vista Colina Emergency Family Shelter as a part of a local donation drive sponsored by 12 Phoenix locations of LA Weight Loss. The donation will be delivered in a large moving truck filled with diapers for our homeless families. Vista Colina is also a partner with the Valley of the Sun Community Diaper Bank.

Diapers are a necessity at some point in time for all families, however, when you are the head of a family that is homeless, the costs of diapers do not change; the cost only makes the pressure of finances greater. According to the Natural Family Online website, a family will spend approximately $2,700 a year per child on 7,300 diapers needed for the first 12 months of a child's life. The homeless clients at Vista Colina simply do not have that kind of savings. (www.naturalfamilyonline.com)

LA Weight Loss not only supports people to lose weight without losing their lifestyle, but they also choose to help improve their community. The Phoenix locations offered all customers a free week of program for every package of diapers they donated. In just 10 days, over 600 packages of diapers were collected with many of the company's clients declining the free weeks because of the charitable cause. LA Weight Loss Regional Manager Patty Wynne stated, "If we focus on the needs of others, it puts our own blessings in perspective."

For more information on Vista Colina, contact: Billie Paulson

Family Services Director, (602) 870-8778 ext. 11

Contact: Kris Volcheck , DDS, MBA

Phone: 602-758-9000          

kvolcheck@cass-az.org

Central Arizona Shelter Services Celebrates

The Opening of the CASS Children's Dental Clinic

Serving the Valley's homeless children

April 5, 2007- Central Arizona Shelter Services (CASS) is pleased to announce the opening of its Children's Dental Clinic located within the CASS Dental Clinic on the Human Services Campus.  Established in 2000, the CASS Dental Clinic has provided comprehensive dental care and treatment to over 3,500 homeless men and women valued at over $3,000,000! The opening of the Children's Dental Clinic now brings quality dental care and dental education to the youngest members of the Valley's homeless population.  Already a national model for a community dental clinic, the Clinic's extensive use of dental volunteers, dental labs located across the country, and the depth of collaborative relationships within the local dental community will now benefit hundreds of preschool and school-aged children each year.

Comprehensive dental treatment will be provided to over 500 children each year through CASS' collaboration with the Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health. In addition to serving the children of CASS' Vista Colina Emergency Family Shelter, the CASS Children's Dental Clinic will provide service to HomeBase Youth Services, and United Methodist Outreach Ministries' New Day (UMOM) among other Valley homeless providers.

The opening of the CASS Children's Dental Clinic was made possible through financial support provided by the BHHS Legacy Foundation and the St. Luke's Health Initiatives.  

Website: www.cassdentalclinic.org

Dr. Kris Volcheck Named Dentist of the Year

Arizona Dental Association Bestows Top Honor

SCOTTSDALE , March 21, 2006 -- During its 2006 Western Regional Dental Convention at Phoenix Civic Plaza (March 16-18), the Arizona Dental Association (AzDA) named Kris A. Volcheck, DDS, MBA its "Dentist of the Year."  The selection was made by the AzDA Board of Trustees comprising dentists from all areas of the state, based upon "outstanding contributions to the profession of dentistry in Arizona."

Dr. Volcheck is Director of the Dental Clinic at Central Arizona Shelter Services ( CASS), a Phoenix-based nonprofit organization whose mission is "to empower men, women and children with diverse needs to end their homelessness through emergency shelter and supportive services."

After closing his Globe, Arizona dental practice to pursue his business degree at Arizona State University, Dr. Volcheck accepted the position of Case Manager at CASS, which he held for seven years. When the State of Arizona gave CASS a trailer in 2000, Dr. Volcheck suggested that it be converted into a dental clinic and, he says, "I am very happy that everyone gave the idea their blessing." Since that time, Dr. Volcheck has mobilized dental industry colleagues in one of the most prolific volunteer-based efforts in the state involving some 300 dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, dental program students, dental business professionals plus approximately 100 dental laboratories in Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia that donate thousands of dollars worth of materials and services.

When it became apparent that the trailer was becoming sorely inadequate to serve the dental needs of the CASS client population, Dr. Volcheck once again mobilized volunteers and last November in collaboration with the City of Phoenix, CASS unveiled a brand-new, state-of-the-art, 8-operatory facility capable of treating some 500 patients each month that was built and equipped mostly through dental industry donations of equipment, supplies, consulting services and manpower. Dr. Volcheck has been invited twice to make presentations at the National Convention on Healthcare for the Homeless in Washington, DC.  "It's a great honor to be recognized by my Arizona peers," said Dr. Volcheck. "This award belongs to all of the dentists and dental professionals who volunteer for our clinic. Interacting with the homeless population enriches our lives."

About AzDA: The Arizona Dental Association (AzDA) was founded in 1909 as the state branch of the American Dental Association. AzDA is the professional association of dentists co mmitted to the Arizona public’s oral health, ethics, science and professional advancement; leading a unified profession through initiatives in advocacy, education, research and the development of standards. AzDA represents the Central Arizona Dental Society, Northern Arizona Dental Society and Southern Arizona Dental Society. Primary headquarters located at 3193 N. Drinkwater Blvd., Scottsdale AZ 85251. For more information, visit www.azda.org