Phoenix, AZ: Central Arizona Shelter Services (CASS) has received a generous gift of $50,000 from the Arizona Lottery to help ensure continued care for clients experiencing homelessness during the coronavirus pandemic. As Arizona’s oldest and largest emergency shelter for the homeless, CASS shelters up to 470 adults and 120 family members each night of the year through their two Phoenix locations. While community funding is always essential to CASS’ programs, the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic has created extraordinary unplanned expenses and challenges for this 35-year old shelter.
“CASS plans to keep our doors open during this crisis and do all we can to continue to safely provide for those who need us,” said Lisa Glow, Chief Executive Officer of CASS. “During this uncertain time, CASS has taken on a heavy financial toll on top of an already tight budget and this donation is life-saving for our staff and clients. We are incredibly appreciative to have the Arizona Lottery join us to keep our community’s most vulnerable neighbors safely sheltered.”
“The Arizona Lottery applauds CASS’s efforts to protect the public’s health by protecting their clients from COVID-19,” said Arizona Lottery Executive Director Gregg Edgar. “We are proud to support these efforts with this Core Initiative sponsorship. The Arizona Lottery, through transfers to our state-mandated beneficiaries, has supported organizations like Central Arizona Shelter Services for over the past decade and we are pleased to do our part to help during this difficult time.”
The funding provided by Arizona Lottery will be used to keep CASS clients and staff safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, including but not limited to, increasing cleaning supplies and protective gear, educating all shelter clients on proper cleanliness procedures, ensuring daily and weekly professional deep cleaning, and additional support for front line shelter staff and facilities teams.
About CASS:
Founded in 1984, CASS is the largest and longest serving homeless emergency shelter provider in Arizona. Both adult and family shelters operate at full capacity, 365 days of the year. CASS’ centralized efforts in Arizona’s metropolitan area provides shelter, case management and housing support to a truly vulnerable community, from around the state and beyond, who often remain hidden in society and whose chronic needs are often unmet. For more information about our organization, visit our website, www.CASSAZ.org.
About Arizona Lottery/ Arizona Lottery Gives Back:
Since 1981, the Arizona Lottery and its retail partners have generated more than $4.3 billion in net funding in support of programs that help to improve the quality of life for the people of Arizona. Proceeds from Lottery ticket sales fund programs in higher education, economic development, environmental conservation and health and human services. The mission is to support Arizona programs for the public benefit by maximizing net revenue in a responsible manner. Learn more at ArizonaLottery.com/giving-back.
