About EBF and ACS
When YOU join our Gear Up For Good (GU4G) team, YOU enable Easterseals Blake Foundation to further our vision of a Southern Arizona community where all people live healthy, productive and independent lives!
Emily has endured 20 surgeries, 100 platelet infusions, 29 hospital stays, eight sets of leg and arm braces and more casts than she can count in her six short years of life. She is a spirited little girl who has accomplished things that doctors said were impossible. The EBF team patiently worked with Emily to ensure she met her developmental milestones as a young child. They also taught her family how to advocate for their daughter. Because of YOU Emily goes to school, has friends, does chores and is accepted for the perfect little girl she is.
Meet Elliott, a 61-year-old who lives in one of Easterseals Blake Foundation’s group homes along with two other men, each with their own room. Given up to an institution as a young child in Nevada, Elliott says he “belongs to Tucson now.” Monday through Friday Elliot works on the EBF main campus doing custodial work guided by his job coach Ariel who describes him as “adventurous and funny.” Over the 18 years as a client of EBF, Elliot (a member of the Shonone-Paiute tribe) has been afforded many opportunities to be adventurous. Five years ago Elliot and a guardian took a trip to a powwow in New Mexico where he was recognized by a childhood neighbor from his reservation. He also discovered his power for rainmaking. With a still stunned smile, Elliot’s former house manager Jim indicates that 15 minutes after Elliot danced, a cloudless sky turned dark and it poured. Camping on Mt. Lemmon, fishing, and listening to music are more of Elliot’s favorite things that also prove to be therapeutic. Elliot is also employed at Goodwill sorting clothes and loves to hunt for treasures at Savers with the money he makes from his two jobs. Because of YOU Elliot lives a healthy, productive and independent life!
Helping Families Stay Together.
For over 40 years, Aviva Children’s Services has worked to fulfill its mission to improve the quality of life for children who are victims of neglect, abuse and poverty and are in the care of Arizona's Department of Child Safety(DCS). Aviva responds to the needs of children in foster care by providing programs and resources to enhance their self-esteem and well-being well as supplying necessity items such as clothing, shoes, blankets and personal care items.
In July of 2019 Aviva became a wholly owned subsidiary of Easterseals Blake Foundation. Together, Easterseals Blake Foundation and Aviva Children’s Services will develop a Center of Excellence for children involved with or at high risk for involvement with the Foster/Kinship care system. The Aviva Center will be a preferred provider of system partners such as Department of Child Safety, State Foster Care Health Plans, school systems, law enforcement and families along the continuum of risk, removal and reunification.
On behalf of Emily, Elliott, the chidren served by Aviva and the 30,000 other children, adults and families served by EBF and Aviva annually,
Thank you for your support!