The City of Apache Junction’s Health and Human Services Commission met last week to interview organizations applying for funding in the upcoming fiscal year. The commission heard presentations from several local nonprofits, including the Apache Junction Community Development Corporation (AJCDC), Boys and Girls Club, Over-Flo Missions, and Superstition Food Bank.
Funding Requests Under Review
The commission is evaluating requests totaling $201,500 from multiple organizations:
| Organization | Funding Request | Project Description |
|---|---|---|
| Apache Junction Community Development Corporation | $7,500 | Operating Expenses |
| Begin Again Homes | $80,000 | Temp Shelter/Eviction Prevention |
| Boys and Girls Club of the East Valley | $35,000 | Youth Program Staff |
| Over-Flo Missions | $4,000 | Community Feast |
| Superstition Food Bank | $75,000 | Purchase Food |
As outlined in the application documents, requests are evaluated based on several criteria, including a clearly identified problem, demonstrated community need, a well-detailed proposal, defined performance measures, an established community partnership, compliance with previous HHSC funding requirements, and the recommended funding amount.
The meeting began with the commission acknowledging that they had received correspondence from Begin Again Homes, announcing the organization was forfeiting its remaining funding for the current fiscal year and withdrawing its application for the next fiscal year. This comes after their substantial request of $80,000 had raised questions at previous meetings about geographic focus, financial clarity, and long-term planning.
What Does AJCDC Do?
The Apache Junction Community Development Corporation, established in 2002 as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, focuses on improving neighborhoods and helping vulnerable residents maintain their properties. The organization works closely with the City of Apache Junction, particularly the Code Compliance department, to address property issues for residents who cannot manage these tasks themselves.
Gail Evans, Vice Chair of the AJCDC, explained the organization’s key service areas during her presentation. According to the application document, the Apache Junction CDC offers cleanup assistance to homeowner/residents in Code Compliance cases, including removal of excess vegetation, weeds, trash, and refuse.
Evans detailed how the organization coordinates the annual Make a Difference Day event, which involved 103 volunteers working on multiple neighborhood cleanups and park improvement projects. During this event, they place 40-yard dumpsters in strategic neighborhood locations.
“We also provide transportation for the hazardous waste if someone can’t… there’s a lot of elderly people that don’t have pickup trucks and don’t have the ability to lift things,” Evans added, explaining how they help residents transport hazardous materials to the city’s biannual Household Hazardous Waste collection events.
The scope of their work varies significantly based on individual needs. “We’ve replaced [donated] windows for people… we’ve replaced handicap ramps,” Evans said. “The things that people keep at their house, it’s really kind of fascinating with toilets and… one lady her husband died on her couch and she got some friends to take it outside on her porch, but she didn’t have any way to get rid of it.”
In fiscal year 2023-24, the AJCDC has completed cleanup projects at S. Cedar, E. Kachina, S. Ocotillo, S. Main Dr., and W. Smoke Tree. They’ve also provided additional assistance with dumpsters and cleanup services to three other neighborhoods and two city parks (Silly Mountain and Flatiron).
AJCDC’s Community Impact
“We only deal with the homeowners who can’t take care of it themselves,” Evans emphasized during her presentation. She explained that the organization strictly follows criteria for taking on code compliance cases: “They have to be physically, mentally, and financially unable to take care of their own property.”
The AJCDC does not assist with rental properties, as Evans noted those are “the responsibility of the landlord and the city has to deal with them.”
Evans highlighted how their work benefits the broader community: “The efforts made by AJCDC benefit many Apache Junction residents beyond those directly served. Due to the removal of debris and trash, neighboring properties experience a healthier environment. Property values are improved; neighborhood relations improve; neighborhood esthetics benefit; the neighborhood has fewer rats and other vermin; and, importantly, there is reduction of fire threat and better quality of life for the entire community and neighborhood.”
