Our Impact

We work closely with schools, teachers and community leaders to understand the needs of children in our community. We then act quickly and efficiently to fill gaps for students, aiming to give them the same opportunities as their peers.

Feeling included helps students academically, emotionally and physically

academically

LISA is able to bridge the education gap in classrooms. We provide curriculum, intervention help, online supplemental teaching subscriptions, teaching aids, school supplies, books, chromebooks, headphones and incentives for reading. Over 365 books provided in the 23-24 school year!

Emotionally

We want to see happy students on campus and strive to support our schools in providing a sense of belonging for all students. We assist special education teachers and school counselors with sensory items, alternative seating, curriculum, and emotional regulation classroom tools. We have paid for team building field trips and classroom activities as well as assisted with individual therapy sessions for students.

Physically

Supporting each campus’ extensive after-school programs has been a huge success for LISA. We have assisted with equipment and supplies for archery, games, art, digital cameras, theater costumes, and athletic equipment. We support individual student’s basic needs such as glasses, clothing, field trip and other school costs, pre-school tuition, hygiene items, overdue cafeteria balances and extracurricular activities.

Over the past four years, the dollar amount of aid LISA has provided to help low-income students has quadrupled.

In the most recent fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, a partial list of items provided include:

  • 48 students received clothing, hygiene items, haircuts, food, and various medical, dental, hearing, eye care, and mental health needs.
  • Over 20 students were able to participate in school and city sports by LISA paying for registration fees, equipment, uniforms and shoes.
  • Over 20 students were able to participate in long-distance school trips to places like Washington D.C, Universal Studios and San Diego California, Bisbee Arizona and Kartchner Caverns.
  • Over 300 students went on field trips because of our assistance. Students visited Lowell Observatory, The Science Vortex, Deadhorse Ranch State Park, Fort Verde State Park, the Cottonwood Recreation Center and experienced a Pink Jeep tour.
  • LISA supported technology in classrooms by providing online teaching subscriptions for 5 teachers, this impacts over 100 students in a positive fashion.
  • Over 180 headphones for various classrooms, provided 4 students with a laptop for their highs school endeavors, and 6 Amazon Fire Tablets for a kindergarten handwriting curriculum.
  • Numerous other items not listed

Feeling included helps students academically, emotionally and physically

Thank you LISA for the curriculum purchase for Title 1 that will support 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students to grow our nonfiction text comprehension skills. Your purchase will help not just students during the current year, but for years to come as these materials are reusable.
Verde Valley Teacher
Our cooking club wants to thank you for the funding that you provided for our club. Thanks to your generous donations, our students have created some delicious and amazing looking food. We greatly appreciate all you do.
After-school Club Leader
Thank you LISA for buying my son a bed and bedding. I couldn’t stop crying watching him sleep last night. He is so happy. You really did an amazing thing.
Verde Valley Parent
Thank you for paying for the summer camps for my kids. This is something we have never been able to provide for our children and we cannot thank you enough for this opportunity! You all make this community better.
Verde Valley Parent
From the bottom of our hearts…my daughter and I thank you so much for allowing her to feel good about herself with nice clean clothes for school!
Verde Valley Parent
Thank you for helping to fund some of my trip to Washington D.C.! If it weren’t for LISA, I would have missed out on this once in a lifetime opportunity. I have gained priceless memories and knowledge because of this trip. I was able to see memorials, museums, and places I had only ever seen in photographs before. For the rest of my life, I will remember my experiences and those who made it possible for me to have them.
Verde Valley Student
Thank you so much to LISA for your generosity to our students, not only here at Mingus, but the entire Verde Valley. For this student in particular, the opportunity to take this AP class would have been financially out of reach for their family. Lifting that burden gives them the ability to push themselves academically and allows them to explore a subject matter they are passionate about at a level that is challenging and thought-provoking.
MUHS School Counselor
I just wanted to take a moment to say a huge thank you for everything you have done for us! Your help with my daughter’s dental bills and dental hygiene items has made a big difference. We were able to keep going without any financial stress, which was amazing. Most importantly, my daughter’s smile is brighter than ever and her dental health is better, too! Plus she aced her school year with straight A’s—your support really helped her shine. We can’t thank you enough for your kindness and the positive impact you’ve had on our lives.
Verde Valley parent

Thank you for your support with our 8th grade field trip to Arizona State University. This trip aligns perfectly with the new class they are taking on College and Career Readiness. Students will see a major college campus, receive information about how to get ready for college, learn about the opportunities that await them, and attend a free college volleyball game.

Verde Valley school principal

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