City of Phoenix Neighborhood Services Department and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Officials Visit VALLEYLIFE Main Campus

Hosting visitors in VALLEYLIFE’s new Thunderbirds Charities Bistro is always a special occasion, but when those visitors are longtime partners of VALLEYLIFE, it becomes that much more special. On Wednesday, August 28th, VALLEYLIFE hosted officials from the City of Phoenix Neighborhood Services Department (NSD) and the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for an onsite tour of VALLEYLIFE's Healthy Prep Kitchen and Thunderbirds Charities Bistro.

The Healthy Prep Kitchen, which was funded by a $150,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) from the City of Phoenix Neighborhood Services Department in 2023, is the newest expansion of VALLEYLIFE’s Nutrition Program and has quickly become a staple in the organization. The goal of the program is to prepare healthy and delicious meals for VALLEYLIFE’s group homes that can be prepared easily and efficiently by staff. Since the kitchen began operations earlier this year with a handful of homes collecting meals, the program has expanded to prep up to 12 meals a month for roughly 20 group homes.

Although the tour wasn’t the first for City and H.U.D. officials since the Prep Kitchen’s November 2023 ribbon-cutting event, this week’s visit not only served as an opportunity for city officials to get an update on the progress of the Prep Kitchen but also introduced the program to H.U.D. officials like Rufus Washington, Region 9 Director for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, who is based in Los Angeles, California. Earlier this year, the Neighborhood Services Department was joined by H.U.D. General Deputy Assistant Secretary Claudette Fernandez, who is based in Washington D.C., for a similar visit.

“The Community Development Block Grant and our partnership with the City of Phoenix Neighborhood Services Department has greatly helped make a positive impact on the lives and health of people with disabilities,” said VALLEYLIFE President and CEO Cletus Thiebeau. “We are very grateful to have such wonderful partners within the community to aid us in our mission to enhance the quality of life of people with disabilities.”

With a partnership spanning over a decade, the impact of the support from the City of Phoenix has been immense. Prior to helping fund the Healthy Prep Kitchen, the City of Phoenix’s Community Development Block Grant has also provided funding for upgrades to the production center, the addition of a multipurpose room at the Suzanne and Peter Connolly Enrichment Center, the replacement of air conditioning units on our main campus, and the installation of solar panels on VALLEYLIFE’s main campus.

To see photos from the Tour, check out the gallery below.