City hands out gaming proceeds; Quechan donate $7,500 to nonprofits
The Yuma City Council handed out $7,500 in gaming proceeds from the Quechan Indian Tribe to local nonprofits during a Sept. 4 meeting.
Mayor Doug Nicholls commended the Quechan Tribe for working with Yuma to help nonprofits in the community. Because many organizations struggle during the summer months, Nicholls noted that this is a good time for donations.
Nicholls and Quechan Vice President Virgil Smith handed $2,500 checks to Crossroads Mission’s Myra Garlit, executive director, and Barbara Rochester, community affairs director. The mission, located at 944 S. Arizona Ave., helps individuals who find themselves at a “crossroads” in their lives -- the chemically dependent, the needy and the homeless. The goal is to “help them make that turn that will bring them to a personal encounter with God, and to help them make changes that will result in better lives.”
Annette Lagunas, executive director of the Humane Society of Yuma, received a $2,500 check for the “important work the society does to protect all of our animals.”
Diane Umphress, executive director of Amberly’s Place, accepted a $2,500 check. The family advocacy center has a crisis team to assist abuse victims in Yuma County and part of Imperial County.
Afterward, during the call to the public, Umphress said she was proud to tell people of the support that the center receives from the cities of Yuma and San Luis and Yuma County. Gaming proceeds help cover the emergency needs of abuse victims, which aren’t covered by grants, such as changing door locks and supplying them with food to carry them over.
Working together as a community means a lot to the victims and sends a message that it’s OK to reach out and get help, she added.
Noting that Amberly’s Place will celebrate its 20th anniversary in November, she noted the center could not do it without the support of the city and the police department which refers victims.
In another presentation, Sylvia Chappell, a legal assistant in the City Attorney’s Office, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Arizona Prosecuting Attorneys’ Advisory Council.
“It’s not often that the city attorney gets to share great news with the public, but today is a special day,” City Attorney Richard Files said.
With assistance from City Prosecutor Jay Cairns, Files congratulated Chappell for a “very special award, from the mayor and City Council and City Attorney’s Office and from all the members of the public out there.”
Files explained that the award is in appreciation for Chappell’s distinguished career as an administrative professional “serving the interest of justice.”
He added: “This award is a statewide honor for Sylvia for doing so much every working day for more than 18 years for our city and our community. Thank you, Sylvia, for all you do.”