Since 1994, the Arizona Builders Alliance has served the commercial and industrial construction industry through its legislative and educational efforts, but over the last 15 years, a larger purpose has emerged: supporting the community’s most vulnerable populations.
This summer, ABA successfully distributed $34,990 in essential school supplies to 800 K-12 students across Arizona. Over four separate events in July and August, children received backpacks along with colorful notebooks, pencils, pens, markers, folders and more. The distribution event followed ABA’s annual backpack drive in June, during which ABA’s Community Service Board, construction professionals, volunteers and community members collected donations to purchase supplies for underprivileged students.
“I think I speak for the entire industry as a whole—this industry is truly one of the most generous, incredibly giving communities that I have ever been a part of. ABA wants to be a guiding voice and a leading example of what that looks like,” says Nikki Rutledge, marketing and events manager at ABA. “We are very lucky and grateful to the generous donors.”
In the past 15 years alone, ABA has received nearly $360,000 in monetary donations. While the backpack drive provides ABA with the financial means to give back, an even greater triumph lies in the efforts of more than 50 of ABA’s community service committee members who personally purchase, sort and deliver the supplies.
“It’s not something where we just drop off a hodgepodge of items and say, ‘Godspeed’, this is what we could get,’” Rutledge says. “We raise enough to purchase all new school supplies for the year. We get very specific lists, needs and quantities based on how many kids are at each school or organization to ensure every child gets what they need.”
During the four distribution events, ABA volunteers collaborated with local community partners, including Children First Leadership Academy in Phoenix, a charter school serving economically challenged families; Arizona Baptist Children’s Services in Tucson; Rise Family Services in Mesa, which specializes in foster care; and the Santo Niño Catholic Community.
One of the more exciting distribution events takes place at CFLA, where volunteers personally interact with students as they choose their supplies for the year. Class by class, volunteers hype up the kids as they walk through a makeshift shopping line of supplies and a mountain of backpacks.
“Most of these kids have never been able to pick their own backpack. A lot don’t even have one, and if they do, it’s typically used. We want them to pick out a backpack that screams their personality,” Rutledge says. “We see tons of the same kids year after year, which is one of my favorite parts of our community effort. We have teenagers that have been with us this whole time, every year, and remember how much it has impacted them.”
The backpack drive and distribution events are just the tip of the iceberg of ABA’s community service efforts. Next, ABA is shifting gears to spread holiday cheer with its annual toy drive—the second largest in the country.
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