Who Receives AJCDC Services
Evans clearly outlined the criteria for those who receive help from the AJCDC: “Our criteria for taking a code case is they financially can’t pay the fines, so it doesn’t pay the city to fine them because it costs the city to send them to court for something they don’t have the money to clean up [themselves]. They have to be physically, mentally, and financially unable to take care of their own property.”
The organization specifically targets assistance to homeowners who are elderly, disabled, veterans, or those living below the poverty line within Apache Junction city limits, including county islands within the city’s perimeter.
When Chairman Dr. Michael Brennan asked how they help people who may not have the mental capacity to request assistance, Evans explained their approach: “We always try to find a relative of some kind, someone that looks after them.”
She shared examples of how they’ve connected veterans with VA benefits and even called crisis teams when necessary. “I signed one gentleman up on his VA. He was a paratrooper and he had a parachute that didn’t open and never signed up for his VA benefits,” Evans recalled.
Evans also clarified that they never force their services: “If they don’t want the help, we walk away. That’s not an issue.”
Funding Sources and Budget Needs
When asked about funding sources beyond the city’s Health and Human Services allocation, Evans explained their diversified approach: “Where do we get our dollars other than the city? Well, Pinal County, Walmart, Republic Services… we have a grant writer on our board.”
She acknowledged the challenges in securing grants due to their unique mission: “We have a very unique nonprofit. There’s not a lot of cities that has a group like us willing to go out and pick up trash that’s other people’s trash.”
Evans also highlighted their outreach to developers for additional funding: “Part of our fundraising besides health and human commission is we write letters to the developers. We ask them for funding all the time. I’m sure they’re kind of sick of us, but that’s sort of what they do too. They have to expect it.” She noted that developers have also donated door prizes for their Make a Difference Day volunteer event.
According to their application, the AJCDC has been in operation for over 20 years and received funding from the City of Apache Junction for many years, including $5,010 in 2023 and $3,937.50 in 2024. For the previous 12 months, the organization received a total of $10,937.50 from various partners: $3,937.50 in grant funding from Health and Human Services, a $2,500 cash donation from Brookfield, a $1,500 cash donation from Republic Services, plus in-kind donations valued at $3,000 from Republic Services ($2,000) and Kabat’s Ace Hardware ($1,000).
Managing Cleanup Costs
One of the significant expenses for the AJCDC is the cost of disposal. When asked about cleanup costs, Evans explained: “If we have to use like a roll out, that’s you know $600 plus or minus dump fees. So we try not to get those involved.”
She described their cost-saving strategies: “We don’t like loading up the dumpsters with usable stuff. If there’s a landscaper or somebody, we try to do anything possible to not have the dump fees.”
Evans detailed how they work with local resources: “Even a lot of scrap metal, we have an individual that will call him, he will not only come out and pick up stuff for the individual, but he will also bring out a dumpster because a lot of people like to sort through it.”
The organization has relationships with specialists who can repurpose items. Evans explained how they call people like a “bicycle man” who will collect usable bicycles, and other specialists who can make use of materials that would otherwise go to waste.
Working with Code Compliance
The AJCDC has developed a strong working relationship with the city’s Code Compliance department. Code Compliance refers cases that meet the AJCDC’s criteria, focusing on homeowners who cannot financially pay fines.
“Code has done a really good job… we only do the cases that fit our criteria,” Evans explained. “We don’t just do any code case because we don’t have enough funding to take care of everybody.”
Evans also mentioned that she sometimes drives through neighborhoods herself to identify potential areas of need: “Sometimes it looks bad to us, but it looks normal to them.”
Future Plans
Looking ahead, Evans indicated that the organization is exploring new initiatives beyond trash cleanup. “We’ve just got an adopted street which is Baseline between Idaho and Tomahawk, and we’re working on supplying… smoke detectors and house numbers,” she said, noting the importance of these items for emergency services.
The Health and Human Services Commission will continue reviewing applications through April, with recommendations to be presented to the City Council in May. Final funding decisions for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, are expected to be approved in June.
You can donate or volunteer for AJCDC on their website.
